Pubdate: Thu, 05 May 2016
Source: Montana Standard (Butte, MT)
Copyright: 2016 Montana Standard
Contact:  http://www.mtstandard.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/609
Author: Randolph Joe Wolf

MONTANA MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAW HURTS VETERANS

I would like to take this opportunity to discuss a grave injustice 
that is being done here in Montana. All patients that are receiving 
opiates in Montana will have the prescription voided and not allowed 
to have any pain drugs from now on. What would normal working class 
people do if that really happened?

This is happening to people here in Montana that depend upon medical 
pot and have since the law came about. Thousands of patients are 
abandoned by the new changes to this law. I'm a disabled Vietnam 
veteran with severe PTSD who has been taking medical pot two years 
and for the first time in many years, have been able to sleep.

The VA will gladly provide opiate pain killers to me anytime I want. 
I don't want them. I was told by my caregiver, he can only take three 
patients and I'm out of luck. I supposedly have the legal right to 
grow pot, but a minimum of over $2,000 would be needed to start, and 
six to eight months to see any results. I neither have the time or 
money to do this.

The people who pushed these changes through are responsible for 
thousands of honest Montana citizens being done a very gigantic 
disservice. I served this country and state, with distinction, in a 
horrible place, so I can have this happen to me years later.

- -- Randolph Joe Wolf, Red Lodge
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom