UK Arthritis Patient Punished for Using Cannabis

A man from the UK narrowly escaped a 16 week jail sentence for growing and processing cannabis in his home, which is illegal under British law.

55 year old Andrew Foster of Torquay openly admitted to production and possession of cannabis but claimed he was doing so purely for medicinal purposes. Foster suffers from severe arthritis and back pain and maintains that cannabis has been exceptionally effective in treating his pain.

Police caught on to Foster’s operation due to the strong smell associated with growing cannabis. At the time of his arrest, police found 9 mature plants and 24 seedlings and about $3000 (US) worth of harvested buds.

Not a particularly tiny operation, but certainly not exemplary of someone trying to sell cannabis for profit. Foster maintained he never sold any of his weed, just grew and used it to ease his own pain. Both the police and the judge accept that Foster had no intention to sell.

The suspended sentence came with a strong warning that, should Foster again be caught with cannabis, he faces immediate imprisonment.

The judge, Erik Salomonsen, told Foster, “The dilemma you put before the court is that if the probation report is to be believed, you intend to do it. As I have said, cannabis is a class B drug. It is illegal to possess or produce or supply. I am told it has been a significant feature of your life for over 30 years and one reason you take it is for a medical condition, which in your view it ameliorates. However, it is illegal and you have no prescription from your doctor.”

Foster’s attorney commented that, because this cannabis was used purely for medicinal purposes and because there was no intention to supply others with cannabis, the sentence was suspended. He further commented that Foster has a long history of back ailments, sciatica, and arthritis in his hands and wrists and prefers cannabis to a litany of pills.

To me this is a fault from the top down, similar to the US problems that stem from cannabis’ schedule I status. It seems that even the judge responsible for allotting a sentence is torn. He doesn’t appear to want to punish Foster for simply managing his pain, yet he’s obliged by the laws of the land to issue some kind of punishment.

Cannabis is a mighty anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is one of the leading causes of pain, specifically in joints/bones. Once again, cannabis is not the problem, it is the cure. The problem is the law. Change the laws and you will change the whole perception of cannabis into something much more aligned with empirical reality.