A man has been convicted in Portugal for minor drug
trafficking after cultivating and possessing cannabis plants which
were being consumed by his wife, who was ill. The Évora
Court of Appeal decided that cultivating and possessing cannabis is
trafficking when the substance is not being consumed by the
producer himself.
Introduction
In a case heard by the Évora Court of Appeal in Portugal,
a man was convicted for minor drug trafficking. The man had 3
cannabis plants in his house for medicinal purposes, which were
intended to be consumed by his wife, who was quite ill.
Since the man was not himself consuming the cannabis plants, and
since the law does not establish specific quantities to distinguish
trafficking from consumption, the question arose as whether there
was trafficking or not.
