Regardless of people's systems of beliefs or preferred faith, the Christmas period is widely regarded as a time when we all look out for each other a little more and hope that goodwill is extended to all men, women and children.

In the run-up to Christmas, however, a story surfaced online which indicated that some law enforcement officials might be a little more Grinch than Kris Kringle when it comes to good will to all men.The incident in question sparked debates surrounding the refusal of Kansas to move forward in relation to any aspects of legislation relating to cannabis consumption, as it is one of only three states who are yet to adapt their laws surrounding blanket prohibition.

It also raised concerns about the manner in which patients are sometimes treated by healthcare professionals and the need for a case-by-case basis of consideration of what is appropriate or right.In Mid-December, a bed-ridden terminal cancer patient found himself at the mercy of his care providers and representatives of his local law enforcement agency.

Mr Greg Bretz, the patient in question, had been diagnosed as having an inoperable, terminal cancer and had reached a point in his treatment where he was told that were simply no more options available. His doctors believed that they could offer him little in the way of respite from his suffering and he was told that he could do whatever he wanted to provide a better quality of living as he waited to die. Having previously found that cannabis and could alleviate his pain and give him a greater sense of lucidity, Mr Bretz turned to THC paste and a THC vape while he was in hospital.

Sadly, the staff at the hospital were concerned that the use of a vaping device should be classed as a potential fire hazard and confiscated it from him. While there are general rules to follow in hospitals, which are entirely reasonable when other hazards need to be taken into consideration, this seems like a situation where the staff in question could have used their discretion to make allowances for him rather than simply removing his means of medicating. When there was nothing that they could offer him to make him feel better, this would have been a better option.

To make matters worse, they also contacted the authorities to report Mr Bretz for his use of prohibited substances as anything containing THC is deemed to be illegal across the whole of the state. In addition to the trauma of trying to comprehend and accept his impending death, he was now dealing with the impact of being another victim in the outdated and senseless war on drugs.The next thing he knew, two police officers were stood by his bedside requesting that he hand over his THC paste and any additional vape cartridges in his possession. Mr Bretz was in utter disbelief at this situation and tried to reason with them. Despite the explanation of his condition and his pleas to the officers, his possessions were confiscated from him and he was issued with a citation to attend a court date in relation to the matter at hand. Now he had to suffer unimaginable pain unaided while also having to cope with the additional stress of impending criminal proceedings hanging over him.

Despite the explanation of his condition and his pleas to the officers, his possessions were confiscated from him and he was issued with a citation to attend a court date in relation to the matter at hand

When the news of these events first broke, rumors were flying around regarding the interactions between the patient and the police officers who attended the scene of the incident. Many people were understandably angry at what had occurred and took to the internet to voice their concerns that a sick individual was being persecuted for trying to take control of their own demise. Sadly, some people became so enraged that they made threats towards the staff and members of the police force who were ultimately victims of their own professions. Fortunately, once the details of Mr Bretz's plight were made clear by the reporting officer, who admitted that he felt uneasy about the events in hindsight, and fully understood by his supervisor the charges were dropped and the case was dismissed.

According to some reports, what made this issue more provocative was the unknown fact that the prosecutor was on annual leave for the Christmas holiday and this delayed the process of the case being dropped.More recently, Greg Bretz's son expressed that he was happy  his father was not being investigated further but explained that he still felt betrayed by his father's humiliating experience. He found it inconceivable when his father was issued with a citation asking him to attend a court date that he "must attend" in person when he was bed-ridden and without the one thing that gave him any relief from his endless suffering.

In a statement he expressed that he didn't really understand why they didn't weigh up the situation when they arrived and then "not done anything." The lack of compassion or common sense demonstrated by the staff at the hospital or the attending officers in the heat of the moment is still something that must leave a bad taste in the mouth but at least his father is now in the clear.

In a positive result, police chief Don Scheibler acknowledged his feelings towards the case in a statement where he explained that the police officers in question were simply enforcing the law as THC possession is still "illegal in the state of Kansas," but he commented that it was not the role of the police to "determine what the law is." He went on to express that he believes that "the discussion about medical marijuana needs to happen."For many people, this case only serves to highlight the continued disparity when it comes to changing attitudes towards cannabis. While an increasing number of people around the world are able to benefit from its healing potential, countless others are persecuted without just cause. There is of course hope that these events might be a step towards changing the perception of those in authority but we will have to wait and see if this is anything more than another tragic case of the negative impact of archaic ideology.