Editor's Note: When we covered this story in late October, it was, frankly, quite upsetting, but also brought to the forefront the need for the country to address a major societal issue that has arisen as a result of marijuana legalization–both medical and recreational. The issue: In now 25 states and Guam medical marijuana is legal, and four states have legalized recreational marijuana. In other states, mothers trying to end their children's pain can be faced with jail time. (And even worse, in this case, Minnesota's medical marijuana law has been approved, but doesn't take effect in July. Angela Brown's fate hangs on a technicality of timing.) Not to mention, the thousands and thousands of people using medical or recreational marijuana in states where it is not yet legalized. Let's hope this petition helps get the charges against Angela Brown dropped. Kudos to Minnesotans for Compassionate Care for pushing to make this happen.
Ahead of Angela Brown’s court appearance tomorrow, patient advocate Patrick McClellan delivered a petition with close to 9,000 signatures to Lac qui Parle County Attorney Rick Stulz, calling on his office not to punish her for helping her child
[Press Release] MADISON, MN – On Tuesday, patient advocate Patrick McClellan of Minnesotans for Compassionate Care delivered a Change.org petition with close to 9,000 signatures to Lac qui Parle County Attorney Rick Stulz, calling on his office to drop charges against Angela Brown.
Brown is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow to face charges of child endangerment for treating her son, who suffers from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), with medical marijuana oil.
In May, Gov. Mark Dayton signed a medical marijuana bill into law that allows Minnesota residents suffering from certain conditions to access medical marijuana oil if their doctors recommend it. The law does not take effect until July 2015.
“It is unconscionable that the State of Minnesota would bring these serious charges against a mother for actions that did nothing but improve her son’s health,” McClellan said. “What mother or father wouldn’t make the same decision as Angela after exhausting all other options? The only thing endangering her child is the continued legal proceedings against his mother.
“An overwhelming majority of Minnesotans support laws that allow access to medical marijuana. Our legislature approved one, and the governor signed it,” McClellan said. “The county attorney’s gung-ho prosecution of Angela Brown is unnecessary, unreasonable, and out of touch with Minnesota values. On behalf of the thousands of people who have signed this petition to Mr. Stulz, I respectfully request that his office drop these outrageous charges. If there was ever a case in which justice demanded it, this would be it.”
Minnesotans for Compassionate Care (MCC) is a coalition of organizations, medical professionals, patients, and concerned citizens working to protect people with cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, and other serious illnesses from arrest and imprisonment for using medical marijuana with their physicians’ advice. For more information visit http://www.MNcares.org.
