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One man’s medicine is another man’s . . .
felony charge? Guy Lewis Shively, a 19-year-old California native,
learned that lesson the hard way Monday when he was arrested near
Nashville, Ill., for possession of more than 30 grams of cannabis. Shively and his buddy Mike Frank were driving from
California to North Carolina when Shively was stopped by local police,
Frank says, for failing to signal a turn at an intersection. When the
police officer asked whether they had any marijuana, the pair said no. “We figured it wouldn’t matter
anyway,” Frank says. The police officer searched the car and found
marijuana in the center console, Frank says. Shively, who takes medical
marijuana for anxiety and asthma, showed the officer his California
doctor’s referral for the drug. Because California laws don’t apply in Illinois
and Illinois law currently prohibits the use of marijuana for any purpose,
Shively was arrested and taken to the Washington County Jail. “The cop said it doesn’t matter because
it’s not legal in this state,” Frank says. Shively was still in jail Tuesday, pending the
posting of a $2,000 bond. Once Shively is released, Frank says, he’s
not allowed to leave the state until his hearing, which will take place in
late May or early June. Shively’s father, Michael Shively, feels that his son has been “trapped” by the system.
He says his whole family has been prescribed medical marijuana, and he
doesn’t see the problem. “I don’t understand how it can be legal
in one state but then you cross the line into another state and it’s
a felony,” the elder Shively says. The Illinois General Assembly is considering a pilot
program for medical marijuana that would permit authorized medical patients
to be prescribed no more than 2.5 ounces of cannabis. Unfortunately for Shively, the bill hasn’t been
approved.
Contact Amanda Robert at arobert@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Apr 24-30, 2008.
