AUBURN, Calif., Feb. 4 (UPI) -- A California medical marijuana activist told a judge the synthetic drug he has been getting in jail has been working well to ease his cancer symptoms.
Steve Kubby surprised his supporters at a hearing before a Placer County judge in Auburn, the Los Angeles Times reported. The judge had been expected to rule that Kubby could get marijuana while he is behind bars.
Kubby faces a three-year prison sentence for possession of hallucinogens. He spent five years hiding in Canada with his family before returning to California last month.
Bill McPike, Kubby's lawyer, said Kubby suffered from nausea when he first began taking Marinol, which contains THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. But now, McPike said, his client is "smiling and happy."
Dale Gieringer, director of California NORML, told the Times that Kubby's experience with Marinol will not slow down the fight for medical marijuana, which is legal in California and illegal under federal law. He said Marinol works well for some patients and not for others.
