Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Ailing Judge: It's 'Barbaric' to Block Medical Marijuana

New York justice who is fighting cancer makes plea to lawmakers

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted May 17, 2012 12:05 PM CDT | Updated May 20, 2012 7:00 PM CDT

(Newser) – A sitting justice on the State Supreme Court in Brooklyn on Thursday outed himself as a criminal in the pages of the New York Times: Gustin L. Reichbach admits he uses marijuana to ease the constant pain of his three-year-plus battle with pancreatic cancer. Friends warned him it might not be a smart move to go public, but Reichbach says he is "obliged to speak out as both a judge and a cancer patient suffering with a fatal disease."

Reichbach catalogs the miseries of his disease and says marijuana is the only thing that brings relief from nausea, and helps him eat and sleep. He pleads with New York lawmakers to pass the medical marijuana bill now winding through the Legislature. "Medical science has not yet found a cure, but it is barbaric to deny us access to one substance that has proved to ameliorate our suffering." Read his full column here.

A pot plant in Portland.
A pot plant in Portland.   (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Check out another Brilliant story: Thousands Run Last Mile of Boston Marathon
1%
Hilarious
1%
Intriguing
0%
Depressing
97%
Brilliant
1%
Scary
0%
Annoying
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 58 comments
LollieDotCom
May 21, 2012 6:42 AM CDT
I agree with the judge, and after a lifetime of being a pothead, I quit when I realized that the problem with pot only destroying short term memories is that long term memories begin with the short term ones. I'm 59 and all those memories that many my age are just now forgetting... I forgot long, long, long ago. If you're not sick and you're going to smoke pot... be sure not to smoke it during the times you want to remember for a lifetime. I'm not against the medicinal or recreational use of pot... but recreationally.... don't live most of your life stoned. Older you will not appreciate it.
Riffran
May 21, 2012 4:52 AM CDT
The only real issue I have with pot, is that is illegal (with a few exceptions) to have.  Other than that nothing.  The "other" stuff out there though..yikes.  When you see a 20 year old with a permanent  tracheotomy rotting in a nursing home, being fed through a tube, and crapping on himself because he stroked out after doing too much ICE and coke and X, it changes your perspective a bit.  Those who deal or make that crap should have to take care of that poor sap for whats left of his miserable  life  
jmanagement
May 20, 2012 11:29 PM CDT
They should definitely make it legal! Check out Jazi’s new album “I.D.G.A.F.” dropping June 1st and download it exclusively on reverb nation -jazihawaii - Also, download Jazi’s single “Get You Home” for free and be on the lookout for Jazi’s new music video dropping soon. Add Jazi on twitter - jaziHI - Thank you for all the love and support. 
 

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Timelines   |   POPSUGAR Tech   |   Business Insider   |   HuffPost Entertainment   |   NewsOne