By John Vibes
Clare County, Mich. – Delores Saltzman, an 80-year-old grandma was recently arrested because she had an expired medical marijuana card and police found a very small amount of cannabis in her home, about the equivalent of just a few joints.
Last month, Clare County Sheriff’s Deputy Ashley Gruno went by Saltzman’s home and knocked on the door around 9 pm, in search of the woman’s great-granddaughter, reportedly to return a lost phone and ID. The officer immediately smelled marijuana and began interrogating the poor old woman. Saltzman was honest with the officer and told her that she was a medical patient who allowed her card to expire, and she was arrested on that small technicality.
She was then handcuffed and thrown in a cold jail cell where her arthritis — without the cannabis to help her — began taking its toll.
“That’s ridiculous what they do to people, they don’t need to make you that cold,” Saltzman told FOX 17. “Old Arthur was screaming at me!” she said, referring to her arthritis.
“That’s what I want people to do: don’t be ashamed of something that’s going to help you feel better,” she added.
“I just thought it was absolutely ridiculous to put her through this like that: they could have given her a ticket. And just show us your card later. Reapply for your LARA card, show us this, and then drop the charges,” her son Mark Saltzman said.
Saltzman said that cannabis has saved her life, and helped her with a variety of issues, including appetite, pain, and arthritis.
“[Cannabis] saved my life because I had a bad bleed about four years ago, and Mark took care of me. After I smoke I go down to a one, pain-wise. Before I smoke, I would say I’m an 8 right now,” the 80-year-old grandma explained.
Clare County Prosecutor Michelle Ambrozaitis made the following statement to FOX 17:
Law enforcement went to Ms. Saltzman’s home looking for an individual who had been known to stay at that residence. When the deputy arrived, she could smell the odor of marijuana. When she interacted with Ms. Saltzman at the door, Ms. Saltzman admitted to have been smoking marijuana and possessing marijuana and that she had allowed her medical marijuana card to lapse. At that time, Ms. Saltzman turned over to the deputy 7 marijuana pipes, 4 joints, a grinder, and a purple glass jar that also held a quantity of marijuana inside. The deputy arrested Ms. Saltzman for the illegal possession of marijuana and lodged her in the Clare County Jail. Based upon that arrest, a police report and request for charges was generated by the deputy and presented to our office. My assistant prosecutor authorized a possession of marijuana charge based upon the admission by Ms. Saltzman that she wasn’t a medical marijuana card holder and the evidence that she did possess marijuana illegally. However, our goal is to ensure that individuals who utilize medical marijuana are doing so legally. As such, Ms. Saltzman was encouraged to obtain her medical marijuana card and if she did so, the case would be dismissed. She did obtain her medical marijuana card and the case was dismissed.
Luckily, this week, a Clare County judge signed an order to dismiss Saltzman’s case; however, she still had to spend a night in jail, which was likely traumatic and could lead to health problems for people with compromised immune systems, which is common at her age.
Showing the callous, cruel, and inhumane nature of the drug warriors, the sheriff had no remorse and was proud to have thrown a grandma in jail.
“What the person was doing was illegal, had she renewed her medical marijuana card she would have been fine. I agree with the action the prosecutors office and allowing the subject to renew her card, thus dismissing the case. The person was illegally in possession of marijuana,” Clare County Sheriff John Wilson said.
John Vibes is an author and researcher who organizes a number of large events including the Free Your Mind Conference. He also has a publishing company where he offers a censorship free platform for both fiction and non-fiction writers. You can contact him and stay connected to his work at his Facebook page. John just won a 3-year-long battle with cancer, and will be working to help others through his experience, if you wish to contribute to his treatments consider subscribing to his podcast to support . This article first appeared at The Free Thought Project.
In some States she could haven gotten a felony. It would be interesting to know how many people have lost thier right to vote over a felony associated with the Outlawed plant that heals.
Hey captain, up here in Maine anyone can grow and use marijuana. I use to have 15 headaches a month, now I only have 2 or 3. I never used until age 60. I only use at bedtime, a few puffs I sleep 7 hours. Good sleep no headaches. My husband uses it when his blood pressure gets high. It took the hospital once 8 hours to lower his blood pressure. A few puffs, 20 mins later normal readings. My husband is a great gardener and he has grown huge strong medical marijuana plants. You wouldn’t believe how good his plants look. God gave us all seeds. We never never drive a car while using as it’s crazy strong.
I have a friend in Arizona who does medical marijuana because of chronic pain. She says she is not allowed to own a firearm because of the pot. Do they take away your 2A rights in your state if you take medical pot ? How about if you drink alcohol ? Do the gun grabbers grab your guns in Mass. ? In Arizona you can drink until you pass out, and it doesn’t affect your 2A rights to protect yourself from the murderers, mother jumpers, and father rapers that infest the country side.
Maine started legalizing marijuana about 9 years ago. The first 4 years or so you needed a medical card which cost about $250. Then they just opened it up, no medical card necessary. During all this about 4 years ago they passed open carry gun laws and even marijuana users have that right. I think I’ve heard in MA they will grab your gun, but not sure of the laws there. Maine only has a population of 1.3 million citizens and there are way more guns then that up here.
The police officer is unable to differentiate between the letter and the spirit of the law. She should be sent for remedial training.
No Earthly government has the authority to block an adult’s access to food or dope of their choosing.
Examples: real cow’s milk and marijuana.
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No Earthly government has the authority to force dope on anyone.
Examples: fluoride, non-therapeutic vaccines, and psycho dope.
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Even banning alcohol with an unConstitutional amendment was beyond any Earthly government authority.
When you give some people a badge, a uniform, and a gun it goes to their heads and all that absolute power corrupts absolutely. In my humble opinion, all law enforcement and court personnel should have to piss in the cup at least twice a week. Many of these trigger happy cops we hear of are all hyped up on illegal steroids and anything else they can pilfer from the evidence locker. Just remember the movie “American Gangster” with Denzel Washington, which was a true story. 75% of the mobbed up drug enforcement police were arrested for corruption and drug dealing. Hundreds of them in one well known city.
My daddy told me starting when I was about 7 years old what the real reason they made police wear uniforms was. It was to alert the people who the town criminals were and to steer clear of them, he would say. Of course he told me that all of them weren’t bad. And then when I was about 12, in the neighboring town, 10 of their finest were arrested for burglarizing houses when the owners went on vacation. They got the naieve owners to let the police know when they were going away so that they could “keep an eye on their house”. Up until then I thought my daddy had been joking about the uniform thing.