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San Luis Obispo -- The federal government says marijuana is dangerous and illegal, but 79-year-old Bill Denneen says the drug keeps him from losing his sight.
As the San Luis Obispo City Council decides Tuesday whether to allow a center for the distribution of medicinal marijuana in town, Denneen and others who say they need the drug will be watching.
When Denneen found out he had glaucoma 15 years ago, the doctor gave him eye drops to treat it.
But his vision got worse -- fuzzy around the edges. So he went back to the doctor.
"He gave me new eye drops," Denneen said. "My son gave me marijuana."
He started his new regimen 10 years ago, eating foods baked with home-grown marijuana once a day.
Today, Denneen says, he sees just as well as he did then, even if he will never get back the vision he lost before he started treating himself with marijuana. He is still able to tend to his Nipomo farm.
Though the federal government makes the growing, possession, distribution and use of marijuana illegal, in 1996 California voters decided to let sick people use it with a doctor's recommendation.
The U.S. Supreme Court could decide next summer if states can allow the use of medical marijuana over federal objections.
Local Control
Because of the legal conflict, the state has yet to set up a way for patients prescribed the drug to legally get it.
Some cities are filling the void by regulating medical marijuana distribution centers.
San Luis Obispo could follow the lead of cities such as Santa Cruz and Placerville if the council decides to approve the centers.
Vince Cukrov, who lives in San Luis Obispo and is HIV positive, said he would appreciate having a safe and locally regulated way to get medical marijuana.
The 11 pills that Cukrov takes every day make him nauseous and cause the nerves of his hands and feet to ache. Marijuana helps him eat and eases his pain, he said.
"I have to take these medications for the rest of my life. I don't want to feel nauseated for the rest of my life. I don't want to be in pain the rest of my life," Cukrov said.
HIV patients often also suffer from wasting, serious weight loss that threatens their health. Cukrov was down to 120 pounds; he needs to weigh about 165, and is currently around 160 pounds.
"Sometimes, I just can't eat. When I smoke pot, I feel like I can have a meal. That doesn't happen very often," he said.
Regulating Dispensaries
The city could regulate medical-marijuana distribution centers by allowing them to open as long as they aren't near schools, as well as requiring patients to register and putting strict limits on the number people allowed to use the centers.
The council could also ban the centers outright, or decide to wait until the Supreme Court ruling.
Denise Taylor, a doctor with the county, says she hopes the city doesn't prohibit the facilities.
"It would provide me another tool to treat my patients," said Taylor, who specializes in HIV cases.
Many of the drugs that prevent wasting are prohibitively expensive, she added.
The center would also help keep her patients off the street looking for drugs on the black market, she said.
Increase in crime?
If the city regulates the center, it wouldn't become a place for marijuana users to spend the day, Cukrov argues. Rather, he envisions a med- ical-marijuana pharmacy.
"It would be like going to the drug store and getting the little extra bit of medicine I need to stay alive," he said.
He and Denneen also say it would not lead to more drug abuse or crime in the city.
"For sick people it is not a gateway drug," Cukrov said. "I couldn't take anything harder; I am a mess as it is."
San Luis Obispo Police Chief Deb Linden said a dispensary in Hayward was robbed, and she worries crime could in fact increase if a local dispensary was opened.
If it were up to her, Linden would want the city to wait for the high court's decision.
For his part, Denneen said he has to remind himself to take his marijuana.
"Anyway, my drug of choice is beer," he joked.
"As long as I need it to prevent me from going blind, I'll use it," Denneen said. "I don't break the law. I don't buy it. I would never sell it."
Cukrov hopes the council -- with the mayor and two seats being picked this November -- will put aside election-year politics.
"I want the politicians to look at this from the human level. A political hot potato should not be made out of caring for sick people," he said.
Note: Because of legal conflict, the state hasn't set up a way for patients to get the drug; some cities fill the void with distribution centers.
Source: Tribune, The (CA)
Author: Leslie Griffy, The Tribune
Published: October 18, 2004
Copyright: 2004 The Tribune
Contact: letters@thetribunenews.com
Website: Breaking News, Sports, Weather & More | SanLuisObispo.com & The Tribune
As the San Luis Obispo City Council decides Tuesday whether to allow a center for the distribution of medicinal marijuana in town, Denneen and others who say they need the drug will be watching.
When Denneen found out he had glaucoma 15 years ago, the doctor gave him eye drops to treat it.
But his vision got worse -- fuzzy around the edges. So he went back to the doctor.
"He gave me new eye drops," Denneen said. "My son gave me marijuana."
He started his new regimen 10 years ago, eating foods baked with home-grown marijuana once a day.
Today, Denneen says, he sees just as well as he did then, even if he will never get back the vision he lost before he started treating himself with marijuana. He is still able to tend to his Nipomo farm.
Though the federal government makes the growing, possession, distribution and use of marijuana illegal, in 1996 California voters decided to let sick people use it with a doctor's recommendation.
The U.S. Supreme Court could decide next summer if states can allow the use of medical marijuana over federal objections.
Local Control
Because of the legal conflict, the state has yet to set up a way for patients prescribed the drug to legally get it.
Some cities are filling the void by regulating medical marijuana distribution centers.
San Luis Obispo could follow the lead of cities such as Santa Cruz and Placerville if the council decides to approve the centers.
Vince Cukrov, who lives in San Luis Obispo and is HIV positive, said he would appreciate having a safe and locally regulated way to get medical marijuana.
The 11 pills that Cukrov takes every day make him nauseous and cause the nerves of his hands and feet to ache. Marijuana helps him eat and eases his pain, he said.
"I have to take these medications for the rest of my life. I don't want to feel nauseated for the rest of my life. I don't want to be in pain the rest of my life," Cukrov said.
HIV patients often also suffer from wasting, serious weight loss that threatens their health. Cukrov was down to 120 pounds; he needs to weigh about 165, and is currently around 160 pounds.
"Sometimes, I just can't eat. When I smoke pot, I feel like I can have a meal. That doesn't happen very often," he said.
Regulating Dispensaries
The city could regulate medical-marijuana distribution centers by allowing them to open as long as they aren't near schools, as well as requiring patients to register and putting strict limits on the number people allowed to use the centers.
The council could also ban the centers outright, or decide to wait until the Supreme Court ruling.
Denise Taylor, a doctor with the county, says she hopes the city doesn't prohibit the facilities.
"It would provide me another tool to treat my patients," said Taylor, who specializes in HIV cases.
Many of the drugs that prevent wasting are prohibitively expensive, she added.
The center would also help keep her patients off the street looking for drugs on the black market, she said.
Increase in crime?
If the city regulates the center, it wouldn't become a place for marijuana users to spend the day, Cukrov argues. Rather, he envisions a med- ical-marijuana pharmacy.
"It would be like going to the drug store and getting the little extra bit of medicine I need to stay alive," he said.
He and Denneen also say it would not lead to more drug abuse or crime in the city.
"For sick people it is not a gateway drug," Cukrov said. "I couldn't take anything harder; I am a mess as it is."
San Luis Obispo Police Chief Deb Linden said a dispensary in Hayward was robbed, and she worries crime could in fact increase if a local dispensary was opened.
If it were up to her, Linden would want the city to wait for the high court's decision.
For his part, Denneen said he has to remind himself to take his marijuana.
"Anyway, my drug of choice is beer," he joked.
"As long as I need it to prevent me from going blind, I'll use it," Denneen said. "I don't break the law. I don't buy it. I would never sell it."
Cukrov hopes the council -- with the mayor and two seats being picked this November -- will put aside election-year politics.
"I want the politicians to look at this from the human level. A political hot potato should not be made out of caring for sick people," he said.
Note: Because of legal conflict, the state hasn't set up a way for patients to get the drug; some cities fill the void with distribution centers.
Source: Tribune, The (CA)
Author: Leslie Griffy, The Tribune
Published: October 18, 2004
Copyright: 2004 The Tribune
Contact: letters@thetribunenews.com
Website: Breaking News, Sports, Weather & More | SanLuisObispo.com & The Tribune
