I just got off the phone with the caregiver for a medical marijuana patient whose medication and paraphernalia were confiscated by local law enforcement. At court today, the patient's drug possession charge was dropped for cause. The charge was dropped because this person is, IN FACT, a legitimate medical marijuana patient. Despite this verification of his status, when he called the police to arrange for the return of his medication and pipe, his request was refused.
This story is problematic in so many ways. The most upsetting part of the story is how the police treated this patient like a criminal. In fact, by refusing to return his medication, they are STILL treating him like a criminal.
Many medical marijuana patients in Maine are on fixed incomes, and furthermore, caregivers are restricted in terms of how much medication they are permitted to dispense to patients. So by confiscating this patient's marijuana, the police essentially blocked him from obtaining, or using the medication he and his doctor have decided is most effective in treating his illness.
Earlier this week, I heard testimony from a medical marijuana patient who was severely injured in a ski accident when she was 11. She attributes her ability to have any quality of life to her marijuana and her caregivers. She is nearly blind, and has serious residual paid from the series of surgeries she's endured over the years. She cried as she presented her testimony, expressing how the 2 1/2 ounces permitted by the law are insufficient to address her pain needs. As she explained - with 2 1/2 ounces, she is forced to decide between spacing her doses out and getting partial relief, or getting full relief and running our of medication.
And that same day, I attended the Portland City Council meeting where they are considering a moratorium on dispensaries and caregivers growing or distributing medical marijuana.
These are just a couple of the many, many stories I have heard from patients and their caregivers about the problems with the medical marijuana laws and enforcement protocol in Maine. Despite the fact that Maine voters overwhelming endorsed expanding access for patients and eliminating criminal penalties for patients and caregivers, patients still face huge barriers to their care.
As patients and caregivers decide whether or not to register, and how to improve the law and the reaction by law enforcement, they are looking for advice and answers about how these changes impact them and what rights they still have.
We have created a sheet explaining the pros and cons of registering, as well as comments to the recent draft medical marijuana rules promulgated by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Come January, we will have an opportunity to legally tear down some of these barriers to access and to reduce the criminalization of patients. But lawmakers need to know we want that change. So, if you voted for the expansion of medical marijuana for patients but do not support how the law was changed by the legislature, please contact your state Senator or Representative and tell them.