Fidelis Arie, Who Planted Marijuana For Treatment, His Wife, Was Sentenced To Prison In Today's Memory, August 2, 2017

Portrait of Fidelis Arie and his wife, Yeni Riawati. (Special)

JAKARTA Memories of today, seven years ago, August 2, 2017, the panel of judges at the Sanggau District Court, West Kalimantan sentenced Fidelis Ari Sudarwoto to eight months in prison. The verdict was given because Fidelis was guilty of growing marijuana for his wife's treatment.

Previously, Fidelis' wife had a rare disease of Syringomylia. The disease is a cyst shape that grows in the spine. All the treatments Fidelis has tested out for failure. The only option that can save is marijuana.

Gaung, the use of marijuana for medical purposes, was excited in 2017. The excitement arose from a Civil Servant (PNS) in West Kalimantan named Fidelis Arie Sudewarto. He has a wife, Yeni Riawati, who is starting to get sick. However, the disease is considered strange.

The disease is like a fever. The problem is only half-body. Sometimes the body next door can be moved, one side doesn't. Fidelis took his wife for treatment everywhere. The result was far from expectations. Fidelis also began to look for literature related to his wife's disease.

He learned that his wife had a rare disease of Syringomyelia. A disease in the form of a central nervous system disorder due to a cyst growing in the spine. Fidelis considers the hospital not a solution.

He tried other alternatives. He studied various world health journals. The only option that allows his wife is to use marijuana. He believes the cannabis cannabinoid is a panacea.

Lately, Fidelis has learned online cannabis cultivation from Syringomylia survivors in various parts of the world. He manages the marijuana independently to be given to his wife. Yeni's condition continues to improve day by day. However, Fidelis needs to grow more marijuana.

He needs to grow marijuana in open gardens. He tried to apply for dispensation to the Sanggau Regency National Narcotics Agency to grow marijuana. The result resulted in an arrest. Fidelis was detained by BNN on February 19, 2017.

The symptoms are like fever but the conditions are strange. The fever is only half the right body. On the left it's normal. Sometimes it sweats until it's wet. However, just down to the hospital to check, at that time the doctor only said maybe pregnant. So just give vitamins and told to rest."

"It hurts again like that, and it gets worse. Even until the left hand cannot be moved either. Half to the bottom can't be driven. Until then the doctor also doesn't decide what the real disease is. We have gone to Pontianak, in Sanggau can't. Even we were referred to Singkawang, until twice we did MRI. Anyway, back and forth to the hospital," said Fidelis in the documentary film by Mahatma Putra entitled Atas Nama Daun (2022).

Fidelis was arrested with evidence of 39 sticks of his cannabis tree. The detention was the end of a marijuana therapy attempt on his wife. Yeni died on March 25, 2017. His wife's departure was a major blow to Fidelis. The story also received public sympathy.

However, Fidelis just surrendered to whatever the sentence was. Fidelis was finally tried and convicted by the panel of judges at the Sanggau District Court on August 2, 2017. Fidelis was sentenced to eight months in prison and a fine of Rp. 1 billion, subsidiary to one month in prison.

The judge's decision was heavier than the demands of the public prosecutor. The prosecutor only filed a charge in the form of five months in prison and a fine of Rp. 500 million, subsidiary to one month in prison.

"The charges that are trying to be proven by the public are the second alternative indictment, namely article 111 paragraph (2) concerning the prohibition of planting and maintaining narcotics," said Fidelis' attorney, Marcelina Cin, quoted on the BBC website, August 2, 2017.