Robert Celt
New Member
Phillip Blanton considers himself a member of what he describes as a significant but often obscure population, one he contends is all too often defined more by stereotype than reality.
The 66-year-old Blanton, who identifies himself as an authorized user of medical marijuana, came forward to share with Mattos Newspapers his experiences - and the impacts he fears new regulations adopted by the city of Newman will have on his life and others who legally use cannabis.
In some ways, Blanton said, the new regulations - which prohibit medical card holders from growing marijuana for their personal use - bring him full circle.
He began using marijuana illegally to ease back and hip pain and to help manage his emotional state, Blanton related, and got his card when California legalized medical cannabis. Though the city's new rules do not prohibit the use of medical marijuana by card holders, Blanton fears that the ban on cultivation will force him and others of limited financial resources back onto the wrong side of the law.
His story, Blanton said, reflects the merits of medical marijuana.
Blanton said his own challenges in life date back to childhood, when he was diagnosed with polio. Doctors were able to stop the spread of the disease, Blanton said, but an operation at age 12 left him with a "drop foot" that made him the target of merciless teasing and ridicule in school.
He went on to become an evangelist, but the emotional scars he bore from youth were magnified when he resigned from the ministry at 43, throwing Blanton into anxiety and severe depression.
And, the physical scars of his childhood manifested into unrelenting back and hip pain, leaving Blanton searching for relief.
Blanton turned to marijuana, illegally at the time, keenly aware of the irony of a one-time drug counselor turning to the use of cannabis.
But the marijuana, Blanton said, eased his physical pain and mental state - and has become a part of his daily life, in addition to a regimen of more traditional prescription medications.
Hydrocodone is among his pills, Blanton said, but because the cannabis is so effective at cutting his pain he needs only take one tablet a day, at night, to get by.
Without the marijuana, Blanton shared, "my pain level will go from a 2 to a 10. If that happens I will be addicted to hydrocodone for the rest of my life.
"I have to have the medical marijuana. I can't afford to be without it," he continued.
Nor, Blanton said, can he afford to purchase from dispensaries the amount of marijuana he requires each year.
He told Mattos Newspapers that he uses the cannabis in numerous ways - smoking, as a vapor and in edibles.
"I use the edibles a lot, which means that I need more pot. It takes more in edibles, so I have to grow it. I can't go buy it. I can't afford to buy it," Blanton explained.
He predicted regulations such as those imposed by Newman - which prohibit the delivery of medical marijuana to local patients by dispensaries as well as banning cultivation for personal use by card holders - will simply drive many users underground.
Blanton said he went on disability in 2009 and moved to Newman five years ago. He told Mattos Newspapers that he has since grown six to eight marijuana plants each year, trying to be discreet in the process, and is aware of no neighborhood complaints or the cannabis plants drawing the attention of the criminal element.
Blanton said he went so far as to invest $500 in a seminar to better understand the laws surrounding medical marijuana to ensure he was in compliance.
He contends that stereotypes surrounding medical marijuana have contributed to cities such as Newman enacting new, more stringent rules when recently given the window of opportunity to tighten up cannabis regulations.
But often, he contends, those using medical marijuana are simply average people who have quietly turned to cannabis for relief.
"I meet people from all walks of life," said Blanton, who plays in a country western band. "I am amazed by how many use medical marijuana. Most of us don't come out and say it. The reason they don't is because of the bad rap that everybody gets. They are not criminals."
Blanton acknowledges that marijuana plants do become odoriferous in the final stages of maturity, and said that crime can be a concern.
"Marijuana has a temporary odor for a short period of time. I have to put up with the smell of cats in my garden, and that's all year long," Blanton said. "If my neighbor is offended by the smell of my garden, I will do everything I can to do something to show empathy."
Overlooked in the debate, he contends, are the legitimate needs of those who rely on medical cannabis and who must grow their own marijuana to meet their needs.
"I don't blame (the city) for wanting to control the people who are abusing it, but legitimate patients need to be protected by law, or we become criminals," reflected Blanton, who urged the repeal of the city's recently-enacted ordinance. "Let's not forget that there are legitimate patients out there who deserve the right to grow their medicine."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana User: Stereotypes At Odds With Reality
Author: Staff
Contact: WestsideConnect
Photo Credit: None found
Website: WestsideConnect
The 66-year-old Blanton, who identifies himself as an authorized user of medical marijuana, came forward to share with Mattos Newspapers his experiences - and the impacts he fears new regulations adopted by the city of Newman will have on his life and others who legally use cannabis.
In some ways, Blanton said, the new regulations - which prohibit medical card holders from growing marijuana for their personal use - bring him full circle.
He began using marijuana illegally to ease back and hip pain and to help manage his emotional state, Blanton related, and got his card when California legalized medical cannabis. Though the city's new rules do not prohibit the use of medical marijuana by card holders, Blanton fears that the ban on cultivation will force him and others of limited financial resources back onto the wrong side of the law.
His story, Blanton said, reflects the merits of medical marijuana.
Blanton said his own challenges in life date back to childhood, when he was diagnosed with polio. Doctors were able to stop the spread of the disease, Blanton said, but an operation at age 12 left him with a "drop foot" that made him the target of merciless teasing and ridicule in school.
He went on to become an evangelist, but the emotional scars he bore from youth were magnified when he resigned from the ministry at 43, throwing Blanton into anxiety and severe depression.
And, the physical scars of his childhood manifested into unrelenting back and hip pain, leaving Blanton searching for relief.
Blanton turned to marijuana, illegally at the time, keenly aware of the irony of a one-time drug counselor turning to the use of cannabis.
But the marijuana, Blanton said, eased his physical pain and mental state - and has become a part of his daily life, in addition to a regimen of more traditional prescription medications.
Hydrocodone is among his pills, Blanton said, but because the cannabis is so effective at cutting his pain he needs only take one tablet a day, at night, to get by.
Without the marijuana, Blanton shared, "my pain level will go from a 2 to a 10. If that happens I will be addicted to hydrocodone for the rest of my life.
"I have to have the medical marijuana. I can't afford to be without it," he continued.
Nor, Blanton said, can he afford to purchase from dispensaries the amount of marijuana he requires each year.
He told Mattos Newspapers that he uses the cannabis in numerous ways - smoking, as a vapor and in edibles.
"I use the edibles a lot, which means that I need more pot. It takes more in edibles, so I have to grow it. I can't go buy it. I can't afford to buy it," Blanton explained.
He predicted regulations such as those imposed by Newman - which prohibit the delivery of medical marijuana to local patients by dispensaries as well as banning cultivation for personal use by card holders - will simply drive many users underground.
Blanton said he went on disability in 2009 and moved to Newman five years ago. He told Mattos Newspapers that he has since grown six to eight marijuana plants each year, trying to be discreet in the process, and is aware of no neighborhood complaints or the cannabis plants drawing the attention of the criminal element.
Blanton said he went so far as to invest $500 in a seminar to better understand the laws surrounding medical marijuana to ensure he was in compliance.
He contends that stereotypes surrounding medical marijuana have contributed to cities such as Newman enacting new, more stringent rules when recently given the window of opportunity to tighten up cannabis regulations.
But often, he contends, those using medical marijuana are simply average people who have quietly turned to cannabis for relief.
"I meet people from all walks of life," said Blanton, who plays in a country western band. "I am amazed by how many use medical marijuana. Most of us don't come out and say it. The reason they don't is because of the bad rap that everybody gets. They are not criminals."
Blanton acknowledges that marijuana plants do become odoriferous in the final stages of maturity, and said that crime can be a concern.
"Marijuana has a temporary odor for a short period of time. I have to put up with the smell of cats in my garden, and that's all year long," Blanton said. "If my neighbor is offended by the smell of my garden, I will do everything I can to do something to show empathy."
Overlooked in the debate, he contends, are the legitimate needs of those who rely on medical cannabis and who must grow their own marijuana to meet their needs.
"I don't blame (the city) for wanting to control the people who are abusing it, but legitimate patients need to be protected by law, or we become criminals," reflected Blanton, who urged the repeal of the city's recently-enacted ordinance. "Let's not forget that there are legitimate patients out there who deserve the right to grow their medicine."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana User: Stereotypes At Odds With Reality
Author: Staff
Contact: WestsideConnect
Photo Credit: None found
Website: WestsideConnect
