jeffreysstory_letter_to

Jeffrey's Story- Letter to the Governor: Charlie Crist

JEFFERY W. KENNEDY

1615 NE 3d Court

Boynton Beach FL 33435

(561) 308-5919

kennedyjeffrey@bellsouth.net

Subject: Medical Marijuana Trial                              June 12, 2010

To: Governor Charlie Crist
State of Florida
The Capital
400 S. Monroe Street
Tallahassee FL 32399-0001

Dear Governor Crist,

My name is Jeffrey W. Kennedy. I am originally from Minnesota, moving to Florida in
1999 for a better life in a warmer climate. A short time later I met and fell in love with my
wife Sharon. After a year of dating we decided to purchase a new home together in West
Palm Beach, Florida.

We had Adelphia Cable install cable for our TV. The employee showed up at his scheduled
time and hooked up our televisions. When he was finished he told me he would be “back
tomorrow” to finish the job of burying the cable.

A week later I was cutting my grass. While backing up with the lawnmower my feet
became entangled in the cable that I thought had been buried, but was stretched across my
lawn. I fell over backwards and hit the ground hard, blowing out two discs in my lower
back.

After a few days of pain that got progressively worse, it was suggested to me that I seek
advice from an attorney as I had no health insurance. So, I located an attorney and he got
the ball rolling for me to get the medical attention I desperately needed. After months of
therapy and different narcotics, the pain never seemed to get any better. My attorney made
arrangements for me to see a surgeon, Dr. Charles Theofles. Dr. Theofles convinced me
that surgery would fix my problems and so I agreed to have the surgery.

After my surgery, I was in more pain then I have ever felt in my life. I stayed in the hospital
five days, and was sent home with a bottle of morphine pills and was told I would get better
in no time at all.

Several weeks had passed and there was no relief of the pain in my back. To make things
even worse, I started to feel an enormous throbbing in my feet and an incredible burning in
my legs, often followed with a feeling of needles being stuck into my feet. These new pains
that had taken over my body were now becoming intolerable.

The doctors tried a number of different narcotics to try to relieve the pain that had taken
over my feet and legs. With nothing working, I met a gentleman in the doctor’s office on
one of my many visits. He told me he also suffered from painful Neuropathy of his feet and
asked me if I ever tried marijuana to treat my pain. I laughed and told him it had been some
years since I had smoked marijuana. He then offered me a joint of what he called
Hydroponic Medical Marijuana.

I returned home and smoked half of a joint he had given to me. Within minutes I noticed
that the throbbing in my feet had stopped and the burning in my legs was gone. For the
first time in a few years, I was completely free of pain in my back, feet and legs.

Being disabled, I knew I could not afford to pay the price of quality marijuana as a quarter
ounce sells for around $100.00.   I began to research the internet for books on how to grow
Medical Marijuana. I found and purchased a book on Amazon.com.   My next step was to
get seeds for my new garden. I went back on the internet and found marijuana seeds and
ordered them.

I started my garden.   Medical Marijuana is not an easy plant to grow. If there are any male
plants, they will pollinate with the female plant, making the plant no good for medical
purposes.

It has taken me a couple of years to learn how to grow the proper Medicinal Marijuana to
help me live a better quality of life. I was able to eliminate at least 70% of my morphine use
and still be comfortable. Medical marijuana was my Godsend.

On August 29th 2009 that all changed. Our home was burglarized. The burglar(s) took
over $20,000 in cash, jewelry and electronics. Although my neighbor captured it on his
video surveillance, the Boyton Beach Police Department declined to look at it. While they
were clearing my home, they claimed they discovered 26 marijuana plants, coincidentally
the number needed to prosecute for trafficking, and that the home burglary was “the least
of their worries.”

I am now being charged with Trafficking and a few other charges. I have requested a Trial
by Jury.   I have been granted the Medical Necessity Defense, from the Honorable Judge
Karen Miller. As of today, no trial date has been set. If I am convicted, my wife and I will
lose everything for which we’ve struggled and worked so hard to get.

I am asking that all who write and make these senseless laws, take a minute to consider:
Should this person, if convicted, be incarcerated for growing a plant that has been here
since the beginning of time? For a plant that allows sick and disabled people to have a better
quality of life?

Medical Marijuana, - it’s time to let the patient choose. I chose it over the dangerous
narcotic morphine.

There are currently 14 states and Washington DC that have passed laws that protect
Medical Marijuana patients. In November, South Dakota will docket the vote to legalize
Medical Marijuana and California will docket the legalization of marijuana with common
sense restraints.

In closing, I am asking that the Governor, if I am convicted, set aside my conviction and
grant me clemency. Any time in prison for these charges is a slap in the face to all the sick
and disabled who use and need this miracle plant that has been helping the sick for
thousands of years.

Sincerely yours,

Jeffrey W. Kennedy

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

RSD(S)-CRPS Advisory

First Medical (Medicinal) Marijuana Defense Trial

Jeffrey's Story

© 2005-2010 Twinkle VanFleet, RSDAdvisor, RSDAdvisory and CRPSAdvisory.com
All rights reserved on all personal content including but not limited to- graphics, essays and articles.
May be used by permission and credit to source.
All other content published in this site remains the property and copyright of the owner's that they belong
to. We take no credit for the articles,, but are pleased to be allowed to use them. We thank you!