Judge Orders Defendant to Write About ‘Nonsensical Character’ of Medical Pot Laws
A Nevada judge has ordered a drug defendant who works at a California law firm to write a report about the “nonsensical character” of medical marijuana laws after hearing testimony about his manipulation of the system.
Matthew Palazzolo, 25, must submit his report about California’s law within 90 days, according to the Record-Courier and the Associated Press. He was arrested in a casino parking lot in February after trying to sell a quarter pound of marijuana to an informant, the stories say.
Palazzolo admitted he grew the pot himself after obtaining a medical marijuana card that cited diagnosed back pain from activities such as snowboarding, according to the stories. Although the pain was real, his actual reason for obtaining the card was recreational drug use, he told the court.
Judge Dave Gamble also required Palazzolo to write about his realization that marijuana is a gateway drug, the stories say. “If this isn’t testimony to the absolute asininity of medical marijuana laws in California and the path Nevada is choosing,” he said. “Here’s a young man with a bachelor’s degree and a rosy future and now is a potential felon. It’s just the height of stupidity.”
The stories don’t identify the law firm that employed Palazzolo.
