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National advocates are closely watching how an Iowa cancer patient's marijuana case unfolds, hoping it will spur changes in drug laws.

A Scott County jury found Benton Mackenzie and his wife guilty this week on felony counts of growing marijuana at home. They say they will appeal.

"The fact he was not able to mount a medical necessity defense is a terrible shame," Dr. Steve Jenison, the former medical director of New Mexico's cannabis program, said, hearing of the case through news media.

Benton Mackenzie was diagnosed with angiosarcoma, a terminal cancer, in 2011. Iowa law does not allow marijuana use in treatment of cancer.

Scott County District Judge Henry Latham barred Mackenzie multiple times from telling jurors that he grew marijuana in order to treat his cancer with oil derived from the plant. Mackenzie could not even say he had cancer.

Jenison began the patient registry with qualifying conditions in New Mexico after lawmakers passed a comprehensive medical marijuana law in 2007. He says Mackenzie's condition would have been included in that registry.