Pubdate: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 Source: New Zealand Herald (New Zealand) Copyright: 2003 New Zealand Herald Contact: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/300 Author: Bridget Carter ACCUSED IN BED FIGHTS DRUG COUNT In a corner of the Kaikohe courthouse lay Jon Andrews in bed, wearing a nightgown with Maori designs. He came to court by ambulance yesterday to tell a jury that cannabis alleviates the pain of his grossly swollen leg. "Rather than taking morphine, I take cannabis so that I can still talk to my wife," he said. "She finds I can communicate better on this stuff." The 34-year-old Far North beneficiary is charged with possessing cannabis oil for supply during August 2000. This week, with help from his wife and a friend of the court, he is defending the charge from a hospital bed with an oxygen bottle nearby. Yesterday, Andrews told the district court how he smoked cannabis daily as relief from an illness that had caused him to be in and out of hospital for several years. He has lymphoedema, an abnormal accumulation of lymph that causes swelling. One of his legs now weighs around 80kg. Smoking cannabis, he said, was a better alternative to morphine, which left him unable to talk. The Crown alleges that several items found at Andrews' home were evidence of cannabis oil to supply. While he was sleeping on his couch, a detective found beside him 5g of cannabis oil stashed in straws, a list of names and $200 in cash. Police believed the names were from a "tick list", commonly used in the drug dealing trade. But Andrews said the list was a donation or koha list from his brother's tangi. The cash was his wife's banking money, and the only person who used the cannabis was himself. The jury will deliberate today. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh