BLIND, DIABETIC, DOUBLE-AMPUTEE DIES AFTER BEING EVICTED FOR MEDICAL
MARIJUANA USE

When we talk about who has the best slum landlord stories we now have
to mention this tragic case.

Marilyn Holsten was 49 years old and in frail health, suffering from
diabetes. She'd had both legs amputated, was almost blind, and
received dialysis six hours a day. She lived for eight years at
Anavets Senior Citizens Housing Society building at 951 8th Ave E,
Vancouver Canada.

Marilyn's landlord did not like the smell of marijuana, so he gave
her an eviction notice. She became very distraught and as a result
her health deteriorated rapidly. Eventually, she died of a heart
attack
(http://www.theprovince.com/Heart+attack+ended+Marilyn+life+bureaucracy+
killed/1938208/story.html) this August. Her sister, Moira O'Neil,
said Marilyn's last days on Earth were a living hell.

To cope with her dreadful pain, Marilyn used marijuana. Her only
mistake was that she didn't have the authorization to possess pot.
She said that she was overwhelmed by the paperwork to get permission
from the government. But she did have a letter from her doctor, Dr.
Fraser Norrie, stating that he recommended marijuana use as part of
her medical treatment. Dr. Norrie asked Marilyn's landlord to accept
her need to smoke marijuana. In response, Mary McLeod, the
administrator of Anavets, said, "While your doctor supports your
decision to use marijuana, he has not prescribed it for medicinal
purposes," and that "Marijuana use is still against the law and ...
as part of your tenancy agreement, you agreed you would not
participate in illegal activities."

Numerous organizations support allowing patients legal access to
medical marijuana, including the AIDS Action Council, American Bar
Association, American Public Health Association, California Medical
Association, National Association of Attorneys General, and several
state nurses associations. Public opinion also supports ending the
prohibition of medical marijuana. According to a Gallup poll, 73% of
Americans are in favor of "making marijuana legally available for
doctors to prescribe in order to reduce pain and suffering."

Marijuana is an indispensable medicine that helps mitigate chronic
pain and stimulates appetite. Patients suffering from cancer, AIDS
and other forms of disease greatly benefit from access to marijuana.
While the debate over marijuana use for medical purposes has come a
long way over the past decade, even in places with medical marijuana
laws patients still often face life-threatening discrimination.

A protest memorial is planned on September 2nd in front of the
apartment building Marilyn lived in
(http://whyprohibition.ca/blogs/jacob-hunter/protest-memorial-marilyn-ho
lsten) . Hopefully the death of Marilyn Holsten will not be in vain
and can be used to help others legitimize the use of marijuana for
medical purposes.