Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
A Tennessee farmer is fighting for medical marijuana in his state after federal governments raided his farm, seized 25 acres of it, and sent him to live in a halfway house for 18 months. Bernie Ellis back is back on his
farm after 18 long months in a halfway house, and speaking out to anyone who will listen to his story about the need to allow medical marijuana in his home state of Tennessee.
Ellis worked for decades as a public health epidemiologist before he retired to the farm he has lived on since he was nineteen years old. He now grows over forty varieties of vegetables on his farm, but one he isn’t growing anymore is his medical marijuana. Ellis tells CNN that for years he smoked cannabis for recreational reasons like many of his generation. But now as he has aged and developed a degenerative disorder in his hip and spine, he discovered that cannabis helped him have more flexibility and allowed him to sleep better.
He began growing and giving away marijuana to those that were sick in his community. Then, the federal helicopters showed up as he was outside cutting his lawn. He knew instantly why they were there. He pled guilty to growing the marijuana, spent 18 months in a halfway house and the government auctioned off 25 acres of his farm. He says he is now unable to get a job caring out his work as a public health consultant because he is a convicted felon.
Ellis provided free cannabis to sick people. If instead he were a rapist, the government would not be able to take away his land. When asked if he regretted growing the marijuana, he said that there is a number of things in his experience that he regrets, mostly being naive to the process, but he does not regret using cannabis and does not regret helping others. Now he is helping other Tennessee residents by fighting to get a medical marijuana bill to lawmakers in the state. He says even though he has stopped growing marijuana, he will not stop lobbying for science, common sense and compassion when it comes to cannabis law reform in his state. He has written a medical marijuana bill that is co-sponsored by state Representative, Jeanne Richardson and Representative Beverly Marrero whose son-in-law used cannabis to ease the pain of his chemo treatments.
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: opposingviews.com
Copyright: 2010 Opposing Views, Inc.
Contact: Contact Us
Website: Opposing Views: Marijuana "Martyr" Fights for Medical Pot in Tennessee
farm after 18 long months in a halfway house, and speaking out to anyone who will listen to his story about the need to allow medical marijuana in his home state of Tennessee.
Ellis worked for decades as a public health epidemiologist before he retired to the farm he has lived on since he was nineteen years old. He now grows over forty varieties of vegetables on his farm, but one he isn’t growing anymore is his medical marijuana. Ellis tells CNN that for years he smoked cannabis for recreational reasons like many of his generation. But now as he has aged and developed a degenerative disorder in his hip and spine, he discovered that cannabis helped him have more flexibility and allowed him to sleep better.
He began growing and giving away marijuana to those that were sick in his community. Then, the federal helicopters showed up as he was outside cutting his lawn. He knew instantly why they were there. He pled guilty to growing the marijuana, spent 18 months in a halfway house and the government auctioned off 25 acres of his farm. He says he is now unable to get a job caring out his work as a public health consultant because he is a convicted felon.
Ellis provided free cannabis to sick people. If instead he were a rapist, the government would not be able to take away his land. When asked if he regretted growing the marijuana, he said that there is a number of things in his experience that he regrets, mostly being naive to the process, but he does not regret using cannabis and does not regret helping others. Now he is helping other Tennessee residents by fighting to get a medical marijuana bill to lawmakers in the state. He says even though he has stopped growing marijuana, he will not stop lobbying for science, common sense and compassion when it comes to cannabis law reform in his state. He has written a medical marijuana bill that is co-sponsored by state Representative, Jeanne Richardson and Representative Beverly Marrero whose son-in-law used cannabis to ease the pain of his chemo treatments.
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: opposingviews.com
Copyright: 2010 Opposing Views, Inc.
Contact: Contact Us
Website: Opposing Views: Marijuana "Martyr" Fights for Medical Pot in Tennessee
