You have to wonder: Are the authorities and courts high? John Ray Wilson, it appears, is going to prison for growing 17 marijuana plants behind his home in Franklin Township. An appeals court last week tossed out a last-ditch attempt at overturning his conviction. You have to wonder: Are the authorities and courts high? John Ray Wilson, it appears, is going to prison for growing 17 marijuana plants behind his home in Franklin Township. An appeals court last week tossed out a last-ditch attempt at overturning his conviction.

Now, 17 plants — some as tall as an NBA player — are a lot of pot, but Wilson suffers from multiple sclerosis, had no health insurance, his lawyer says, and grew the weed to help him alleviate the symptoms of his illness. Okay, so maybe he overplanted.

We know what you’re going to say: No one person could possibly smoke that much pot.

Heck, Wilson could have thrown a party, invited Cheech and Chong, Spicoli, Bill Maher and all of San Francisco — and still would have had a few doobies left over. So, Wilson must’ve been dealing.

But there’s no evidence of that.

Wilson was acquitted of maintaining or operating a drug-production facility (a possible 20-year offense), but found guilty of manufacturing and possessing the drug.

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.

He appealed those points, but lost.

Of course, had New Jersey passed a medical marijuana law sooner, Wilson wouldn’t have had to resort to backyard farming in 2009.