TRENTON

— John Ray Wilson, serving a five-year prison term for growing marijuana he said helped quell the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, walked out of prison Thursday after five months because he was admitted into the state Intensive Supervision Program, according to his father.

Wilson, 39, is back home in Somerset looking for a job, his father, Ray Wilson of Pittsgrove said this evening.

"He shouldn't have spent a day there,'' Wilson's father said. "They are playing with someone health. He lost 40 pounds in jail."

Wilson was found guilty of manufacturing and possessing about 17 marijuana plants in November 2009. At his trial, Wilson was not allowed to tell the jury that he grew the pot to relieve his symptoms, nor was he permitted to present an expert witness on the benefits of marijuana because the state did not have a medical marijuana law at that time. He lost an appeal and began serving his sentence in January.

The state's medical marijuana law was signed in January 2010, but the program is still not operational.

The Intensive Supervision Program allows inmates to be released from prison as long as they agree to follow strict parameters such as maintaining a job, adhering to a curfew and undergoing drug testing.

Wilson must follow the rules and wear an electronic monitoring device for 16 months, said Ken Wolski, executive director of the Coalition for Medical Marijuana - New Jersey, an organization that lobbied for his clemency.

"We're very happy he is released from prison," Wolski said. "We thought it was inappropriate for him to be is prison in the first place."

"But ISP is, as they say, is very intensive supervision," Wolski said, noting that Wilson does not have health insurance, and relied on marijuana and holistic measures such as bee stings to ease his discomfort. Smoking pot won't be allowed because he will be drug-tested, "so that's a problem."

Wilson's father declined further comment on his son's behalf.

Staff writer Mary Ann Spoto contributed to this report.

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