420 Warrior
Well-Known Member
Gloria Blick, who just turned 90, is a grandmother and great-grandmother who still works as a billing specialist for her son's medical and research clinic.
She is on the board of directors at Stamford's Smith House, a nursing and rehabilitation center, and on the board of the Southwest Connecticut Agency on Aging. An active senior, Blick enjoys going out with friends and spending time at the local senior center. She's also a pot smoker.
Blick, who has glaucoma, is one of a growing number of people who have opted to use marijuana for medical reasons. She is awaiting passage of a bill that would legalize pot for medical uses.
She's not the only one waiting. Also lining up are growers who are anxious to be able to supply the medical marijuana in a variety of forms and some specialty companies.
Under the bill, which is coming up for a vote in the General Assembly's Judiciary Committee and is gaining support, marijuana would be available to people diagnosed with specific debilitating conditions. Those conditions include glaucoma, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord and positive status for HIV or AIDS.
If Connecticut passes the legislation, it would become the 17th state along with the District of Columbia to legalize medical marijuana.
A bill last year cleared several committees, but didn't come to a vote. In 2007, a bill legalizing marijuana use for medical ailments passed the House and Senate, but was vetoed by then-Gov. M. Jodi Rell.
Supporters say resistance stems from the impression that only potheads smoke marijuana, that it's a gateway drug to coc*aine, me*th and her*oin, and that marijuana has no redeeming value. Some doctors say it is not the best way to relieve some medical symptoms. But supporters say there are benefits for those with certain medical conditions and they should be able to obtain marijuana in a controlled setting without risking arrest.
Blick wasn't always in favor of the drug. But that all changed last year when she found the eye drops to treat her glaucoma weren't working any longer. She could have had laser surgery, but that scared her.
So instead, she took her son -- Gary Blick, a general internist and HIV/AIDS specialist -- up on the idea of trying marijuana. Her son, who runs the Circle Care Center in Norwalk, was one of a number of people, including his mother, who testified in Hartford in support of the legislation.
Blick gave examples of his personal experience with patients who benefited from using the drug for a variety of medical conditions including cancer, glaucoma and HIV/AIDS.
Gloria Blick said she was initially embarrassed to tell anyone what she was doing, but has since been praising the merits of marijuana to anyone who will listen, particularly those at the senior center, she said.
"So many in my age bracket take drugs with side effects," she said. "This is so much better, and natural. It's just a plant."
WEED GROWERS
For many years, it was a crime to be in possession of even a small amount of marijuana, but the state recently decriminalized possession of it to some degree, making it a non-criminal infraction with a fine of up to $150 if someone is caught with less than half an ounce in their possession.
Possession of larger amounts or selling or growing marijuana still carries harsh penalties. If someone is caught cultivating any amount of marijuana, they face a felony charge that carries up to seven years in prison and can be fined as much as $25,000.
No doubt, many of those growing marijuana are doing it solely for the purpose of getting high or making a profit. But there are others who are growing the plant for medicinal purposes, according to Erik Williams, director of the state chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
"Right now, I know at least 30 people in this state growing it for that reason," he said.
Gloria Blick, 90, holds a small amount of marijuana rolled into a joint, which she calls a cigarette, in her Stamford apartment on Wednesday, February 14, 2012. Blick suffers from glaucoma and uses two puffs of marijuana before bed each night to ease the pressure inside her eyes and prevent blindness.
News Hawk - 420 Warrior 420 MAGAZINE
Location: Connecticut
Source: Greenwich Time
Author: Anne M. Amato
Contact: www.greenwichtime.com/contact
Copyright: © 2012 Hearst Communications Inc.
Website: www.greenwichtime.com
She is on the board of directors at Stamford's Smith House, a nursing and rehabilitation center, and on the board of the Southwest Connecticut Agency on Aging. An active senior, Blick enjoys going out with friends and spending time at the local senior center. She's also a pot smoker.
Blick, who has glaucoma, is one of a growing number of people who have opted to use marijuana for medical reasons. She is awaiting passage of a bill that would legalize pot for medical uses.
She's not the only one waiting. Also lining up are growers who are anxious to be able to supply the medical marijuana in a variety of forms and some specialty companies.
Under the bill, which is coming up for a vote in the General Assembly's Judiciary Committee and is gaining support, marijuana would be available to people diagnosed with specific debilitating conditions. Those conditions include glaucoma, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord and positive status for HIV or AIDS.
If Connecticut passes the legislation, it would become the 17th state along with the District of Columbia to legalize medical marijuana.
A bill last year cleared several committees, but didn't come to a vote. In 2007, a bill legalizing marijuana use for medical ailments passed the House and Senate, but was vetoed by then-Gov. M. Jodi Rell.
Supporters say resistance stems from the impression that only potheads smoke marijuana, that it's a gateway drug to coc*aine, me*th and her*oin, and that marijuana has no redeeming value. Some doctors say it is not the best way to relieve some medical symptoms. But supporters say there are benefits for those with certain medical conditions and they should be able to obtain marijuana in a controlled setting without risking arrest.
Blick wasn't always in favor of the drug. But that all changed last year when she found the eye drops to treat her glaucoma weren't working any longer. She could have had laser surgery, but that scared her.
So instead, she took her son -- Gary Blick, a general internist and HIV/AIDS specialist -- up on the idea of trying marijuana. Her son, who runs the Circle Care Center in Norwalk, was one of a number of people, including his mother, who testified in Hartford in support of the legislation.
Blick gave examples of his personal experience with patients who benefited from using the drug for a variety of medical conditions including cancer, glaucoma and HIV/AIDS.
Gloria Blick said she was initially embarrassed to tell anyone what she was doing, but has since been praising the merits of marijuana to anyone who will listen, particularly those at the senior center, she said.
"So many in my age bracket take drugs with side effects," she said. "This is so much better, and natural. It's just a plant."
WEED GROWERS
For many years, it was a crime to be in possession of even a small amount of marijuana, but the state recently decriminalized possession of it to some degree, making it a non-criminal infraction with a fine of up to $150 if someone is caught with less than half an ounce in their possession.
Possession of larger amounts or selling or growing marijuana still carries harsh penalties. If someone is caught cultivating any amount of marijuana, they face a felony charge that carries up to seven years in prison and can be fined as much as $25,000.
No doubt, many of those growing marijuana are doing it solely for the purpose of getting high or making a profit. But there are others who are growing the plant for medicinal purposes, according to Erik Williams, director of the state chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
"Right now, I know at least 30 people in this state growing it for that reason," he said.
Gloria Blick, 90, holds a small amount of marijuana rolled into a joint, which she calls a cigarette, in her Stamford apartment on Wednesday, February 14, 2012. Blick suffers from glaucoma and uses two puffs of marijuana before bed each night to ease the pressure inside her eyes and prevent blindness.
News Hawk - 420 Warrior 420 MAGAZINE
Location: Connecticut
Source: Greenwich Time
Author: Anne M. Amato
Contact: www.greenwichtime.com/contact
Copyright: © 2012 Hearst Communications Inc.
Website: www.greenwichtime.com
