Thursday, August 7, 1997
Woody Harrelson Defends Pot Grower

Woody Harrelson, coming off an Oscar-nominated role in The People vs. Larry Flynt, may be appearing live via satellite in a Los Angeles courtroom this week. The actor sent one of his representatives to the federal courthouse on Wednesday to put up $500,000 bail for twenty-seven-year-old cancer survivor Todd McCormick, who was arrested in a rented Bel-Air mansion on July 29 after investigators allegedly found more than 4,100 marijuana plants growing in the house. Before Harrelson can post the bond, however, he must first talk to prosecutors face-to-face so they can make sure he knows what his obligations are. Since the actor is currently filming a movie in Australia, a video conference has been arranged. McCormick, a longtime advocate of marijuana for medicinal use, insists he's not growing the plants for profit. He says he was growing them to help treat his disease, and was breeding different strains in an attempt to enhance their therapeutic value. Not so coincidentally, McCormick is being defended by famed First Amendment attorney Allan Isaacman, who was depicted by Edward Norton in The People vs. Larry Flynt. Brett Harrelson, Woody's brother and Flynt co-star, hired Isaacman to represent McCormick.