Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
Montague, Calif. — While he is thankful for the good he has experienced because of Proposition 215, Edward Linderman said he has recently seen the bad side of medical marijuana.
Known as the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, Proposition 215’s purpose is “to ensure that seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes where that medical use is deemed appropriate and has been recommended by a physician who has determined that the person’s health would benefit from the use of marijuana,” according to the California Department of Health website.
Linderman received his medical marijuana prescription after suffering a horseback riding accident a few years ago “that nearly killed me,” he said.
He said he views medical marijuana as “a worthwhile alternative” that relaxes him and soothes his pain, where a prescription like Vicodin upsets his stomach.
But recent events have pained him more than any physical pain in his body, Linderman said.
He recently decided to work with another local man who holds a prescription and grow in his garden.
“This was my very first time to grow my own,” Linderman said. “I think it’s a good thing to grow your own. The co-ops are so expensive, and this isn’t something that MediCal or other insurances cover.”
According to Safe Access Now: Patients Presumed Innocent, Siskiyou County has adopted the statewide guideline – established under Senate Bill 420 – of prescription holders possessing six mature plants or 12 immature plants and up to 8 ounces of processed cannabis flowers.
Four people were growing marijuana in the man’s garden. But at harvest time, Linderman said he ended up with only a pound of marijuana for medicinal purposes for the year. Typically, he said, medical marijuana users are allowed 3-4 pounds a year.
Linderman said he cooks with the marijuana – ingesting rather than inhaling because of bad lungs.
He was involved in the growth process from the beginning – often taking care of everyone’s plants, Linderman said. But while he and one other grower in the garden ended up with less than their prescription allows, the other man ended up with significantly more – around 120 pounds, Linderman said.
“He was strictly in it for profit,” he said. “There is nothing medical about what he is doing.”
Linderman was filing civil and criminal cases in Siskiyou County Superior Court on Monday for theft of his prescription, vandalism to a car and stealing some painting equipment.
The car was damaged and equipment stolen after the man blamed Linderman for money lost when he sold marijuana to someone down south and when Linderman started getting the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office and Siskiyou County-wide Interagency Narcotic Task Force involved in the situation.
While the man has a prescription, Linderman said he has seen him grow more than he should and sell it illegally to individuals.
“It just shows the greed and deception behind some medical marijuana growers. ... He’s giving a bad name, a bad reputation, to the people who legitimately need medical marijuana,” Linderman said. “A lot of people really need it, but he’s not one of them.”
Linderman said his situation shows the need for the government and/or medical professionals to better regulate medical marijuana.
“It’s so easy for almost anyone to walk in and get a script,” he said, explaining that he only had to write a brief description about his medical problem and go through a short exam to obtain his prescription.
Linderman suggested that the process should change, requiring more screening of individuals, background checks and in-depth medical checks to see if individuals have a legitimate need for the alternative medicine.
While he doesn’t hold out much hope that things will change, Linderman said he hopes his quest for justice will “open the door to a process that will re-evaluate patients who have these scripts.
“There has always been greed behind the marijuana industry,” he said. “At least this might make government officials take note of the individuals growing for the wrong reasons.”
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: siskiyoudaily.com
Author: Jamie Gentner
Copyright: 2010 GateHouse Media, Inc
Known as the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, Proposition 215’s purpose is “to ensure that seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes where that medical use is deemed appropriate and has been recommended by a physician who has determined that the person’s health would benefit from the use of marijuana,” according to the California Department of Health website.
Linderman received his medical marijuana prescription after suffering a horseback riding accident a few years ago “that nearly killed me,” he said.
He said he views medical marijuana as “a worthwhile alternative” that relaxes him and soothes his pain, where a prescription like Vicodin upsets his stomach.
But recent events have pained him more than any physical pain in his body, Linderman said.
He recently decided to work with another local man who holds a prescription and grow in his garden.
“This was my very first time to grow my own,” Linderman said. “I think it’s a good thing to grow your own. The co-ops are so expensive, and this isn’t something that MediCal or other insurances cover.”
According to Safe Access Now: Patients Presumed Innocent, Siskiyou County has adopted the statewide guideline – established under Senate Bill 420 – of prescription holders possessing six mature plants or 12 immature plants and up to 8 ounces of processed cannabis flowers.
Four people were growing marijuana in the man’s garden. But at harvest time, Linderman said he ended up with only a pound of marijuana for medicinal purposes for the year. Typically, he said, medical marijuana users are allowed 3-4 pounds a year.
Linderman said he cooks with the marijuana – ingesting rather than inhaling because of bad lungs.
He was involved in the growth process from the beginning – often taking care of everyone’s plants, Linderman said. But while he and one other grower in the garden ended up with less than their prescription allows, the other man ended up with significantly more – around 120 pounds, Linderman said.
“He was strictly in it for profit,” he said. “There is nothing medical about what he is doing.”
Linderman was filing civil and criminal cases in Siskiyou County Superior Court on Monday for theft of his prescription, vandalism to a car and stealing some painting equipment.
The car was damaged and equipment stolen after the man blamed Linderman for money lost when he sold marijuana to someone down south and when Linderman started getting the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office and Siskiyou County-wide Interagency Narcotic Task Force involved in the situation.
While the man has a prescription, Linderman said he has seen him grow more than he should and sell it illegally to individuals.
“It just shows the greed and deception behind some medical marijuana growers. ... He’s giving a bad name, a bad reputation, to the people who legitimately need medical marijuana,” Linderman said. “A lot of people really need it, but he’s not one of them.”
Linderman said his situation shows the need for the government and/or medical professionals to better regulate medical marijuana.
“It’s so easy for almost anyone to walk in and get a script,” he said, explaining that he only had to write a brief description about his medical problem and go through a short exam to obtain his prescription.
Linderman suggested that the process should change, requiring more screening of individuals, background checks and in-depth medical checks to see if individuals have a legitimate need for the alternative medicine.
While he doesn’t hold out much hope that things will change, Linderman said he hopes his quest for justice will “open the door to a process that will re-evaluate patients who have these scripts.
“There has always been greed behind the marijuana industry,” he said. “At least this might make government officials take note of the individuals growing for the wrong reasons.”
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: siskiyoudaily.com
Author: Jamie Gentner
Copyright: 2010 GateHouse Media, Inc
