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Man With Stage 3 Cancer Gets Four Years in Prison for Buying Marijuana-Infused Chocolate

Thomas Franzen has stage three testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and abdominal cavity.

An Illinois man who bought 430 marijuana-infused chocolate bars while he was battling stage-three cancer has been sentenced to four years in prison, The Chicago Tribune reports. Thomas Franzen pleaded guilty to a reduced charge after officials intercepted a package containing a“42-pound bag” of THC-infused chocolates from a California dispensary in 2014. The court dismissed more serious charges of cannabis trafficking and gave him a lower charge of possessing more than “5,000 grams of cannabis”—which normally calls for four to 14 years in prison. “He’s very relieved to have the case over,” Franzen’s lawyer told the newspaper. “The judge was cognizant of his health and wanted to give him a break, but ultimately 40 pounds of cannabis is a large amount.” Franzen was diagnosed with stage-three testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and abdominal cavity, and has a “reoccurrence of renal cell cancer” in one of his kidneys. He is due back in court on June 14, where medical results will determine if he should begin serving his prison term.