Pubdate: Sun, 28 Dec 2003
Source: Kennebec Journal (ME)
Copyright: 2003 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc
Contact:  http://www.centralmaine.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1405
Author: Colin Hickey
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/states/me/ (Maine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

MEDICAL POT USER SAYS LAW OF LITTLE HELP

Staff reporter Colin Hickey interviewed Carroll Cummings, an East
Vassalboro resident, who is a medical marijuana patient. Cummings said
he uses marijuana to provide relief from torticollis, a condition that
causes involuntary and painful contractions of the neck muscles. He
said he has been hounded for his marijuana use despite his careful
attention to stay within the dictates of Maine's Medical Marijuana
Law. Maine is one of nine states with such a law.

(2) How did police treat you during those searches?

The first two really lousy. They had no care about me or my family or
anything. The last one they just did they weren't too bad. They called
me a liar, told me to sit down and shut up and all of that, but they
do not, do not, recognize the medical marijuana law whatsoever.

(3) How much have you spent in legal fees to defend
yourself?

I'm going to say probably with fines and everything $8,000 to
$9,000.

(4) Where do you get the money to pay for that?

I have help, people that donate. With the fines I just pay them so
much a month until they are paid off. Down in Rockland I did community
service to take care of them.

(5) Do police, in your estimation, have a good understanding or
appreciation for the Medical Marijuana Law?

Not at all. Not at all. They could care less. And not only the police,
the DA's office, all of them; they don't care.

(6) Would the situation for medical marijuana patients improve if
federal laws also permitted this limited use of marijuana?

Yes. But to continue that on, the federal government already supplies
eight people with medical marijuana.

There were 12, but four of them have since died. President Bush, the
old man Bush, the last executive order he did was end the
[Investigational New Drug compassionate access] program for medical
marijuana through the government.

He said he would accept no more applications from this day
forward.

(7) Is the real answer to legalize marijuana use completely?

I think so. Get the price down and the availability would be
there.

You could go and get it just like you can a bottle of liquor. Show
your medical papers and get your medicine. It should be the way it is
now, but it's not.

(8) Is federal opposition to marijuana use a product of a generational
bias?

Yes. Everybody since 1983, 1984 or something like that has been told
that marijuana is a killer, no good for anything, (that) it is just
terrible stuff. And everybody believes it now. I mean it is too bad
that everybody is believing those lies.

(9) Do you see legalization of marijuana as inevitable?

Yes.

(10) Why so?

There are too many people that use it.

There's too many people that agree ... I mean 63 percent, I believe,
(actually 61 percent) passed the medical marijuana bill in this state.
Now 63 percent of the vote is, I mean that is a lot of people.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake