Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
St. Charles, IL — While St. Charles resident Kenneth Allen had tried many different methods to battle his chronic pain, he found one controversial substance that really seemed to do the trick for him — marijuana.
“It really relaxes the muscles, and that’s what’s more important. That’s what creates the most pain, is when I’m really tense,” Allen said in an April interview.
Allen had multiple injuries that contributed to his chronic pain, including a chipped bone in his foot, a torn tendon in his ankle, lower vertebrae damage and damaged discs in his neck.
Allen is a U.S. Navy veteran who served from 1982 to 1990. While he said no doctor has objected to his marijuana use, he knows there are consequences.
“To be honest with you, I am probably looking ... at some type of consequences,” said Allen in April, adding he is on probation for aggravated battery and has tested positive for marijuana. “You don’t (get around it). I don’t even try; I don’t even pretend. I told my parole officer what I use it for, and every one of my doctors has been informed. I want to remain within the law, but on the other hand ... being persecuted for relieving my pain is a little bit silly.”
Dan Linn, executive director of the Illinois Cannabis Patients Association, said in April when the story on Allen was published that they were “one vote away” from having medical marijuana legalized in Illinois.
Dr. Scott E. Glaser, from Pain Specialists of Greater Chicago, said in April that he believes medical marijuana helps reduce anxiety and depression, which he points to as most of the problem with chronic pain. Still, he said the legalization of marijuana would not be welcomed in the medical community.
“It would be kind of a nightmare,” Glaser said. “Right now, we have narcotics for pain (that) are misused and abused by a significant part of the population. They’re still valuable for patients who are in pain, but we have enough trouble controlling those.”
Allen’s situation takes ugly turn
Allen is still in pain — more than ever.
“Right now, I’m almost having to be hospitalized,” Allen said.
After an October car accident, his left leg is worse than ever. He wants to stay home for the holidays, but nurses and doctors are insisting he be admitted to the hospital.
“Right now, I just want to wait,” Allen said.
He said he has been trying to do physical therapy but said he is in “a negative state, physically.”
Linda Stewart, Allen’s landlord who also helps him out, said she knows he is still in a lot of pain and discomfort.
“I woke him up at 2:30 (p.m.) today,” Stewart said. “He hadn’t had a good night’s sleep.”
Stewart said she showed Allen an article on the Illinois legalization of medical marijuana failing. She also showed him a Time magazine article about medical marijuana and said that he remains supportive about wanting the bill to pass, even if his body won’t allow him to be the same lobbying force he was before.
While Allen is still hurting physically, he said he is doing better than ever legally.
“I think the article (in the April 29 issue of The Republican) helped me a lot more than it did damage, to be honest,” Allen said.
He said his probation is finished, and he was not charged once coming out into the public with his marijuana use.
“I basically finished the last year of probation using cannabis for medicinal purposes,” Allen said.
He said he believes the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office didn’t want him to “create a circus” in the courtroom, thus no charges.
While Allen has so far escaped scot-free, the bill looking to legalize medical marijuana, Senate Bill 1381, did not receive the 60 votes it needed to pass. It was pulled into committee to stay alive and possibly be voted on another day. But for now, there will be no legalized medical marijuana in Illinois.
“They played a back-and-forth, swing-it-through kind of game with this bill to protect it from being shot down right now at least,” Allen said. “That much has been going on for almost a year and a half now.”
Allen said that while he wants to start a committee in Kane County to support the legislation, much of the work he used to do has become too difficult to do.
“I’m trying to get people to basically hand out fliers (and) do leg work,” Allen said, adding he also wants to get people to write letters and call state Rep. Tim Schmitz, R-49th District, of Geneva. “I’ve been doing all the Kane County stuff myself, as far as I know.”
While Allen doesn’t want to quit his work for legalized medical marijuana, he realizes one thing with his physical state: “I don’t have a choice.”
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: MySuburbanLife.com
Author: Hal Conick
Copyright: 2010 MySuburbanLife.com
Contact: MySuburbanLife.com Contact Us
Website: Catching up: Resident Kenneth Allen finds ways to battle pain - Downers Grove, IL - MySuburbanLife.com
“It really relaxes the muscles, and that’s what’s more important. That’s what creates the most pain, is when I’m really tense,” Allen said in an April interview.
Allen had multiple injuries that contributed to his chronic pain, including a chipped bone in his foot, a torn tendon in his ankle, lower vertebrae damage and damaged discs in his neck.
Allen is a U.S. Navy veteran who served from 1982 to 1990. While he said no doctor has objected to his marijuana use, he knows there are consequences.
“To be honest with you, I am probably looking ... at some type of consequences,” said Allen in April, adding he is on probation for aggravated battery and has tested positive for marijuana. “You don’t (get around it). I don’t even try; I don’t even pretend. I told my parole officer what I use it for, and every one of my doctors has been informed. I want to remain within the law, but on the other hand ... being persecuted for relieving my pain is a little bit silly.”
Dan Linn, executive director of the Illinois Cannabis Patients Association, said in April when the story on Allen was published that they were “one vote away” from having medical marijuana legalized in Illinois.
Dr. Scott E. Glaser, from Pain Specialists of Greater Chicago, said in April that he believes medical marijuana helps reduce anxiety and depression, which he points to as most of the problem with chronic pain. Still, he said the legalization of marijuana would not be welcomed in the medical community.
“It would be kind of a nightmare,” Glaser said. “Right now, we have narcotics for pain (that) are misused and abused by a significant part of the population. They’re still valuable for patients who are in pain, but we have enough trouble controlling those.”
Allen’s situation takes ugly turn
Allen is still in pain — more than ever.
“Right now, I’m almost having to be hospitalized,” Allen said.
After an October car accident, his left leg is worse than ever. He wants to stay home for the holidays, but nurses and doctors are insisting he be admitted to the hospital.
“Right now, I just want to wait,” Allen said.
He said he has been trying to do physical therapy but said he is in “a negative state, physically.”
Linda Stewart, Allen’s landlord who also helps him out, said she knows he is still in a lot of pain and discomfort.
“I woke him up at 2:30 (p.m.) today,” Stewart said. “He hadn’t had a good night’s sleep.”
Stewart said she showed Allen an article on the Illinois legalization of medical marijuana failing. She also showed him a Time magazine article about medical marijuana and said that he remains supportive about wanting the bill to pass, even if his body won’t allow him to be the same lobbying force he was before.
While Allen is still hurting physically, he said he is doing better than ever legally.
“I think the article (in the April 29 issue of The Republican) helped me a lot more than it did damage, to be honest,” Allen said.
He said his probation is finished, and he was not charged once coming out into the public with his marijuana use.
“I basically finished the last year of probation using cannabis for medicinal purposes,” Allen said.
He said he believes the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office didn’t want him to “create a circus” in the courtroom, thus no charges.
While Allen has so far escaped scot-free, the bill looking to legalize medical marijuana, Senate Bill 1381, did not receive the 60 votes it needed to pass. It was pulled into committee to stay alive and possibly be voted on another day. But for now, there will be no legalized medical marijuana in Illinois.
“They played a back-and-forth, swing-it-through kind of game with this bill to protect it from being shot down right now at least,” Allen said. “That much has been going on for almost a year and a half now.”
Allen said that while he wants to start a committee in Kane County to support the legislation, much of the work he used to do has become too difficult to do.
“I’m trying to get people to basically hand out fliers (and) do leg work,” Allen said, adding he also wants to get people to write letters and call state Rep. Tim Schmitz, R-49th District, of Geneva. “I’ve been doing all the Kane County stuff myself, as far as I know.”
While Allen doesn’t want to quit his work for legalized medical marijuana, he realizes one thing with his physical state: “I don’t have a choice.”
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: MySuburbanLife.com
Author: Hal Conick
Copyright: 2010 MySuburbanLife.com
Contact: MySuburbanLife.com Contact Us
Website: Catching up: Resident Kenneth Allen finds ways to battle pain - Downers Grove, IL - MySuburbanLife.com
