Santa Ana – Five years in federal prison may be the result today of a plea bargain an Orange County man was forced to take after being advised he’d be unable to present evidence in court of either the back injury which has left him with chronic pain or the life-threatening reactions to conventional pain killers which caused his doctor to recommend medical marijuana.

Michael Teague, the 33-year-old owner of a small pool servicing business, had been growing marijuana plants in the back of his garage when local authorities arrested him. The District Attorney declined to bring charges after learning of Mr. Teague’s condition.

His doctor had recommended medical marijuana as a treatment, in accordance with California’s Compassionate Use Act of 1996, after Mr. Teague nearly died from reactions to pain-killing anti-inflammatory medications in the ASA family (which include aspirin and Tylenol).

But two weeks later, federal authorities arrived at his home with weapons drawn and re-arrested him, charging him with federal drug violations that carry a possible ten-year sentence.

Advised that – like all medical marijuana patients – under federal law he would be unable to tell a jury about either his painful medical condition or the drug allergies that made medical marijuana the best treatment option, Mr. Teague elected to plead guilty to a lesser marijuana cultivation charge with a maximum sentence of five years, while preserving his right to appeal.

The son of a police department employee and brother of a police officer, Mr. Teague’s worst previous encounter with law enforcement was a traffic ticket. Federal prosecutors are nonetheless intent on imposing a five-year prison sentence. Mr. Teague’s attorney, David Nick, will be asking the presiding judge, David O. Carter, for leniency based on the extraordinary circumstances of the case.

Who: Michael Teague, 33, Orange County small-business owner and medical-marijuana patient

What: Sentencing in Federal Court of up to five years in prison

When: Monday, July 14th at 1:30 PM

Where: US District Court in Santa Ana, Ronald Reagan Federal Building and United States Courthouse, 411 West Fourth Street, 8th Floor, Courtroom of Judge David O. Carter

For interviews or more information, contact William Dolphin: (510) 653-1016 or 919-1498.

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