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Today, Kelly Williams, one of Emerald Pathway’s patients, invited us into his home. Kelly and his wife, Marreesa, told us they moved to Colorado from Kansas after Kelly was charged with a marijuana-related misdemeanor. A second-time offense is considered a felony in Kansas. Colorado’s medical marijuana laws made it seem like a good place to call home, especially after Kelly’s kidney cancer diagnosis. The beautiful scenery and mountains also attracted them to Fort Collins.
Medical marijuana was a factor in their relocation. Now with the dispensary ban, however, Kelly’s medicine is not as accessible. Kelly said that the expense of travelling farther for $10 of medical marijuana to treat symptoms such as nausea, from which he has been suffering for the past 10 years, may not be worthwhile. He revealed that he wakes up and immediately smokes, even before putting on his glasses or kissing his wife, to deal with the nausea. He said that the nausea limits his ability to work in the morning. He explained the hardship of finding a job, since employers often require drug tests, because they do not want to hire users.
Although Marressa supports her husband, she told us that she remains more skeptical than Kelly about its curing abilities, even though she has grown more accepting over time. She believes that marijuana can relieve someone’s pain, but the user may still not figure out what is causing the pain. She feels that the reason is important. Marressa noted that sometimes a cure is not found even if the cause is known. So far the doctors haven’t found the cause of Kelly’s nausea.
Even with his pain, Kelly still finds time for fun and brought us to his garage to show us his hobby. Kelly is an avid dart player, and he told us about the first time he was in a dart tournament and fell in love with the sport. When they were just 17, he and his friend Joey managed to get in the bar where the tournament was held because Joey’s mom worked there. The boys battled for first and second place, and to this day Kelly does not remember who actually won. He has since created a slogan, “It’s not about luck; it’s about skill,” and is entering another dart tournament.
-Written by Nai Pak, American Weed Production Crew
Tonight on American Weed: Buds on the Ballot, as Election Day nears, anxiety builds for those for and against the medical marijuana dispensary ban in Fort Collins, Colorado. Medical marijuana dispensaries are facing the possibility of extinction as the upcoming vote on Question 300 threatens to ban all dispensaries within city limits. Dispensary owners and supporters feel that the dispensaries not only provide an invaluable service to suffering patients in surrounding areas, they also support the town through paying taxes as any other legitimate small business . Supporters of the ban are certain that the dispensaries have corrupted the community and are harming their children . Those on both sides of the issue rush to put in their last campaign efforts to either save or do away with medical marijuana dispensaries in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Be sure to tune in at 10P et/pt for the full story.
April 18, 2012, 2:06 am
