More MS news articles for October 2003

Drug charge defended

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/030926/17/e9gyd.html

Friday September 26, 02:58 AM
John Ross
The Scotsman

The Lord Advocate's office has defended its prosecution of a disabled Orkney woman for possessing and supplying cannabis.

Biz Ivol, 55, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, went on trial in June on charges of cultivating, possessing and supplying the drug.

She admitted sending out cannabis-laced chocolates to others with MS, but pleaded not guilty to supplying the drug on the grounds that she believed she was doing nothing wrong. The case was dropped because of her medical condition.

On behalf of the Lord Advocate, Fiona Scott, of the Executive's policy office, said the department was not unsympathetic to people like Mrs Ivol.

"It must, however, be emphasised that the prosecution related to a charge of being concerned in the supplying of cannabis. Our law takes a serious view of drug-dealing, and this quite properly influenced the decision as to how to proceed in Mrs Ivol's case."