Marijuana Dealer Gets One Year Probation

Rockford: Today, Winnebago County Circuit Judge Brendan Maher sentenced Ryan Long of Rockford to one year of drug treatment probation. Long had been arrested and charged with growing and possessing marijuana with intent to distribute. At first, the case was pursued by the State’s Attorney to put Long in the penitentiary for more than five years. His lawyer, Stephen M. Komie of Chicago, argued that Long was a life long marijuana user. Long purportedly had medical issues, and at the time of his arrest, marijuana for treatment was prohibited. The possession of marijuana with intent to distribute was a criminal act in 2014. During the intervening years from his 2014 arrest, the law in Illinois had changed. Komie argued that Long was eligible for a medical marijuana card. He was able to convince the Court that Long should be allowed to have marijuana on his probationary sentence under the treatment of his personal physician.

Komie had presented evidence to the court. The State of Illinois Medical Marijuana Card which authorized Long to possess marijuana to treat his post-traumatic stress was submitted. Also presented by Komie was evidence that Long was eligible for treatment for addiction under the statutes providing for the treatment of addicts of drugs. Further, Long had attended college during the years since his arrest. Komie argued that the probationary sentence would provide Long with the opportunity to get a job after successful completion of his probationary sentence when, by law, all felony charges would be dismissed. Judge Maher accepted Komie’s argument and placed Long under the supervision of his own doctor for treatment of his post-traumatic stress condition by using medical marijuana.

In the hallway outside court, Long was exuberant in expressing his glee to be saved from a penitentiary sentence.