A Newman grandfather who hoped to bring comfort to his critically-ill granddaughter in Houston by sharing his legally-prescribed medical marijuana instead finds himself facing legal trouble in Texas.
Phillip Blanton, 67, said he was arrested Jan. 1 when authorities found four ounces of marijuana and several dozen marijuana-laced cookies in the trunk of his car following a traffic stop.
Blanton, who was booked into jail but is free on $20,000 bail, now faces two felony charges.
The Newman resident, who said he has a valid medical card and uses medical marijuana to temper chronic pain and manage his emotional state, was was driving to the Houston area to be with his 20-year-old granddaughter Makayla Farley, who is battling Stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma.
Blanton said he was intent on reaching his granddaughter before she under went a stem cell transplant and doing what he could to help comfort her.
I didnt want to be without my medical marijuana for six to seven weeks, Blanton commented. I also wanted to share my cookies with my granddaughter to help with her pain, because the morphine drip does not take away her pain long enough.
Knowing that his granddaughter is in pain is agonizing, he shared.
All I had on my mind was getting here, seeing her and helping her, Blanton commented.
Instead, Blanton has found himself embroiled in a case which has become a focal point in the debate over marijuana use, drawing widespread attention from the media and marijuana advocacy groups.
Never did it cross his mind, he told Mattos Newspapers, that his legal California prescription for medical marijuana would not be honored by other states – so when Blanton was stopped for speeding in Decatur, Tex., he was more concerned about the gun he was carrying than the marijuana in his car.
As it turned out, the gun was not the issue.
They honor Californias (concealed weapons) permits because Texas is an open-carry state, Blanton explained.
The marijuana was a different story – and despite his protests Blanton ended up behind bars.
They dont accept my medical marijuana license, but they accept my gun license. I told them that my gun was a lot more dangerous, Blanton commented. I kept telling the officer…this is not recreational, this is not for sale, this is not to go on the streets of Texas. This is my medicine.
Blanton said he plans to spend several weeks at his granddaughters side before returning to Newman and is doing what he can to bring comfort to her and other family members.
With his marijuana confiscated, Blanton said, he is battling with anxiety and relying more heavily on hydrocodone to manage his pain.
Since news of his arrest circulated, Blanton said, he has been contacted by a number of marijuana initiative groups and plans to join them in advocating for changes in Texas law before state legislators in early February.
One new law being proposed would recognize and honor the prescriptions of patients from states which authorize medical marijuana use, he said.
Blanton said he has been told that getting a court date could take up to six months.
If this new law passes, Im legal, he stated.
He is adamant that he will not accept a plea deal if the case moves forward.
I refuse to plead guilty to something I have not done. I have nothing but legal prescriptions. I am not guilty, Blanton told Mattos Newspapers. I am hoping that they throw my case out, and that they see that I am not a criminal.
Blanton said his ordeal has been a living nightmare.
I never dreamed anything like this would happen, he commented. I honestly thought that with a legal prescription they were not going to bother me, but I was totally wrong.
An online fund-raising page has been established to help pay Blantons legal expenses. It is on Fundedjustice.com, and called Help Save Papa Phil From Jail. Blantons story can also be followed on his Facebook page.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Lands Newman Man In Texas Trouble
Author: Staff
Contact: 209-862-2222
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: westside connect
