LOCAL DOC GEARING UP FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA REGISTRATION

BRECKENRIDGE — Dr. Craig "PJ" Perrinjaquet recognizes that the medical
field can't cure everything — but he knows it can make life easier.

That's why he's waiting patiently for the Colorado Legislature to put in
place the means by which people can register to legally smoke pot to ease
the pain that comes with certain diseases and injuries.

"I think it will be good," he said of the law voters approved in November
that will allow people to use marijuana to alleviate symptoms of various
illnesses. "It'll add one more way to help people feel better."

He imagines a couple of dozen people will consult him and request he
register them at the state level. But it's not as easy as strolling into
your local clinic and asking for a prescription for pot, either. PJ expects
he will request a letter from a specialist — an oncologist for cancer
patients or a neurologist for those in chronic pain — before endorsing a
patient's registration.

"(For now) I tell them 'I can't recommend it, I can't prescribe it, but in
their place, I think your condition will benefit from medical marijuana,'"
he said. "A lot of people have been using it clandestinely for years;
they'd like to be able to use it without the fear (of being arrested)."

The patients

Fred Hopson is one of them.

The Park County man fell in 1996, fracturing his skull in 27 places.

"Flight for Life said he was going to die in the helicopter on the way to
the hospital," said Alison Palmer, a relative of Hopson's. "Then they said
he wouldn't make it through the night. Then they said he'd never walk
again. It's amazing what the brain can take. And it's amazing how well it
can come back."

Today, Hopson is alive and well, except for some memory loss — and the
excruciating, chronic headaches, for which he smokes marijuana to alleviate
the pain.

"It's a constant headache," Hopson said last year. "And marijuana really,
really does help."

Thus the pot in the cellar. And thus the drug bust.

Because the bust occurred before voters approved the medical marijuana
initiative in November, Hopson said the district attorney believes his case
will proceed under the old law. However, Hopson hopes the charges will be
dropped on other technicalities.

In the meantime, he suffers with his pain and waits for the law to go into
effect.

"I'm having some really tough times with these headaches; they've been kind
of bad lately," he said. "Maybe a little marijuana might help it. It's (the
initiative) something that's needed. Hopefully (it) will really help me."

Hopson's court case has been postponed until May 7.

Marijuana has been used for thousands of years as both a fibrous crop —
hemp — and for medical uses. It is known by many physicians to alleviate
side effects associated with cancer treatment, multiple sclerosis,
glaucoma, chronic pain and spasms.

"We can't cure everything," PJ said. "And this certainly is not a panacea."

Like narcotics, he said, the drug won't help everyone. There are different
levels of effectiveness, ranging from pain relief and calming properties to
paranoia, anxiety and confusion.

Since his bust Aug. 4, 2000, Hopson has been prescribed muscle relaxants to
alleviate his pain. He takes them as needed, but tries to avoid them.

"I can't take those anymore; I don't like taking them," he said. "I'm just
dealing with it (the pain.)"

Colorado's law

Medical marijuana is being debated in Denver, as the initiative encompassed
two issues — possession and distribution — and by state law, it can only
address one. PJ imagines state legislators will outline the possession
portion of the law.

"It's not talked about very much," he said. "People will have to be on
their own. Since the governor and legislature were so against it, I don't
know. They'll either think 'The people were behind it and we have to do
something,' or don't allow it."

Additionally, state officials are watching a case in California that could
affect how law here is written. If the court issues a narrow decision
regarding medical marijuana, it could outlaw clubs or cooperatives where
marijuana could be obtained. A wider interpretation of the law could
question the validity of Colorado's initiative.

If the court decides against clubs or cooperatives, such as the Oakland
Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative in California, it could be the people who,
with good intentions, provide pot to patients who wind up breaking the law.