Cops seize THC paste from hospital room of terminally-ill Kansas man
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Cops raid the hospital room of a terminally ill 69-year-old Kansas man who has only weeks to live to seize the THC paste he uses to relieve cancer pain, and order him to appear before a court next month.
- Greg Bertz was cited for drug possession on December 16 at Hays Medical Center
- A hospital staff member reported on the 69-year-old man after being caught vaping.
- Bertz claims a doctor told him to pick the painkillers he wanted
- He was hospitalized almost three weeks ago and told that his cancer is incurable.
- Medical marijuana is legal in 47 states, except Kansas, Idaho, and Nebraska.
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Police have raided the hospital room of a terminally ill Kansas man because he used a weed vape and THC paste to relieve symptoms of cancer that will kill him within weeks.
Greg Bertz, 69, was attacked by police at Hays Medical Center on December 23. It was after officers found marijuana products inside his bedroom and ordered him to appear in court on Jan. 2, despite being so sick he can’t get out of bed or even move.
Kansas is one of only three states in the US where medical marijuana is still illegal. Bertz told the kansas city star her doctor had told her to use whatever was necessary to ease her pain.
But another staff member is believed to have ratted on Bertz and sparked the subsequent raid.
On December 16, Kansas police raided the hospital room of 69-year-old Greg Bertz, who has terminal cancer, after a hospital worker caught him vaping marijuana.
Three police officers showed up at Hays Medical Center to confiscate Bertz’s THC paste and vaporizer.
Medical cannabis is illegal in Kansas and 68 percent of state residents support state-sanctioned access to medical marijuana, according to the National Organization for Marijauana Law Reform (NORMAL). Idaho and Nebraska also prohibit the practice.
Bretz is in the final stages of terminal, inoperable cancer and was told The Wichita Eagle that most of the time he lies “on his back” in his hospital bed and is unable to stand up without assistance.
He has been vaping, as well as eating THC paste with bread, to alleviate the symptoms of his condition since he was hospitalized about three weeks ago.
The 69-year-old claims a doctor told him to choose whatever painkillers he wanted to make him feel better, as there is nothing that can be done medically to cure him or slow the cancer.
Eventually, a hospital worker caught him using the vaporizer and ratted him out. Police officers were then dispatched and three of them went to his room.
That’s when the cops told Bertz that his vaping device could potentially be a risk of fire, due to the presence of oxygen in the room.
In many vaping devices, inhalation activates the battery-powered heating device, which vaporizes the liquid in the cartridge or reservoir for inhalation.
Bertz was cited for drug possession and will appear in court after the new year on January 2.
Over the past year, there have been flaws that have caused some patients to burn after inhaling nicotine while breathing through a nasal tube.
However, Bretz clarified that he does not need supplemental oxygen.
He added that the three policemen insisted on removing the THC paste, and that he argued against the move, since his vaping liquid contained little, if any, traces of THC.
Bertz will also try to contact the prosecutor and see if his court appearance can be delayed.
Medical marijuana is legal in 47 other states and the District of Columbia.
There are now 21 states that have authorized recreational and medical use of cannabis, including Missouri and Maryland, after midterm election legislation passed.