We the undersigned wish to express our support for Miss Michelle Ann X who appears in your court, charged with the offence of…. Michelle is a long term Multiple Sclerosis patient who finds enormous medicinal benefit in the consumption of cannabis. Cannabis is a recognised medicine for her condition in many countries, and is the only active ingredient of Sativex, a medicine produced in the UK and legally available to MS Patients on prescription. Unfortunately, Michelle has found herself in a position common to all but a very small minority of MS patients under the care of the NHS, and has been unable to obtain access to legal medicinal cannabis due to its excessive cost. Michelle was therefore left with the choice of breaking the law in order to produce her own medicine, or suffer the excruciating pain and debilitating effects of MS. Growing her own medication has allowed Michelle to live a very good quality of life without the need for care assistance. Since legal proceedings and a regular uninvited police presence in her home have now forced Michelle to stop growing her own medication; she requires assistance to carry out basic tasks such as washing and dressing, taking away her independence, and drastically reducing her quality of life whilst simultaneously increasing the cost of her care to the state. As members of the public whom the blanket prohibition of cannabis is intended to protect, we implore you to pass sentence on Michelle with leniency and due concern for the impossible situation in which she has been placed by the undeniably incorrect legal status of cannabis as a substance which has no medical benefit. It is clear to us that in Michelle’s case cannabis is a very effective medicine and that to apply the Misuse of Drugs Act would be a gross miscarriage of justice. We do not consider Michelle to be a danger to our communities in any way and do not wish to see her punished simply for wanting have the best possible quality of life available to her.
This is not a crime, by our standards.