Police Dispatcher Fired For Buying Pot Says She Did The Right Thing

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Laura Llanes does not regret buying her aunt marijuana, even though it has cost her a job as police dispatcher.

She was stunned, nevertheless, when she was fired last week after admitting she bought the marijuana to help relieve her aunt's suffering through breast cancer and chemotherapy.

Marijuana for medicinal purposes is legal with a prescription in 13 states; Illinois is not one of them.

Llanes, 28, of Lake Villa remains adamant she did the right thing, saying her biggest mistake was telling a few co-workers what she had done: "They ratted me out."



Her aunt, who lives in Aurora, was "sick constantly, not eating, not having an appetite. She is diabetic. She has to eat. She was whittling away to nothing," said Llanes.

"I thought I will get her some marijuana so it would get her to eat. It worked. She did get the munchies."

Llanes has not been charged with a crime, but when confronted by her supervisor at CenCom E-9-11, she admitted she had bought marijuana and was promptly fired Wednesday.

"All that mattered was that I admitted to committing an illegal act," she said.

Llanes said she doesn't use marijuana, but she was able to buy some, enough to make about three joints, for her aunt about two weeks ago through a friend. Her aunt smoked the marijuana and said it worked, but, worried about the legal implications, she declined Llanes' offer to buy more.

Llanes has worked seven years as a police dispatcher, the last four for CenCom E9-1-1 in Round Lake Beach. CenCom serves as a centralized dispatch service for eight north suburban police and fire departments.

Calls to CenCom were referred to director Lisa Berger, who did not return messages Monday.

Llanes' aunt, 60, lived with her in 2008 after undergoing a double mastectomy, Llanes said. She has since moved to Aurora and could not be reached Monday, according to Llanes.

"In Illinois, the law offers these folks no protection at all, unfortunately," said Bruce Mirken, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, which lobbies for the legalization and regulation of marijuana use.

A prescription drug in pill form called Marinol contains synthetic THC, the main ingredient in marijuana. But it doesn't work for everyone, and its results are slow-arriving and unpredictable, Mirken said.

"If you talk to cancer patients, they don't want to get high," he said. "They just don't want to feel sick."

A bill introduced in the legislature calls for allowing the medicinal use of marijuana in a three-year test program. Critics include the Illinois State Police, which opposes the legislation because of concerns about potential abuse and enforcement.

State Rep. Patricia Bellock (R-Hinsdale) said she opposes the bill because it lacks support from the greater medical community. "There is absolutely no control over this by a pharmacy," said Bellock.


News Hawk: User: http://www.420magazine.com/
Source: Chicago Tribune
Author: Lisa Black
Copyright: 2009 Chicago Tribune
Contact: Contact us -- chicagotribune.com
Website: Police dispatcher fired for buying pot says she did right thing -- chicagotribune.com

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.......State Rep. Patricia Bellock (R-Hinsdale) said she opposes the bill because it lacks support from the greater medical community. "There is absolutely no control over this by a pharmacy," said Bellock.

Leading National and International Medical, Religious, and Legal Organizations Supporting Physician-Supervised Access to Medical Marijuana:

The American Academy of HIV Medicine (AAHIVM)
American Anthropological Association
The American Bar Association (ABA)
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
The American Nurses Association (ANA)
The American Public Health Association (APHA)
The American Society of Addiction Medicine
Arthritis Research Campaign
British Medical Association
HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
The Lymphoma Foundation of America (LFA)
The National Association for Public Health Policy
National Black Police Association
The National Nurses Society on Addictions
The Episcopal Church
The Presbyterian Church USA
The United Church of Christ
The United Methodist Church's Board of Church and Society
The Union of Reform Judaism
The Unitarian Universalist Association

State/Local Medical Marijuana Endorsements and Statements of Support:

AIDS Care Ocean State
AIDS Foundation of Chicago
AIDS Project Rhode Island
Alaska Nurses Association
Associated Medical Schools of New York
California Academy of Family Physicians
California Legislative Council for Older Americans
California Medical Association
California Nurses Association
California Pharmacists Association
California Society of Addiction Medicine
Florida Medial Association
Hawaii Nurses Association
Iowa Democratic Party
King County Bar Association (Washington)
The Medical Society of the State of New York
Michigan Democratic Party
Minnesota Nurses Association
Minnesota Public Health Association
Minnesota AIDS Project
Minnesota Senior Federation
Mississippi Nurses Association
Multiple Sclerosis California Action Network
New Jersey State Nurses Association
New Mexico Medical Society
New York AIDS Advisory Council
New York AIDS Coalition
New York County Medical Society
New York State AIDS Advisory Council
New York State Association of County Health Officials
New York State Hospice and Palliative Care Association
New York State Nurses Association
New York Statewide Senior Action Council
North Carolina Nurses Association
Physicians for Social Responsibility (Oregon)
Rhode Island ACLU
Rhode Island Medical Society
Rhode Island State Nurses Association
San Francisco Medical Society
Senior Agenda Coalition (Rhode Island)
Texas Democratic Party
Texas Medical Association
Texas Nurses Association
United Nurses and Allied Professionals (Rhode Island)
Virginia Nurses Association
Whitman–Walker Clinic
Wisconsin Nurses Association
Wisconsin Public Health Association

Non-U.S. Organizations Supporting Access to Therapeutic Cannabis

Australian National Task Force on Cannabis – 1994
Australian Medical Association (New South Wales) Limited - 1999
British Medical Association - 1997
Bundesverband Poliomyelitis (Federal Union for Polio), Germany – 1998
Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police - 2001
Canadian Medical Association – 2001
Canadian Medical Journal - 2001
Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe (German AIDS Support Organization)-1998
Deutsche Epilepsievereinigung (German Association for Epilepsy) -1998
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Algesiologie (German Society for Algesiology) -1998
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Drogen-und Suchtmedizin (German Society for Drug and Addiction Medicine) -1998
Deutsche Gesellschaft niedergelassener Ärzte zur Versorgung HIV – Infizierter (German Working Group for Therapists of the HIV infected) - 1998
French Ministry of Health - 1997
German Bundestag (German Federal Parliament) - 2000
Health Canada - 1997
House of Lords (UK) Select Committee on Science and Technology - 1999
Legalise Cannabis Alliance - 2000
New South Wales (Australia) Parliamentary Working Party on the Use of Cannabis for Medical Purposes - 2000
Lancet (UK) – 1995, 1998
Medical Cannabis Research Foundation (UK) - 2000
Preventive Medical Center, Netherlands - 1993
Schmerztherapeutisches Kolloquium (Society for Pain Therapists) Germany - 1998
Stichting Institute of Medical Marijuana, Netherlands - 1993
United Church of Jamaica and Cayman Islands – 2000