Plainsman1963

Cannabis bar trio launch an appeal
01-10-07 | Peterboroughtoday.co.uk | Emma_Cousins

A MAN who helped supply chocolate laced with cannabis to 1,600 multiple sclerosis sufferers has launched an appeal against his conviction for conspiring to supply the drug.
Marcus Davies, formerly of Parnwell, Peterborough, and his co-defendants, Mark and Lezley Gibson, both from Alston in Cumbria, have started the appeal, even though they will not be sentenced until January 26.

Mrs Gibson, an MS sufferer, said: “Our legal team has told us that we only have 28 days after conviction to seek leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal. So we have done that. Our appeal will be based on the judge’s summing up of the case."”

The Gibsons and Davies were found guilty of two counts of conspiring to supply the class C drug at Carlisle Crown Court last month.

Throughout the trial the three argued their sole purpose was to help people with MS by alleviating their symptoms with pain-killing cannabis – but the judge told the jury a recent Appeal Court ruling made it clear no defendant can now rely in law on medical necessity as a defence.

The trial heard how the Gibsons, helped by Davies, who now lives in St Ives, created a cottage industry supplying cannabis-laced chocolate bars from their home.

At its height the operation saw the couple posting off up to 150 Canna-Biz bars free of charge once a week, supplying two per cent of the country’s MS sufferers.

Mrs Gibson said: "The real tragedy is that hundreds of people are now having to go out and find street dealers in cannabis. And we believe that much of what they are buying has been contaminated which is actually putting their health at risk."