Marijuana plant – illustration photo.
Bratislava – The District Court in Trnava today sent a man who grew marijuana to prison for 15 years. However, he defends himself that he did not trade with her, but made ointments from her. The court also ordered that his property be forfeited to the state. Slovak media reports on the case.
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The Markíza television portal reports that two years ago, police officers found 14 kilograms of dried marijuana worth about 114,000 euros (2.69 million crowns) in the family home of Josef Šipoš, a former European champion in motorboat driving. The court originally imposed a twenty-year sentence on him.
Šipoš did not deny that he grew marijuana. He says he used it to make healing ointments for cancer patients. He said he was giving them to them for free. According to him, his house, which is now to be forfeited to the state, does not come from criminal activity, it is a gift from his parents. He added that they will now lose a roof over their heads.
Slovenský Denník N writes on its website that in the trial of Šipoš there was also a questionable opinion about the weight of marijuana that the police found on him. The defense objected that the quantity also included parts of the plant that did not contain the psychoactive component of marijuana, i.e. THC.
Šipoš said that he would appeal against today's sentence, the public prosecutor kept a period of time to think it over.
< p>The higher sentence for this man is criticized by the non-parliamentary party Progressive Slovakia, which reminds that the man should go to prison for manufacturing ointments. Party representatives want to decriminalize marijuana. “We all feel that it is not fair for a person to receive a higher sentence for a few marijuana cigarettes than a murderer, a mobster or a corrupt judge,” said party vice-chairman Martin Hojsík.
The Freedom and Solidarity parliamentary party (SaS) wants to submit an amendment , according to which, in contrast to the present, the possession of even the smallest amount of marijuana would not be a crime. Her representatives also want judges to have to reconsider cases in which they have already decided. It would also apply to Šipoš.
