Raid at Jacki's!
CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE
This photo, taken in 1997, accompanied
an article from the Eau Claire (WI) Leader Telegram, April 30, 2000, Abuse? Police Raid Vexes User Of
Medical Marijuana
On March 13-14, 2000, while investigating a
theft from Jacki, police officers showed up in the middle of the night and searched
Jacki's house until 10 AM the next morning! Following are links to media reports about the
raid:
It has been suggested in some
reports that the paperwork Jacki Rickert's physician submitted to federal agencies for
authorization to enter the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Program was somehow
incomplete or that her approvals were only preliminary. The fact is she was fully approved
for participation for both compassionate use and research in December 1990. Every approval
was signed, sealed and delivered, IN TRIPLICATE. Dr. Wright's office already contained the
700-pound double-locking safe required for federal marijuana supplies.
Upon approval, Dr. Wright submitted the federal prescription and was awaiting the first
delivery, which did not arrive as promised. Federal officials then claimed that they were
"out of material (marijuana) but were growing more". Despite the hundreds of
hours he spent dealing with the red tape in shepherding the application successfully
through this arduous process, the government broke its contract and never delivered to
Jacki the 300 marijuana cigarettes 8 surviving patients in the IND program receive each
month to date.
Not too long before the 1992 presidential election, Jacki met with candidate Bill Clinton
at a Clinton-Gore campaign stop in Osseo, Wisconsin. After discussing her situation and
being handed a packet of approval documents, Clinton told Jacki he would reopen the
program, saying "that's just terrible and if elected I will make it right". He
assured her he'd read the documents "just as soon as I'm on that bus". Jacki
responded "Sir, please don't say it if you don't mean it, I don't think I can stand
it to have another bubble broken. I don't think I could take any more". His promise
was apparently promptly forgotten. Now in March 2000, Jacki is subjected to a police raid
of her home that left her traumatized and fearful.
| "By the way, when he was
running for President in 1992, Bill Clinton promised Rickert that if he was elected he
would see to it that she got medical marijuana. If he had won, things would surely be
different." -- Richard
Cowan, MarijuanaNews.com, March 15, 2000 |
Had federal officials dealt honestly with
Jacki and Dr. Wright from day one, she would have her medicine and could concentrate on
maintaining her health instead of dealing with stressful police searches and their
aftermath. Her medical necessity is well-documented.
These sins of omission by those who lacked the courage to keep their promises has led only
to more victimization and pain to a brave woman who has already suffered far too much. It
is an outrage that such disdain for compassion and the fragile health of Jacki can exist
in this supposedly modern age. To willingly compromise the health of patients like Jacki
in such a manner is immoral.
We are very pleased that the Buffalo County
D.A. has taken Jacki's situation into consideration in deciding not to pursue the matter
further, and he is to be commended for his compassion in acting to spare Jacki any further
traumatization resulting from this incident. |
