Contact Boulder District Attorney Stan Garnett
Phone: 303-441-3798
Email: sgarnett@bouldercounty.org Ask him to drop all charges against Jason Lauve and stop
prosecuting patients!!!
Action Alert
Rocky
Mountain Caregivers Cooperative, one of the oldest cannabis therapeutic
organizations in Colorado, is using the upcoming 4/20 International
Cannabis Day to call attention to the prosecution of medical cannabis
patient Jason Lauve (pronounced 'laav') and hundreds of patients like
him in Colorado.
Despite the passage of Colorado's Medical Marijuana Law in 2000, Boulder
County is still arresting and prosecuting patients who are supposed
to be protected under the law. Colorado's Medical Marijuana Law (specifically,
Article 18, Section 14 of the Colorado Constitution) allows patients
with debilitating medical conditions to use cannabis as medicine if
their physician recommends it. If a patient has a valid Medical Marijuana
Registry ID card from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment,
they are supposed to be exempt from the state's criminal laws regarding
cannabis possession and cultivation.
Jason is a Boulder County resident who became a medicinal cannabis
patient when he suffered serious back injuries in an accident at Eldora
Ski Area in December 2004. Jason had been waiting in a lift line, when
a snowboarder lost control and flew through the air, slamming directly
into Jason's back from behind. Jason never saw it coming, and suffered
severe injuries to his back. The accident left Jason permanently disabled
with the promise of crippling pain for the rest of his life.
Fortunately, cannabis helped control his chronic pain. It was a medicine
that he could produce himself inexpensively and use as an alternative
to strong and addictive narcotics. Jason found cannabis was a safer
and healthier medical choice to manage his pain. On his physician's
advice, Jason obtained his Medical Marijuana Registry card in February
2005. He was in 100% compliance with all the laws and regulations required
to use medicinal cannabis in Colorado. According to his physician's
recommendation, he had only enough cannabis that was medically necessary
to adequately treat his condition.
However, in June 2008, Jason was arrested and charged with felony possession
of marijuana by the Boulder District Attorney Stan Garnett. Jason's
attorney, Rob Corry, has provided DA Garnett with Jason's medical records
along with statements from Jason's physicians and therapeutic cannabis
experts to prove that Jason is a legitimate patient. But DA Garnett
refuses to drop the charges against Jason. Instead, Garnett has let
the case drag on for almost a year. This has caused Jason immeasurable
physical, emotional and financial harm. Jason must now take expensive
and damaging narcotics and pain-blockers to manage his pain. His life
has been in limbo since he was arrested. He is out on bail, awaiting
trial in August.
"Jason Lauve is a law-abiding, hard-working, taxpaying citizen
who deals with his excruciating pain in the only way that works for
him long-term and how the voters of Colorado intended," says Rob
Corry, Jason's attorney, who will be participating in the National
Marijuana Forum in Boulder next Sunday to discuss Jason's case. http://www.normlcu.com/
Corry continues, "The Boulder DA made the wrong decision in failing
to prosecute the reckless snowboarder who destroyed Jason's back, and
now the Boulder DA is compounding its error by prosecuting Jason when
he is only seeking the miracle relief that medical marijuana provides
him."
Why is DA Garnett so intent on pursuing felony charges against Jason,
a legal patient with no previous criminal record? Jason did nothing
wrong and has followed the letter of the law at every step.
Citizens should be extremely disturbed by this prosecution of medical
patients. The Boulder District Attorney should be focusing on violent
crimes and not persecuting patients with serious medical conditions
based on their legal choice of medicine.
"What is happening to Jason is happening to patients all over
the state," says Timothy Tipton, patient advocate with Rocky
Mountain Caregiver Cooperative. "Public officials like the
Boulder DA need to educate themselves on how Colorado's Medical Marijuana
law is supposed to protect patients from prosecution. Until they do,
it's up to concerned citizens to put pressure on their elected officials
to uphold the Constitution and stop arresting sick people."
We are asking concerned citizens to call and email Boulder DA Stan
Garret and ask him to drop all charges against Jason Lauve and stop
prosecuting patients.
Contact Boulder District Attorney Stan Garnett
Phone: 303-441-3798
Email: sgarnett@bouldercounty.org Ask him to drop all charges against Jason Lauve and stop
prosecuting patients!!!
