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Medical Marijuana Is Legal In Jersey, But M.S. Sufferer Will Still Do Time
By
John Del Signore
Published Jul 27, 2011
Modified Jul 27, 2011
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jul 27, 2011
Modified Jul 27, 2011
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New Jersey legalized medical marijuana last year, but Garden State resident and multiple sclerosis-sufferer John Wilson, 37, faces a five-year prison sentence for growing pot plants in his back yard. Wilson was busted back before the state legislature legalized weed for medical purposes, but despite pleading for clemency with Governor Chris Christie, Wilson will do time for "drug manufacturing." Yesterday an appellate court panel rejected Wilson's appeal, ruling that someone accused of manufacturing a drug cannot claim "personal use."
Wilson's debilitating disease affects the brain and spinal chord, and those who suffer from chronic illnesses like M.S. say that the THC in marijuana provides great relief. But during Wilson's trial, the judge barred him from telling jurors that he was only growing the plant for his personal use, not for sale, and his lawyers were not allowed to call an expert to testify on the medical uses of marijuana. The appeals court found that the judge ruled correctly, and did not find the sentence overly harsh.
Wilson was also busted for possessing psilocybin mushrooms, but he insists that he wasn't selling either substance. Ken Wolski, executive director of the Coalition for Medical Marijuana-New Jersey, tells the Jersey Star-Ledger, "To know that a safe and inexpensive herb like marijuana is able to relieve the pain and spasticity of MS and to actually arrest the progression of this incurable disease is a compelling reason to use it therapeutically. It is an outrage that Wilson will spend many years in the prison system for this, especially since the law in New Jersey now specifically protects MS patients who use medical marijuana."
Wilson's lawyer says his client won't appeal to the Supreme Court, and he hopes to get accepted into the state Probation Department’s intensive supervision program, which could get him out of prison in four to six months.
Tagged
john ray wilson
medical marijuana
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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