Woman with terminal cancer jailed over medication in her system

Woman with terminal cancer jailed over medication in her system

WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) - A grandmother with terminal cancer is in the Sedgwick County Jail because of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, in her system while she was driving.

Doctors in Oklahoma prescribed this to help her fight cancer that she has been battling for five years. Some states are way hard, namely the ones bordering legal states and states that allow medicinal THC, etc. As well as,even my state as well, Washington State, still has issues with medicinal patients and driving which initially turned off many potential voters in the first place when they found they would be given more harsh restrictions on driving with non high inducing THC.- Some info see here.

Brings tears to my eyes that someone using THC(synthetic) to help them cope with cancer, has to be treated this way.

As is and a message to help those who use treatment of, who are affected similarly as she has been or can be affect by these laws, THC, CBD and other medicinal real or synthetic marijuana for help with cancer and other medical conditions.

Marinol is an FDA approved medication for cancer patients. It helps them keep down food. It's a synthetic form of THC, but it's legal.

According to her pharmacist, the amount of THC in her blood is not enough to make anyone high.

On top of having to serve 48 hours in jail and have a DUI on her record:

The time Kastner will spend in jail will force her to miss a chemo session, which will force her to restart her whole regimen.

If she's lucky this gap in treatment won't have her ending up in hospice care.

Source - "Woman with terminal cancer..."

As in and in the spirit of this forum to expose the unjustified action against medicinal patients.

a reply to: dreamingawake

Some key points"

Colonel Brenda Dietzman with the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office says Kastner chose the date on which to begin her 48-hour sentence and the jail has to accommodate that.

The article says she is in for DUI, but doesn't clarify if there was a breathalizer done or how it was determined she was guilty.

Regardless, being terminal they could have easily "forgotten" about some details and let the woman go on her way.

a reply to: JinMI

Another key point,is it was prescribed legally,is synthetic (most likely sativex) and low in THC.

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: dreamingawake

Some key points"

Colonel Brenda Dietzman with the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office says Kastner chose the date on which to begin her 48-hour sentence and the jail has to accommodate that.

The article says she is in for DUI, but doesn't clarify if there was a breathalizer done or how it was determined she was guilty.

Regardless, being terminal they could have easily "forgotten" about some details and let the woman go on her way.

No, it doesn't mention it but will see what i can find being that's the original source. I'd assume a blood or more likely a urine test was used.

Washington State University developed the first breathalyzer for this, however there are some claimed issues with the validity of how well breathalyzers work for detecting marijuana.

Exactly, they should have moved on especially what her Doctors are saying but the outdated(assuming that they are presented as new for marijuana) are preventing that.

a reply to: dreamingawake

Idiot cops. I would love to see the dash cam of the arrest. Did they even give her a field sobriety test?

And this is in Wichita where the decriminalized it within the city right?

a reply to: hiddenNZ

I'm not arguing the THC/effects of, side of the argument, I'm only going by what the article says, and that is she is in jail for DUI.

a reply to: dreamingawake

Bright side is she only has to serve 48 hours. She had the choice of when to serve that time and for some reason chose the date of her chemo.

originally posted by: notsure1
a reply to: dreamingawake

Idiot cops. I would love to see the dash cam of the arrest. Did they even give her a field sobriety test?

And this is in Wichita where the decriminalized it within the city right?

Unknown as of yet, would assume that would be first.

2015 Wichita decriminalization In April 2015, the city of Wichita voted to decriminalize cannabis municipally, with a vote of 54-45, reducing first time possession to a criminal infraction with a $50 fine, rather than a misdemeanor with fines up to $2500 and a year of jail time, as under state law. The Kansas Attorney General stated that he would sue the city if the measure passed, arguing the city does not have legal authority to reduce cannabis penalties.[5]

Looks like they had/have issues with that-wiki. Also, Kansas sued Colorado pertaining to their state legalization and border crossings.

Wow, this is so f'd up..is it wrong for me to wish really bad stuff to those involved with putting this poor woman in jail?

The courts and lawmakers in America have become so corrupt with revenue streams for state coffers that this kind of thing has become what America is today. And it will likely keep getting worse.

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: dreamingawake

Bright side is she only has to serve 48 hours. She had the choice of when to serve that time and for some reason chose the date of her chemo.

Because after chemo she'd be pretty much confined for that period anyway, were she in the hospital instead. That's exactly what I would have done.

They might actually allow her to serve it in a medical facility. Prison inmates get hospitalized all the time, and they're heavily guarded around the clock because they're still inmates and still serving time...even if they're actively dying, they're not free to leave or even freely have visitors.

A grave injustice is being done to this woman. I hope people out there are paying attention to this kind of news.

a reply to: dreamingawake

This was bound to happen - the cops are simply following existing law, they pulled someone over, tested them and they were found to have what is currently classified as an illegal substance in their system (which inhibits their ability to drive safely) - we've all heard the story.

Now, add to that the legal prescription of MJ (which can last for months in blood, weeks in urine) and you have a very clear case of a need to overhaul existing driving laws to account to drivers, legally medicated, driving.

Does anyone here know if the prescription of medical MJ comes with a warning not to drive, operate machinery etc?.

Two minds.

Seems a bit strong, but at the same time, the product info states not to drive on Marinol.

She knew she shouldn't be driving, but decided to take the risk anyway.

I'll concede that the police need to take a look at the way they assess people, but her arrest was pretty much her own doing.

Maybe she thought her condition would afford her some wiggle room, but she had to know she was taking a risk getting behind the wheel.

a reply to: tigertatzen

I see zero reason why she couldn't other than someone piping up and saying "unfair!"

A grave injustice is being done to this woman. I hope people out there are paying attention to this kind of news.

Perhaps, but there is more to this story than what the article is letting on. As I stated earlier, she is serving time for DUI (however that came about is not discussed nor the case), and also she got to choose her two day sentence.

So on one hand I can understand the legality but the right thing to do is to just pass this one over and count the womans days in the hospital as time served.

a reply to: Sublimecraft

That's totally true. I wouldn't drive the next day after a hard nite on the turps,still would be chopped from the night before....but cannabis,the peak may last an hour,then after 3 hours is normal transmission for most folk. When I was doing chemo,I used it as an anti nausea relief tool,and to be honest, I felt way to sick to feel stoned,and I had to drive,to get to hospital... Poor lady..

originally posted by: hiddenNZ
a reply to: JinMI

Another key point,is it was prescribed legally,is synthetic (most likely sativex) and low in THC.

Around my parts they arrest people all the time for DUI because of the legally prescribed meds they are taking. Odd thing is on the pill bottle it only say "Use caution while driving or operating heavy machinery." or something of the sorts. The doctors who prescribe the meds never say you can't drive either.

It's just an easy way for the State to put a person on paper and make mo money mo money mo money..........

And you know what's really sad? If we the people can't control our state and local governments, how in the hell can we ever expect to reign in our corrupt federal government?

Think about that one for awhile.......

originally posted by: Sublimecraft
a reply to: dreamingawake

This was bound to happen - the cops are simply following existing law, they pulled someone over, tested them and they were found to have what is currently classified as an illegal substance in their system (which inhibits their ability to drive safely) - we've all heard the story.

Now, add to that the legal prescription of MJ (which can last for months in blood, weeks in urine) and you have a very clear case of a need to overhaul existing driving laws to account to drivers, legally medicated, driving.

Does anyone here know if the prescription of medical MJ comes with a warning not to drive, operate machinery etc?.

Sadly it continually happens even in legal medicinal and recreational states. It's something the law needs to comes to terms with. Especially when the THC isn't making the person high but yet allowing them to drive without having seizures, easing cancer and tx symptoms, etc., etc, so they can go to work, go shopping, have a normal life despite their conditions.

Yes, in general the drug and synthetics does have a warning, especially that is in the cases of where it is getting someone high from it. Her case is different.

Indeed her story is a fine example as to why laws need to be updated. Hopefully the news will spread so it can serve that purpose.

originally posted by: seeker1963

originally posted by: hiddenNZ
a reply to: JinMI

Another key point,is it was prescribed legally,is synthetic (most likely sativex) and low in THC.

Around my parts they arrest people all the time for DUI because of the legally prescribed meds they are taking. Odd thing is on the pill bottle it only say "Use caution while driving or operating heavy machinery." or something of the sorts. The doctors who prescribe the meds never say you can't drive either.

It's just an easy way for the State to put a person on paper and make mo money mo money mo money..........

And you know what's really sad? If we the people can't control our state and local governments, how in the hell can we ever expect to reign in our corrupt federal government?

Think about that one for awhile.......

And you know what's really sad? If we the people can't control our state and local governments, how in the hell can we ever expect to reign in our corrupt federal government?

Exactly, what I've always stood by is starting from the bottom up to combat the present system in hand. To say bring down that pyramid of corruption and start over, the best that can be done without the failing mess that it is due to abuse.

a reply to: dreamingawake

Don't he synthetics actually get u " stoned" ? I doubt it enough to lay my freedom on it actually.

ONLY IN AMERICA...

How sad.

Warmest

Lags

a reply to: dreamingawake