A Scott County, Iowa man, convicted of marijuana charges after he used it for medicinal purposes, has reportedly died.
Benton Mackenzie, his wife Loretta and their son, Cody, were convicted of manufacturing marijuana after 71 marijuana plants were seized from their home in May 2013.
Benton’s parents were initially charged as well, but those charges were later dropped.
Mackenzie said he used cannabis oil from the plants to treat his angiosarcoma cancer; and he claimed some tumors diminished, and some even vanished, with the use of cannabis oil.
Mackenzie and his wife planned to appeal their conviction after they were each sentenced to three years of probation. Their son was given a suspended sentence. A gofundme account was established to try to help the family settle in Oregon, where cannabis oil was legal for treatment of his condition.
A post Sunday, January 11, 2015 to a Facebook page dedicated to supporting Benton Mackenzie, he looked “close to going home.”
His family shared with News 8 a post from January 12, confirming his son discovered Benton passed away sometime between 1 and 3 a.m.
