Global Ganja Report

A New Zealand cancer patient facing a jail term for growing cannabis he uses to alleviate pain pledges to go on a hunger strike if he is imprisoned. Peter Davy, 51, of Timaru, pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis, but says he uses the herb only for medicinal purposes for himself and his partner, who suffers from multiple sclerosis.

"I am 100% committed to continuing with a hunger strike until I am dead," said Davy. "I hate confrontation and I hate publicity, but I have nothing to lose and somebody has to make a stand... or nothing ever changes."

Davy says he started smoking cannabis only after he was diagnosed with a pituitary tumour 10 years ago, and discovered it helped alleviate the symptoms better than any drugs that doctors could prescribe him. "Not one legal drug had the slightest beneficial effect. They turned me into a zombie, slowed my brain to a standstill and made it feel like mush, made me suicidal," he said. In desperation he tried cannabis, and it helped. (The Press, Christchurch, Feb. 20)