County Spends 70K and countnig to get 1 gram off the streets

[RedBeard4u]

On October 16th 2009 an LASD under-cover officer walked up to me on the streets and asked me if I knew where he could score a 20 dollar bag of weed. I informed him that I as well as my wife were both patients but that we were out at that time. So I told hm that if he was unsuccessfull at getting his medication come back in a couple of hours and I would try to help him. Sure enough in two hours he came back.

I still had not gone to the collective yet so I told him that I would send my wife. I send my wife to get our medication. I give her 100 bucks and off she goes. When she returns she gives me the medication and goes inside. I take about a gram and put it in a bag with a medical lable and give it to him. He gives me 20 bucks and off he went.

3 minutes later that big bag at the door. "Open up police"! In come 9 officers from some LASD task force. What? It was just a 20 dollar bag.

I know better than anyone what I did was wrong. But I became complacent about the law because I sell so much at the collective. I just thought I was helping a dude get his meds.

They arrested me and my wife. I was charged with sales of marijuana (felony) and my wife was charged with transporting marijuan for sale (felony). We were both sentanced to 3 years in prison. They suspended that sentence in lue of probation. I was sentenced to 90 days in county jail and my wife was sentenced to 120 days in county.

Our lives were devostated. We lost everything. When we were arrested most of our stuff was stolen, were lost our place to live. We became homeless and carless.

As soon as I got to jail I had a heart attack. I was rushed to the hospital by ambulance and was admitted for 8 days. I ran up a medical bill for the county of 70K. The medical staff assured me that the heart attack was caused by the stress of the arrest. Then after I was sentenced to the 90 days. With the court knowing of my medical condition. I was housed in a special unit at the jail for persons with medical conditions. Skilled nursing must cost a bit of money. I was being place on probation anyhow. Why with the clear presents of a heart condition that they paid to discover, was I sentenced to county jail. Why not just start my probation? Oh well when you break the law you suffer the consequences.

This does not even consider the cost of the arrest. 9 officers on an undercover thingy. At least 10 hours for the arrest and booking process. Come on 90 hours at about $35 an hour. That almost $4,000. After they knew I was not a big fish. I told them that was going to have to go get it. Meaning I didn't have a bunch for sale. I was going to have to go to the collective to buy it first. I didn't go get a huge amount. I wasn't out selling $20 bags out of my t-shirt pocket on some corner. So why me?

It was my turn. They county now charges my wife and I to be on probation. Total cost for the entire three years is about 5K. Sad!

So who knows how this turns out. I am on probation for a felony sales of probation. My wife has a felony too.

NOTE: At our worst we were kicked off food stamps too because we had an arrest for drugs.

 

[Hogdady]

Well certainly the world is a safer place without that gram on the streets.....

 

[Capt.Cannabis]

Unreal, sorry to hear about that man... Kinda ironic that we have people rappin' about hustling kilos of blow and within their "music career" they get nailed by undercover ATF agents while trying to purchase silenced automatic assault rifles and they get off with like a year in jail and some probation. Meanwhile people like us will get screwed to the fullest extent over the most asinine stuff which then has an influence on our actions for the rest of our lives essentially...

 

[RedBeard4u]

UPDATEJudge Harris Says My Valid
Recommendation “NO GOOD”
By Red Beard
June 09, 2010

Judge Leland Harris Dept 107, Van Nuys Division of Los Angeles County court system today decided that the valid recommendation that I brought to court was no good. Judge Harris told me that the court would only accept recommendations from doctors from UCLA, & USC. “He said, “Reputable Doctors” I told him that I was unaware that under California law that there were any distinctions between doctors. He told me, “that there were to many sham doctors out there that will give a recommendation to anyone who wanted it”. I would now have to have a good doctor at USC or UCLA agree with the “not” so good or ‘Not” good enough doctor that I went too originally for my evaluation. Then this new doctor needs to write down on their letterhead, that MM is okay for me…then this is to be taken to court. This is the equivalent to, “bring me the wicked witch of the west’s broom stick”.

I though that this must have been a joke. What did he just say? Under Cal. H & S 11362.7(a), "Attending physician" means an individual who possesses a license in good standing to practice medicine or osteopathy issued by the Medical Board of California and who has taken responsibility for an aspect of the medical care, treatment, diagnosis, counseling, or referral of a patient and who has conducted a medical examination of that patient before recording in the patient's medical record the physician's assessment of whether the patient has a serious medical condition and whether the medical use of marijuana is appropriate or helpful.

I did bring for the courts consideration all of my prescriptions. I am on 9 different Rx drugs to deal with a host of ailments including Heart Stint Placement, Cholesterol, Diabetes, Blood Pressure, Depression, Ocular Pressure (Glaucoma)—all of which I brought to the court on UCLA stationary. Judge Harris did not even want to see it. I told him that I had brought them. All he was concerned with was my medical marijuana recommendation, and the doctor from which it came.

I thought there were laws in place to prevent me from having my medical history and medications from being public knowledge. Why is it that the court wants to see more? I use medical marijuana for depression. That is what I told my doctor in 2008 when I got my first medical recommendation and that is what I told my doctor last week when I got my most current recommendation. Is my whole metal health history going to be made a matter of record? The doctor in whom I choose to put my confidence is going to be questioned by a criminal court judge? What if I had not been the one to ask for a court hearing on this matter? What if I had been stopped and sited by a police officer? I would have showed up in front of Judge Harris with my valid, current recommendation—and because it was not written by a doctor that “this” judge recognizes as a “GOOD” doctor I would be treated with no consideration being given to proposition 215.

So what will become of me? I will continue on with my 3 years of probation. As a condition of my probation reading:
 Not to use or possess any narcotics, dangerous or restricted drugs or associated paraphernalia, except with valid prescription, and stay away from places where users, buyers or sellers congregate, except in an authorized drug-counseling program.

Now the first time my probation officer wants a urine test to be sure that I am not on meth, or ****** it is going to show that I have been consuming marijuana. My freedom and liberty are at risk if I don’t have this second special Judge Leland Harris recommendation from a good doctor at USC or UCLA that says that it is okay for me to use medical marijuana for the treatment of my depression.

To start with UCLA and USC are medical hospitals. I use medical marijuana for a mental health illness. So I would not be able to find a psychiatrist there that is willing to see me and go down the “yellow brick road” of Judge Harris

I am not a rich man. I don’t have the money to get a layer. But I know that this is wrong.

 

[Slayer84092]

It's been said a million times, but this is just ridiculous.

 

[corvox]

Sorry to hear what your going threw, I am ashamed of the way our government has treated you...

 

[SmokerMcToker]

Well going to a reputable medical marijuana dispensary to get weed and then in turn sell to people that arent allowed access for profit (id guess selling it for 20) also wasnt the best choice IMO

 

[SnowBender]

Sorry to hear about your troubles.


...this is why you make a medicine 'donation' for their medical needs, in return of kindness they make a financial 'donation' to your medicine fund, and that way its not a 'sale'.

 

[SmokerMcToker]

Haha Good way to look at it but If a random came up and asked to "score a 20 sack" my sense would tell me something about that but then again I gott be cautious I don't live in california