Kansas Hospital Calls Police on Dying Cancer Patient For Cannabis Use

In mid-December, a hospital in Kansas called the police on a cancer patient who they found to be using cannabis to manage his pain, as was first reported by The Guardian Post. The police in the City of Hays in Texas showed up in the patient’s room and seized the cannabis product and a vaping device from the sickly man. The patient was also issued with a citation to appear in court on January 26th for drug violation. Ideally, this would require that the patient, who is currently unable to walk, appear in court for a hearing. However, the police have now dropped the charge and the patient is free. 

The 69 year old patient Greg Bretz was referred for hospice care after it was discovered that his cancer was too advanced for curative management. He is currently receiving palliative management for his symptoms and has been lying in a hospital bed unable to walk or eat. He resorted to cannabis to help him manage pain and boost his appetite. Unfortunately, hospital staff would rather have him suffer a painful death than contravene the irrational cannabis laws in Texas. And it is clear that Hays police don’t mind wasting their time ransacking a dying man’s room for his pain medicine.

The patient’s son expressed frustration over the incident which was “humiliating” to his frail father. ‘You’d think they would have shown compassion,’ he said. He is however grateful that the charges have been dropped.

Kansas has very strict anti-cannabis laws and remains one of the few states that are yet to legalize cannabis in any way, shape, or form. Only THC free CBD is legal in the Sunflower state.