Subtitle: How to age quickly and retire early from a life of Activism in Cannabis – via the DEA
Subtitle: How to become a criminal vs. a patient in need of their medication…
May 7th, 2015
Sheree Krider
I really hate writing about myself. I rarely do and when I do it is for a reason. I have no other choice but to tell the story as it happened – and unfortunately it happened to me, although you could say that I have set myself up for “martyrdom” by being involved with Activism in any aspect which has to do with Cannabis. That is my sin – I smoke Cannabis. I know that it helps my anxiety but I also knew that Cannabis alone most likely would not be able to handle my “condition” and that it was “illegal” to use. O.K., that much is fact.
In 1979 I was diagnosed with Chronic Major Depression, Dysthymia, and Acute Anxiety. This is no secret as I have not tried to hide the fact that I suffer from this condition.
Skip forward to 1990 when I finally was placed with a Psychiatrist that was very knowledgeable in his field and I took to him quickly. I was glad to have someone that knew more than I did prescribing my medication.
I never hid the fact that I worked as an Activist with the USMjParty from him. I never hid the fact that I used Cannabis from him.
I left a pain clinic in 2003 where I tested positive for THC and the only medication they would prescribe at that point was Methadone which I had ironically enough just been able to detox myself from and was not taking anymore. Hence, my reason for leaving.
My Psychiatrist, Dr. Theodore B. Feldman who works for U of L Psychiatric in Louisville Kentucky told me at that time that I did not have to worry about obtaining my medicine from him because he would never hold the THC against me. My main two medicines were Zoloft and Xanax. I had been tried on a multitude of drugs but this is what worked for me and I have been using the same medication since 1986. He even filled out a form which is seen below, to send back to the pain doctors saying there wasn’t a reason to withhold my pain medication because of THC.
Dr. Feldman is responsible for all aspects of the psychiatry curriculum during the four years of medical school. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Cincinnati and his medical degree from the University of Louisville. He completed his psychiatric residency training at the University of Cincinnati and received additional training at the Chicago Institute for psychoanalysis and Cincinnati Psychoanalytic Institute. Dr. Feldman received his board certification in psychiatry in 1986 and in forensic psychiatry in 1996. His clinical activities include general adult psychiatry, long-term intensive psychotherapy, and forensic psychiatry. He has been the principle investigator on research activities related to workplace violence and hostage and barricade incidents. Dr. Feldman serves as an expert witness in civil and criminal cases in state and federal courts. He is a psychiatric consultant to the Federal Bureau of Investigation which includes consultation in hostage situations, training of hostage negotiators, and psychological profiling of offenders. Dr. Feldman serves as a consultant to the Baldwin County (GA) Victim Assistance Program and to the Louisville Metro/Jefferson County (KY) Police Crisis Negotiation Team. He has published numerous scientific papers and serves as a peer reviewer for a variety of regional and national publications. In addition to his clinical service, Dr. Feldman supervises and lectures to medical students and psychiatry residents on topics related to psychiatric assessment, personality disorders and psychotherapy.
http://louisville.edu/medicine/departments/psychiatry/faculty/feldmann
I had also been told by Dr. Feldman not to worry if I could not get to an appointment – I could reschedule. The problem was that when I rescheduled he was always booked three to six months at a time so it could be hard for me to get in.
The first part of April this year I called in to get an appointment. I had missed two previous, one because of weather and one because of taking my (ex)husband to an important heart cath appointment here in Glasgow. When I called in I was told that I was NO LONGER A PATIENT OF DR. FELDMAN THAT I HAD BEEN DISMISSED FOR MISSED APPOINTMENT AND A PAST DUE BALANCE WHICH WASN’T PAID OFF. I never received a letter to this effect from either Dr. Feldman, nor the office of the U of L Psychiatric Clinic. I was told nothing until the day I called in for an appointment. After much adieu the clinic called in my Zoloft and Xanax for one more month. I needed them filled again by the first of May.
This is where I will go backwards a little bit. I had also been a patient of Dr. Chandra Reddy here in Cave City.
He had been my primary doctor since I moved here in 2011. He had filled my medications as needed for the most part – until I was caught by a drug test by him back in 2014. At about that same time, in July of 2014 Dr. Reddy, himself, was found to be trading scripts for marijuana! Kentucky.com reported the following on July 7th, 2014:
According to last week’s order restricting Reddy from prescribing controlled substances, Berry said patients would call for narcotic prescriptions without coming to the office. She also claimed to have a sexual relationship with her married boss and to have traded cash and prescription narcotics for marijuana for his use.
http://www.kentucky.com/2014/07/07/3326421/the-candy-man-and-pain-clinic.html#storylink=cpy
Here is the PDF Document of the outcome of his demise.
The end of this scenario with Dr. Chandra Reddy is that he is now back in his office practicing medicine after having had these charges against him and he had admitted to smoking marijuana as well.
Now, I move forward to current time. The Physician I went to after Dr. Reddy was out of business was located in Glasgow. I was referred to him by T.J. Samson Hospital approximately six months ago.
I will not use his name because he is currently still my physician. He has done no wrong. He is just doing what he has to do to keep his license. When H.B. 1 was passed in January of this year all the Physicians who were already on edge, increased their drug testing and removal of patients who smoked Cannabis, because the new laws just served to create a free fall for all Medical Cannabis user’s. We were immediately pegged because of drug testing in the Doctor’s office which is how I came to be in this situation to begin with.
When I went to my current Physician in Glasgow they got me with a drug test. I was positive for THC and he could no longer prescribe me “scheduled narcotics” – which would include the medicine I need the most to survive in this chaotic world I live in, Xanax.
Do to the fact I thought ahead and always kept an extra few weeks of medicine put back in case of emergency, which I think this definitely qualifies as an emergency, I am able to sit here today and write the story of what is happening to me.
The only thing my current Physician could do is refer me to a new Psychiatrist in Bowling Green for which my appointment is not until September!
It is documented fact that after being on this medication for so many years, my age, my heart conditions and anxiety, I could die from withdrawals. So therefore they know that that withdrawal will force me into a hospital for treatment (I’ve never had to be hospitalized for my condition before) and force me to “retire” from Activism all together – get me out of their way, an activist “culling” of sorts, and I damn well know that it is not just me that is being hung by the neck in this scenario. It has to be playing out with many people – all Cannabis user’s. In all areas of the Country. It is just particularly bad in Kentucky — and my name is Sheree Krider.
So effectively I have been given a death sentence by our Government and Health Care System. If I do not become a criminal and find Xanax on the “street”, it is quite likely I may end up dead – or worse.
They have judiciously made me into a criminal for being ill and speaking out for something I believe in and not trying to hide the fact. I was, in fact, very naïve to think that I could trust any Doctor – even Dr. Feldman who I felt I could be truthful with, after twenty-four years, kicked me out like an old rag. Due to the fact that he is involved in Forensics I have to ask myself why I ever felt I could trust him. These people are good at what they do. And they damn well know EXACTLY what they are doing to me.
Let my scenario be your warning! The legalization movement is truly a war. And they are going to keep knocking us down every time we think we are getting a step up. The Activists who are in my age range are particularly vulnerable because of other healthcare issues. Legalize, tax and regulate as a form of control is not going to change this scenario. Only true repeal of the prohibition of this plant would do us any good now. Yes, you can “legalize” a schedule II Cannabis drug that will give the plant to the Pharmaceutical Companies to patent, and prescribe to patients…But you will never be able to grow a plant in your yard for your own use. You will have to have a RX in order to get this medication and it will come straight through the FDA and DEA and don’t get caught with someone else’s “Cannabis RX” in your pocket!
I just cannot figure out how a Doctor can be sanctioned for bartering RX’s for Marijuana and be back in business within six months and I am a patient, half dead already, and cannot get my mental health medication filled because I smoke Marijuana ?????
That’s it, and that’s that.
All the years of hard work by Activists to free a plant are quickly going to Hell in a Hand Basket. So enjoy while you can.
God Bless,
ShereeKrider
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY AUNT RUBY!
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Sheree Krider is in Kentucky! 