Army Officer Escapes Punishment After Using Cannabis to Help Dying Wife
Damian Flood, 39, has avoided criminal punishment after admitting that he used cannabis to help ease his wife’s dying moments.
The Army veteran who served for nearly 2 decades in the Irish Defence Forces was found with nearly €10,ooo worth of cannabis at his home near Dublin. Initially,
Flood told the court that he was using the drugs to pay off his debts, which totalled nearly €40,000. However, he later revealed that he used the plant to help ease the passing of his wife, who was terminally ill with breast cancer.
Flood used online research to determine that juicing cannabis could help relieve his wife’s endless pain. The veteran stated that the cannabis worked for his spouse and she died peacefully, five months after his arrest.
After testimonials handed to the court indicated that Flood was a man of good character with an exemplary professional record, Jude Mary Ellen Ring stated that the explanation that he wanted to use the cannabis as pain relief was enough to avoid any conviction.
The decision made by the Irish courts is unique in circumstance and signals a possible change in thinking with regards to cannabis as medicine in Ireland.