cannabisnews.com: Ex-Felon Thankful for Medical Marijuana





Ex-Felon Thankful for Medical Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on June 08, 2008 at 04:56:59 PT
By Tristan Scott of the Missoulian
Source: Missoulian 
Helena, MT -- A week after the state Corrections Department abandoned a proposed rule that would have banned anyone on probation or parole from using medical marijuana, one Missoula man says he's already reaping the benefits.“I was told that I could go ahead and toke up again,” said David Michaud, 39, a convicted felon and stay-at-home dad who uses medical marijuana to relieve chronic migraine headaches, pain and nausea. “Now I'm just following my doctor's advice.”
In 2000, Michaud was arrested with 4 ounces of marijuana during a ski trip to Breckenridge, Colo., and was subsequently convicted of felony drug possession. Earlier this year, Michaud and his wife moved to Montana, where he is registered as a medical marijuana patient and has four prescriptions for the drug signed by three physicians.But Michaud said his probation officer told him he couldn't fill those prescriptions, and suggested he instead ask his doctor for a prescription to Marinol, a synthetic version of the active ingredient in marijuana. But Michaud says, and many patients agree, that the synthetic treatment is not as effective because it mimics just one substance in the cannabis plant, when a combination of substances may be what helps relieve the pain.During a March hearing in Helena, Michaud and other critics of the proposed Corrections rule testified that Montana's medical marijuana law, passed by voters in 2004, does not allow any penalty for using medical marijuana, regardless of a person's criminal history.Michaud said he disclosed his marijuana use to his probation officer after studying the finer points of Montana's medical marijuana law, which places no restrictions on probationers or parolees.“So I told my probation officer that I had started following my doctor's advice again and was smoking marijuana, and she sent me to jail for three days,” Michaud said.Diana Koch, chief legal counsel for the Department of Corrections, said her hands are tied because of the way the initiative-passed law was written.“The medical marijuana statute just doesn't allow criminal consequences for someone who is legitimately authorized to take medical marijuana,” she said.But despite the DOC's recent decision, Koch said, people can still be charged with a probation or parole violation for their medical marijuana use. However, those cases will be reviewed based on a person's medical condition and whether they are at risk of becoming addicted to the drug, she said.“It's not strictly out of the question, but we'll be taking it on a case-by-case basis, rather than make it a standard rule,” Koch said.Still, Koch worries that allowing probationers and parolees to use the drug will compromise their chance of rehabilitation.“We hope this isn't going to give a carte blanche license to every drug offender who wishes to obtain marijuana,” Koch said. “It is so difficult to rehabilitate people with drug addictions when they are told it is OK to have drugs. We just hope public safety does not get out of hand, and the public is not as safe if drug-addicted people are allowed legitimately to have a drug.”Koch also said the department is not inclined to interfere with doctor-patient relationships.“That's a decision they should be able to make together, and we won't get in the middle of it,” she said.Tom Daubert, founder of Patients and Families United, an advocacy group for medical marijuana patients, said the Corrections Department's decision will affect a very small number of people, “so it's not a big issue in the grand scheme of things, but for their individual interests it is hugely important.”“Mr. Michaud is one of a number of people on probation who have been demonized over the past year by the department,” Daubert said. “Our organization exists to represent the interests of medical marijuana patients, and while the number of people on probation who are also medical marijuana patients is extremely small, the department was denying those folks their right to medical marijuana.”Daubert said between 600 and 700 Montanans overall have received such prescriptions from about 150 physicians.Michaud said his life is easier now that he doesn't have to defy his probation officer, and that the pain management is critical to his quality of life.“It's awful not being free of pain,” he said. “I mean, they could prescribe me narcotics, or painkillers, which are more toxic and more expensive than cannabis. It's a shame there's such a stigma on marijuana.”Source: Missoulian (MT) Author: Tristan Scott of the MissoulianPublished: June 8, 2008Copyright: 2008 Missoulian Contact: oped missoulian.comWebsite http://www.missoulian.com/ Related Articles:Parolees OK To Use Medical Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23967.shtmlCorrections' Rule on Marijuana Criticizedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23737.shtmlDOC Policy Would Violate Medical Marijuana Lawhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23596.shtml
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Comment #14 posted by Hope on June 08, 2008 at 14:15:55 PT
People are not safe
as long as power addicts like Koch are allowed to deceive and persecute people in the name of the idiotic and insane war on cannabis.It's sickening to see people like her getting away with treating people the way they do.
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Comment #13 posted by augustwest on June 08, 2008 at 12:44:11 PT:
koch
koch says "the public is not as safe if drug-addicted people are allowed legitimately to have a drug.” 
It's when the addict can't get their drugs that the public is in danger. It's so obvious that when you let criminals control the drugs, through prohibition, the drug business becomes a danger to everybody. 
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Comment #12 posted by NikoKun on June 08, 2008 at 12:32:00 PT
Marijuana use... "compromises rehab"... BS
I'm sorry... but Marijuana use has no barring on rehabilitation... A marijuana user does not need any rehabilitation in most cases, for this drug.It's absurd that they continue to stick to this "drug free society" standard, an impossible, unreachable goal... And continue to force harmless Marijuana users into rehab, or claim that somehow Marijuana compromises their rehabilitation.-_- These personal morality laws make me sick...
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on June 08, 2008 at 11:52:42 PT
Dankhank
I hope you will report to us when you are there what is happening. I hope a Cannabis group is present at the convention. 
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Comment #10 posted by Dankhank on June 08, 2008 at 11:50:23 PT
FoM
yes, likely I will be skirting the edges to see which group I want to stand with ...might give Mason a call and see what he is going to be up to ...the time is fraught with possibilities ...I'll be bunking at my son's apt.
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Comment #9 posted by Hope on June 08, 2008 at 11:31:13 PT
I'm worried about Koch and others like her...
I think she and others like her need to be "rehabilitated" to some sort of semblance of decent and realistic humanity. It's weird how this country and it's leaders are reminiscent of the control the old Soviet Union held over their citizens."But despite the DOC's recent decision, Koch said, people can still be charged with a probation or parole violation for their medical marijuana use. However, those cases will be reviewed based on a person's medical condition and whether they are at risk of becoming addicted to the drug, she said.“It's not strictly out of the question, but we'll be taking it on a case-by-case basis, rather than make it a standard rule,” Koch said.Still, Koch worries that allowing probationers and parolees to use the drug will compromise their chance of rehabilitation.“We hope this isn't going to give a carte blanche license to every drug offender who wishes to obtain marijuana,” Koch said. “It is so difficult to rehabilitate people with drug addictions when they are told it is OK to have drugs. We just hope public safety does not get out of hand, and the public is not as safe if drug-addicted people are allowed legitimately to have a drug.”"
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on June 08, 2008 at 11:06:58 PT
Dankhank
Will you be able to go to the DNC in Denver in August? What a time to be in Denver.
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Comment #7 posted by Dankhank on June 08, 2008 at 10:58:42 PT
Loveland Pass ...
think spouse, granddaughter and I drove through in the summer a number of years ago ...absolutely gorgeous Vistas in all directions ... so high in the mountains ...If I remember the road, it was through a Nat'l forest or something, unimproved road at the top ... hard packed dirt ...stupendous mountain meadow at 12000 ft or so ...if not Loveland, I found a 'nother good 'un ...Heading back to Denver in a week or so for a few days ...may go take a look ....
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on June 08, 2008 at 08:11:09 PT
John Tyler 
Yesterday my husband mowed and cleaned the gutters too. It was almost impossible to get anything done and I am glad we finally got our house air conditioner in. You can't breathe very easily when the humidity is that high combined with high temperatures. It's going to be bad again today. My husband's truck is getting some well needed major maintenance and this is a good time to be down. With tires over $300 a piece the extreme heat plays havoc on them. With 18 tires it can get expensive.
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Comment #5 posted by John Tyler on June 08, 2008 at 07:59:33 PT
really hot and humid where I live
Wow the snow looks so nice. It was 100 degrees on my thermometer yesterday and it should get to at least 99 today. I was doing some hedge trimming, gutter cleaning and lawn mowing yesterday.  When it is that hot and humid (did I mention the high humidity?) and doing strenuous activity I get a “workman’s high” that is incredible.  Anyway thank goodness for AC.
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Comment #4 posted by charmed quark on June 08, 2008 at 07:22:14 PT
Thanks, GTW - that DID help
Very cooling images. Here, it's already nearly 90 this morning and is suppose to go up to 97.I'm having a remission and am determined to make hay while the sun shines. I refuse to miss any fully ambulatory periods. So I just got back from a long bike ride. Fun but hot. I wish I had a pond to jump into!Stay cool everybody. Except the gtw - YOU stay warm :-)
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Comment #3 posted by The GCW on June 08, 2008 at 06:44:09 PT
Kirk Muse on McCain
Kirk Muse writes many letters that get put on the MAP archive ( http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/ ) and this is one that will not yet it is of interest.-0-Plenty of doubts about McCainI'm writing about Tom Sears' May 27 column: "Doubts about McCain just don't go away."John McCain graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1958.His class ranking was 894th out of 899. In other words, fifth from the bottom of his class.He received his appointment to the Naval Academy because his father and grandfather were both four-star admirals. It's my suspicion that the reason he didn't flunk out was also because his father was a four-star admiral. (It's not a good career move to flunk the son of a four-star admiral.)Either McCain is not real bright or he didn't study very hard. Perhaps both.Do we want our president to be real bright or not-so-bright?Kirk MuseMesa, Ariz. http://www.thedailystar.com/letters/local_story_159040134.html?keyword=topstory
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on June 08, 2008 at 06:19:46 PT
The GCW 
I really like your sense of humor. 
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Comment #1 posted by The GCW on June 08, 2008 at 05:37:35 PT
off topic surprise
For people living in hot climates, using air conditioners.I woke up a few minutes ago this morning to 1 inch of snow in My front yard. Of course it's also in the back yard etc.-0-Arapahoe Basin ski area, just up the road reports 2" of fresh snow.Today is A-Basin's last day of the season.http://www.arapahoebasin.com/Web Cam = http://www.arapahoebasin.com/?page=site/text&nav_id=031722aaea319b3070c960dfa6aeeb65&nav_parent_id=e03d6639d85a3876342366e01349b56a&nav_type_id=4&This may make C-Newsers feel cooler or hotter...
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