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Lifestyle, Politics

Cop Reaches New Low by Citing a Terminally Ill Patient Days Before His Passing

Ashley Priest

by Ashley Priest

February 27, 2023 11:30 am ET Estimated Read Time: 4 Minutes
Cop Reaches New Low by Citing a Terminally Ill Patient Days Before His Passing

Cops in Kansas made a terminally ill cancer patient’s last days a little less cheerful. While police are there to serve and protect,  sometimes they do the exact opposite. This is one of those times.

Greg Bretz of Kansas was a 69-year-old terminally ill cancer patient who recently lost his battle with cancer. In mid-December 2022, a hospital staff member contacted authorities regarding Bretz vaping cannabis inside his hospital room. When authorities arrived on the scene, they found Bretz with a cannabis vape pen and what they called “cannabis paste”—most likely referring to FECO (full extraction cannabis oil) or RSO (Rick Simpson oil).

Problematic Cannabis Laws

Bretz was eating cannabis paste on bread and vaping to find comfort in his final days after being told there was nothing modern medicine could do to help ease his pain. When police showed up, Bretz told authorities he was using the cannabis paste because his vape had very little THC. Both items had already been confiscated by medical staff. Bretz received a citation for drug possession and was issued a citation to appear in court. Keep in mind that this is a terminally ill cancer patient hospitalized with inoperable cancer.

Sadly, the story doesn’t have a happy ending for anyone involved. While the charges against Greg Bretz have been rescinded, he spent his last days believing he was going to be prosecuted for his cannabis use. He also spent his final days without access to cannabis. In an article published in The Wichita Eagle, writer Dion Lefler said, “The young officer told the chief he felt he had no choice but to issue a criminal citation under the circumstances and followed the rules when he saw a law being broken.”

Where Does Kansas Stand on Medical Cannabis Now?

Lawmakers in the state of Kansas are supposed to be working on drafting some form of positive cannabis reform to put in front of Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. The governor has expressed the need for the legislature to present a solid and effective cannabis bill for her to sign and her willingness to sign it. This support echoes the voices of Kansas residents across the state. While delivering her State of the State address, Gov. Kelly said, “There’s another common sense way to improve health care here in Kansas and that’s to finally legalize medical marijuana.”

She went on to call the state’s anti-medical marijuana law “ridiculous.” Before she ended her address, Kelly took a strong stance supporting medical cannabis, saying:

“Every day, thousands of Kansans are forced to choose between breaking the law and living without pain. It’s an unbearable choice and an absolutely unnecessary one. Let’s do better in Dave’s honor. In honor of the kids experiencing multiple seizures per day… In honor of veterans suffering from PTSD. Let’s make Kansans lives better, and let’s do it right now.”

Not everyone is supportive of the statement. GOP Senate President Ty Masterson said Kelly offered bad examples of people requiring cannabis, telling media sources that the governor “was trying to get marijuana to a guy who couldn’t breathe.” Masterson told media sources, “There is a role for potential palliative care, there’s going to be bills, there’s going to be hearings. I’m not going to be shamed into doing it from some bad examples.”

Take a Stand

Ouch! Such a heartless, hollow statement from an ill-informed individual obviously bent on self-preservation of private agendas. This isn’t the dark ages. There are tens of thousands of research papers published that cite the benefits of cannabis and terpenes. To blindly support continued marijuana prohibition with deaf ears only shows the type of lawmakers that need to be replaced. Remember this next election time, Kansas.  Let lawmakers know you support medical cannabis legalization. Let them know that you support affordable and easy access for all Kansans, not just a select few who can jump through hoops and hurdles to obtain it.

I really hope Kansas sees medical cannabis legalization soon. I have personally witnessed medical cannabis help a multitude of people with a multitude of different conditions across the country. The best thing you can do is continually contact lawmakers to let them know where you stand. Flood their emails, fill their inboxes with voice messages, and clutter their aides’ desks with written letters. Let them know that if they continue to support marijuana prohibition, you no longer support them. Kansans deserve better. Kansans deserve easy and affordable access to medical cannabis, and they deserve it now!

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