The Epic Story of Dr. Lester Grinspoon - Part 2

The Ballad of John and Lester

During the seething cultural clashes of the early 1970’s, President Nixon, who was known to overindulge in alcohol, tried to get John Lennon and Yoko Ono expelled from the U.S. due to a prior pot charge. He wanted to dispense with them as they had become very prominent and effective thorns in his side, by opposing the Vietnam War with the ‘Give Peace A Chance’ campaign. Nixon’s legal team claimed that John had been admitted into the U.S. improperly, as U.S. immigration policy prohibited entry to anyone convicted of any drug offense. Years earlier, Lennon had been arrested for possession of a minor amount marijuana in England and, at the time, had been advised to plead guilty to this misdemeanor charge.

Leon Wildes, the lead attorney representing John and Yoko, had discerned that it wasn’t actually “marijuana” or cannabis that John had been arrested for, but “cannabis resin” also known as hashish.

According to Wildes,

I needed to prove that cannabis resin was not marijuana. I was told by my friend Alan Dershowitz [back when he was a credible attorney] that Dr. Lester Grinspoon of Harvard Medical School was one of the best doctors in the country and an expert on marijuana. I called Dr. Grinspoon and asked,

"Is cannabis resin marijuana or what?"

"Oh," he said, "cannabis resin is not marijuana. It's hashish!"

"Dr. Grinspoon, name your fee. I need your testimony."

He said, "I'm very sorry. You can cite my book, but I don't testify anymore."

According to Wildes, “I was very disappointed and tried to reach some other doctors. Then I got a call from Dr. Grinspoon.

"Mr. Wildes…I have a special personal situation. I have a 12-year-old son Danny who has terminal leukemia. Since we first spoke, I found out that he idolizes John Lennon. If you can get me some things autographed by John Lennon, I will be happy to testify at my usual rates."

My dad would have defied gravity or moved mountains for my dying brother Danny. In NYC for the trial, he was invited to dinner with John and Yoko. After dinner, they then gave him a tour of Apple Studios. I can’t fathom what it would be like to visit these hallowed grounds – my entire childhood was spent listening to the Beatles. My dad was deeply impressed by Lennon, whom he described as exceptionally kind, thoughtful and articulate.

At the trial, during his questioning, Attorney Wildes included,

“Dr. Grinspoon, is cannabis resin marijuana?”

“No, cannabis resin is not marijuana,” Dr. Grinspoon replied.

“Is cannabis resin a narcotic drug?” Mr. Wildes asked.

“No, cannabis resin is not a narcotic drug,” Dr. Grinspoon replied.