A Far North man best known as Gandalf the green fairy has denied three cannabis-related charges in the Whangārei District Court.
Supporters gathered outside the court house in protest this morning, claiming Paul Smith had helped thousands of New Zealanders by providing medicinal cannabis to people with chronic pain or anxiety, as well as chemotherapy patients battling nausea and appetite loss.
They held banners bearing slogans such as “A garden is not a crime scene” and “Let nature nurture”.
Smith pleaded not guilty to charges of cultivating cannabis, dealing cannabis and possessing cannabis for supply.
He elected a trial by jury and was due back in court on April 29 for a case review.
Court documents showed the 66-year-old was arrested on February 25 at a rural property between Whangārei and Kawakawa.
Smith’s supporters said many people turned to him because they couldn’t afford commercially-produced medical cannabis.
Although well-known in Northland for many years, “Gandalf” came to national attention when he appeared in the 2020 documentary Patrick Gower: On Weed.
rnz.co.nz
