SACRAMENTO, May 2nd: Dr. Mollie Fry and Dale Schafer spoke eloquently at their federal surrender in Sacramento to an emotional crowd of supporters, who shouted, “We love you,” as the couple turned themselves in to serve a five year sentence for growing 106 marijuana plants over a period of three years.
“If I’m going to jail now to free millions of people, then it’s the right thing to do,” said Dr. Fry, “I’m here because I feel this is a matter of civil rights. If we are not free in our own bodies, what rights do we have?”
“What we did is we got under the skin of a lot of people who wanted to shut us up,” said Schafer. “The jury had blinders on and they were not allowed to see or hear the evidence of what had actually happened to us. What I was convicted of is what I basically admitted to on the stand, that I grew marijuana for my wife and for myself and for a handful of sick people.”
Both Mollie and Dale are seriously ill and require constant medication to maintain their health. They are leaving behind a family of 5 children, two grandchildren, and an expected grandchild.
Cal NORML Director Dale Gieringer denounced the couple’s imprisonment as a disgrace to the U.S. justice system and insult to U.S. taxpayers who will be footing the bill. “If the government can’t get medical marijuana right, how can we expect them to take care of health care or criminal justice or deficit reduction?” he asked.
For Dale & Mollie’s surrender speeches, see the report in The 420Times
