A 64-year-old Mississauga man has been given a life prison sentence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for possessing cannabis products used to manage a health condition.
Maurice Kevin O’Rourke was travelling through the Middle Eastern country on his way to South Africa in July when he was stopped at the Dubai airport for having cannabis and CBD oil in his luggage.
He uses the products, both legal in Canada, to manage chronic pain caused by Addison’s disease, a rare condition affecting the adrenal glands that can lead to coma if left untreated.
The UAE considers cannabis a controlled narcotic and is prohibited without receiving prior approval to use.
Since his arrest, O’Rourke has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term and his family fears his health will deteriorate because of lack of medical care given to prisoners
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