USMC Veteran Facing Life In Prison Over 1 Oz. Of Cannabis To Treat His PTSD

By Matt Agorist

Geronimo, OK — After serving three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Kristoffer Lewandowski was medically and honorably discharged from the Marine Corps. After fighting the State’s wars for them, however, the State has taken it upon themselves to wage a personal war against him — for naturally treating an illness — he acquired fighting for them.

Lewandowski is now a 100% disabled veteran because of the severity of his PTSD. Since he has gotten out, the VA had him taking up to 18 pills a day to treat his PTSD. This pharmaceutical treatment was literally killing him.

At 180 Percocet per month, for ten consecutive months, along with a prescription for OxyContin, Lewandowski’s liver was failing. Luckily, for this Marine veteran, he found cannabis — and it worked.

Cannabis treats PTSD so effectively — as both clinical and anecdotal evidence has shown — the Drug Enforcement Agency recently approved the first-ever study of its whole-plant medicinal use for vets in April. By allowing the use of the whole cannabis plant, the DEA opened the door for even the smoked variety to be studied for the potential alleviation of PTSD symptoms.

“We are thrilled to see this study overcome the hurdles of approval so we can begin gathering data,” explained Amy Anderson, Executive Director and Director of Clinical Research for the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Public Benefit Corporation. “The study is a critical step in moving our botanical drug development program forward at the federal level to gather information on the dosing, risks, and benefits of smoked marijuana for PTSD symptoms.”

Unfortunately indicative of the government’s misplaced, draconian priorities, the continued federal prohibition of cannabis has created tragic and heartbreaking consequences for vets using the plant to treat PTSD — and Lewandowski is a living example of the State’s tyranny.

After realizing that the meds were killing his liver, Lewandowski decided that it would be a good idea try marijuana as a treatment. He began growing 6 plants for his personal use.

In June of 2014, Lewandowski had a PTSD episode. His wife grabbed the kids and took them to the neighbor’s house where she called the police to get her husband some help.

However, as is the case in so many countless other incidents, police did anything but help.

After police showed up, they searched the Lewandowski’s home and found 6 tiny marijuana plants. Police then weighed all of the plant matter together and it did not total to a single ounce. However, because of Oklahoma’s draconian laws against growing a plant, Lewandowski was charged with felony marijuana cultivation.

Meko Haze, with the Daily Haze, recently spoke to Lewandowski, who described the grow as containing “six of the worst plants I have ever seen.” The plants were two days into the flowering cycle, but due to a few mishaps, Lewandowski was sure that they were going to die. Lewandowski said that “it would have been a miracle actually to obtain usable Cannabis from them.”

According to Whitney Lewandowski, Kristoffer’s wife, the police also pulled up their tomato plants and included them in the photo for the media.

“[Police] made it look like he had this huge grow [operation] going,” Whitney said in an interview with Truth in Media.

But that was not the worst of their problems. Police then cuffed Whitney and threw her in the back of a police cruiser and told her their children were being taken by Child Protective Services. They were charging her with a felony, too.

In order to make it look like a legitimate arrest, police told Whitney that if she pressed assault charges against her husband, they would not charge her and she could keep their children. She obviously opted to stay out of prison and to not have her children kidnapped by the state.

According to Truth in Media:

Whitney Lewandowski said that the domestic violence charge does not reflect the reality of her husband’s behavior, “They’re trying to use me as a victim and to make it look worse on his case. My husband has absolutely never laid his hands on me ever. He is not an abusive man, ever… quite the opposite. He is extremely doting.”

The Lewandowski’s raised enough funds to pay the bondsman and the family then moved, with the approval of the Oklahoma DA, to California, so Kristoffer could get the medicinal marijuana he needed, “legally.”

However, while he was in the care of a Veterans Administration psychiatric hospital, Lewandowski inadvertently missed a court date. With guns drawn, and in front of all the children at his child’s daycare, undercover cops swarmed Lewandowski in a dramatic raid.

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This man’s life has been turned upside down. He was taken from his family, unable to see his children, and was facing the idea of spending the rest of his life behind bars — yet, he harmed no one.

Because felony marijuana cultivation in Oklahoma carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, Lewandowski’s options were limited. However, Lewandowski’s legal council arranged for him to take a plea deal and he avoided jail — for the time being.

This plea deal, however, came with a catch. It meant that Lewandowski was going to be a felon — instead of a veteran. His felon status impeded his health and education benefits, and greatly stifled his chances of getting a good job. So, he did something about it.

As Mass Roots reports, after regretting this decision, this stand-up veteran took a big risk to clear his name.

“It is absolute insanity – this situation. Putting a three tour combat Marine veteran who served his country faithfully, in jail for using a medicine, the only medicine that was effective in treating his severe PTSD. This shows the deep and disturbing problems our country faces,” said Matthew J. Pappas, a California-based attorney who is assisting Lewandowski along with his Oklahoma attorney, Tom Hurley and Florida-based attorney, Michael Minardi.

With new counsel, clearer understanding of the repercussions for the plea and a patriot’s belief in justice, he respectfully stood before Judge Tayloe and prosecutor Jordan Cabelka, and asked to reverse his plea in the crowded courtroom.

Kris won that battle on October 19, with the Judge allowing a plea reversal. So, for the moment, he is a veteran and not a felon. But the state took it personally and added the assault with a deadly weapons charge and a firearms charge thrown in because he had an heirloom, replica firearm in the house at the time of the disturbance. The state gave Lewandowski three options or trial. Two included jail time, the other had no jail but wouldn’t allow for him to consume his medicine, even in a legal state.

On May 30, Lewandowski will face a jury of his peers for the frivolous charges the State is using to punish him. If he is found guilty, he could face life in prison, again.

“I am absolutely heartbroken that a medicine that helps me has me fighting for my legal freedom,” Lewandowski said, as reported by the Daily Haze.

However, all the jury has to do is say, ‘Not Guilty,’ and it is all over. This morally innocent man can go back to his family and the State’s tyrannical war on drugs gets exposed for exactly what it is — a war on people.

If you’d like to help the Lewandowski family you can do so in two ways. First, share this article, as it was media coverage that helped him escape the state’s grasp the first time. Secondly, you can go to the You Caring Page set up for his family and donate by clicking here. 

Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA. This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state. Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world. Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project. Follow @MattAgorist on Twitter, Steemit, and now on Facebook. This article first appeared here at The Free Thought Project.


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47 Comments on "USMC Veteran Facing Life In Prison Over 1 Oz. Of Cannabis To Treat His PTSD"

  1. Jury nullification!

    • You have a better chance at being the sole winner of the jackpot on the pick 4 lottery. Most American people are ignorant and the vast majority of them will follow the judges orders. The judge and lawyers also oversee the voir dire process quite intently.

      Go get a lottery ticket, your chances are better.

  2. This is horrible in so many ways. Semper Fi. Good luck.

  3. I served in the USAF back in 73-77, where I was assigned to an AFB in Oklahoma (there are 3 there…). I gave up on what would be termed a successful USAF career and a sizeable bonus JUST TO GET OUT OF THAT BACKWARD STATE!!!! I resumed the career 9 months later at another location, but it too wasn’t much different in ‘The Bible Belt’…
    As military members, we were treated as ‘The Occupation’, and local girls were warned-off from us. The farmers, farm hands, goat-ropers and honky-tonk personalities were always looking to either exploit one for money, or, if they couldn’t do that, then they wanted to fight. Sometimes those would escalate to threats with firearms on the part of the locals.
    Air Force members who had families seemed to experience tolerance, but they were always made to feel that they were transients, and not ‘locals’. Only Ft. Bragg can exceed this methodology.
    There is little to do there, and one would go on leave to another state just to replenish clothing, goods, etc. The weather is terrifying at times, and the wind constantly blows.
    Happiness is seeing Oklahoma in your rear-view mirror.
    And yes, Cannabis Oil & it’s leafy-green does eradicate PTSD via naturalpathic pathology. That’s why I live on Aruba. Here my PTSD is manageable, but on the mainland, I would be pumped with drugs under the threat of a lock-up at the psychiatric ward.
    Mah hah bone!!!

  4. Yes, it is terrible, in every way. I think Cannabis should just be allowed. Period. That said, if it was me discovering that Cannabis was the very thing I needed to be well, moving to Colorado or California would have been the FIRST move, not the last. I don’t care what family or business connections he had in OK, they have some of the most draconian pot laws in the country. He doubled down on his presumptuous foolishness by planting and growing. If he had found a good dealer and bought a quarter ounce at a time, he would have had less trouble. Hell, they might not have found it during the search if he had been properly careful.

    Then he tripled down on his foolishness by “inadvertently missing a court date” AFTER he moved to Cali so he could legally smoke. I can’t imagine life in that much of a daze, and apparently no one (where was his wife, his lawyer?) to look out for him and make sure he got to court prepared and on time. I really hope the jury sees how ridiculous it would be to put this poor schmuck in prison. And I really wish there was something that could be done about the abuses of law enforcement. I can’t imagine looking at his situation in OK and thinking, “Oh boy, we can really get this guy. Let’s really screw him, his wife, his kids. God, I love this job!”

    • First, where is it written in ANY Constitution that those in the governmental system tell the People how to live their lives? Where is it written in ANY Constitution that their Codes apply to the People?
      Second, all courts are not Constitutional courts. They are military tribunals (yellow fringe around flag).

      Being he is not in the military any longer does not make him their slave any longer. No need to go to their courts. There is no justice there. Most of all judges do not have an Oath of Office filed as per the Constitutions and their Codes, therefore, the office is vacant and all orders are null and void. There are many court cases to prove my statements.

  5. this is not about cannabis. this is about the state (corporate governances) who care only to extract as much as they can from you…whether that be money, labor, commitment, sacrifice. They DO NOT care about you or your well being, or your family. When will people realize this. It is, literally, us against them….the rogue and criminal cabal that runs our country as a corporation. It is facism…plain and simple. Obama promised change which people foolishly believe in. Trump has done the same thing…and where do you see us headed? Will he keep his campaign promise to drain the swamp? Look at his advisors and cabinet….see anything familiar. Look at Congress…see anything familiar.

    Its the same lying and conniving scum that has been there for decades. They continue to lie and defraud you yet you are still committed to their leadership, and their rules. Americans are so foolish and blind to the facts.

    Why and how can anyone tell you or punish you for growing a plant? That is the 64 billion dollar question. They only have that power over you because you believe and subscribe to the “system”. And this is the land of the free?

    I have no additional feelings for any of the soldiers who return from the so-called wars. I have seen their reckless behavior towards others who they have power over. War is a tool of the elite. The soldier gets what he deserves. Hopefully they return unscathed. But it is up to the soldiers to speak out against the atrocities that are occurring in the MidEast. It will never happen. Young kids are reckless, brainwashed and filled with dietary synthetics. They are not what we want to fight in foreign lands, when the need arises (not that I believe we should be anywhere but here to protect the borders).

    Do not put your faith in Trump. Its my strong opinion that he is a liar to us, a fraud and employed by the deep state to continue their monopolistic and imperialistic adventures for domination. They are all sick and demented, and deserve nothing more than a prison cell.

    Stop participating in the system. Stop voting. Stop using your social security card. Do not sign any contracts with the government (e.g., licenses), and if you do, sign your name by beginning with “for”. Stop banking at the big banks. Stop shopping at the big name stores. Stop buying foreign. Stop watching cable TV. Forget sports….its a major distraction. Search for the truth.

    • us gubmint ? ..all of them are thieves and liars

    • Just what do you do with all your spare time?

      • Herm. What are the military trained to do?? Kill. Therefore are they not anything other than Hired Killers? Don’t you think maybe that is why so many have psychological problems in having to live with their actions later in life???

        • I guess we were all trained killers. Some have killed and some haven’t. The biggest problem on the BattleField is “the rules of engagement”. We have several good soldiers setting in prison, because their reactions were seconded guessed by their superiors. They try to follow this “Political Correctness Bull Shit” even though it’s not logical. Even Allan West was one of them. Me, I have not killed a human yet. I am not sure how I will feel afterwards, but I feel if its deserved, I won’t feel bad about it. If marujuana helps with PTS, it should be legal. The biggest problem is that anyone can grow it, and it would hurt the drug company’s profits. The law enforcement, Government’s(Local to Federal) and drug company’s haven’t been able to figure out a way to get rich from legalizing it.

  6. The “Pillars of Oklahoma’s society”…need to be arrested & arraigned on ‘common sense’ charges (I’m not proficient in Legalese so bear with me) ie:…denial of the sovereignty of a individuals right to treat themselves as they see fit… depraved indifference …malice of forethought …reckless endangerment …conspiracy to imprison a veteran of the US Marines ..unjust imprisonment… etc etc …..essentially a Crime Against Humanity!!! …& trace the roots of this draconian med’evil’ punishment, to having been implemented by corrupt government elected[sic] officials through bribery /payola to pervert the course of justice ….expressly for the 1% heavy-hand of the ‘Hidden Hand’ of the organized criminal pHARMaceutical corporation chemical/allopathic malevolent white- witch- doctor ‘poisoners’… superseding this mans inalienable rights to live as a Free Man unhindered by organized racketeering by malicious monopolistic socio/psychopaths imposing their despicably depraved will upon innocent citizens…(& I’m sure the ‘awake’ among us will definitely catch my drift -imho)

  7. “… the continued federal prohibition of cannabis…”

    This is about USURPATION – a grab for power.

    Our legitimate government is a CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC, not a democracy. That means that the authority of our governments – yes, plural, state and federal – are in writing within the Constitutions – US and state.

    The only crimes assigned to the federal government in writing within the US Constitution for law enforcement purposes are Treason, Piracy, Counterfeiting, and International law violations. That is in writing.

    Our US Constitution authorizes the federal government to handle the following objects for the Country at Large:
    — Military defense, international commerce & relations;
    — Control immigration & naturalization of new citizens;
    — Domestically, to create a uniform commercial system: weights & measures, patents & copyrights, money based on gold & silver, bankruptcy laws, mail delivery & some road building; and
    — With some of the amendments, secure certain civil rights.

    All others powers are reserved by the States OR to the People (meaning that it was never delegated but was retained by the people to make their own decisions as can be found within the Tenth Amendment. There was never any authority delegated over plants, herbs, etc. You’ll have to look within your own state’s Constitution to see IF, and WHEN, the people of your state delegated that authority because pretty much every election those serving within your state government keeps adding new amendments that give them more power over what you do.

    • Yes, yes and yes. Well stated. Obviously our governments have gone rogue. What are we going to do about it? I ask in the future tense because too many of us who have peacefully taken a stand and done something about it have been jailed and criminalized. A direct peaceful stand is not working. We have to try something else. What that is, escapes me.

  8. “The state gave Lewandowski three options or trial. Two included jail time, the other had no jail but wouldn’t allow for him to consume his medicine, even in a legal state”. And there you have it folks. The “State” believes we are enslaved to it regardless of whether we are even within its boundaries .

    • Especially South Dakota. They tell their citizens if going to any legal state to “not do any cannabis.” That’s fascism in a nutshell!

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  9. His mistake was going into the military, he went there on his own, no one forced him

  10. These crooked pigs work for the pharmaceutical industry.

  11. NJguy - Proudly Deplorable | May 25, 2017 at 8:51 am |

    Outrageous.

    Once upon a time, when the feds wanted to control a substance (like alcohol for example) they needed to pass an amendment to give them the authority to do so.

    Then, some secret amendment must have been passed because since then the feds seem to be able to control whatever they want, whenever they want.

    Do we still have a Constitution???

  12. Rabidly anti-drug Oklahoma seems to be a lot like Duarte’s Philippines. And right in this country too. Being from cannabis friendly Washington state where it’s legal, heavily taxed and regulated this is more than appalling. It’s downright traitorous that the state of OK is so…backwards and outdated especially to a veteran with a provable affliction that MMJ has proven to actually help. Where’s the boycott of this terrible backwards and dangerous to your freedom and HEALTH state??

  13. Always challenge jurisdiction. No where in ANY Constitution is it written that those in the governmental system have authority over the People or how they are to run the lives of the People. Those in the governmental system are REQUIRED to take an Oath of Office to uphold and defend the Constitutions. Most of all the judges do not have this Oath of Office filed, therefore they are NOT judges. There are many court cases to prove what I have stated. Show a jury that the judge is not a judge and the court cases that the office is void and all orders are null and void.

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          • Very happy for you. Thanks for the imfor. I live in Costa Rica and I doubt very much this gov. would let it come in. They have refused me for example black salve from Equidor. Wish I could get say a ton of it right now.

          • You lucky dog, I am dry as can be here in costa rica while they rage on with their war on drugs. If i could leave here I would be gone tomowo.Sorry cant spell, red wine

    • God bless you, thanks for your testimony

  15. He should have kept his mouth shut.

  16. Meanwhile Big Pharma is breaking its neck to secure patents on cannabis for treating cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and many, many more illnesses. This is a crisis for them…. they’re monopolistic con on TRILLIONS of dollars from the sale of ineffective synthetic drugs is being challenged because they cannot completely control/stop the flow of correct information to the people. Congress provided Jeff Sessions with zero dollars to ‘fight legal marijuana’ because the states are going bankrupt and marijuana is a multi-billion dollar crop. Meanwhile Big Pharma lies about real medicine while trying to secure control over production and distribution. The Globalist Central Banks are the ultimate profiteers/controllers of both the legal and illegal international drug trade and they make the Mafia look like choir boys. So, how long will the people tolerate absolute tyranny by absolute criminal psychopaths?

  17. So for one ounce you get LIFE.

    So how many lives do you get if you import 100s of TONS of Heroin as the Bush Criminal Enterprise is doing each and every year?

    You get NOTHING but insanely RICH. The Bush Family is estimated to have a net worth of over 4 Trillion. Drugs and a get out of jail free card the road to riches in DC.

    Yeah go after that Vet he had no card.

  18. Why would the poor putz live in Oklahoma to begin with? He knew the chances he was taking. His biggest mistake was to join the US military. All of his problems resulted from that major error. Once the American system used him up, it dumped him overboard and hoped he would just disappear. Why wasn’t he patriotic enough to do that?

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  20. I’m a veteran who uses cannabis to treat a muscle disease along with ptsd. I right there fighting the law in Florida. I’m charged as a felon with 18 months probation for possession of an ounce of cannabis and a pipe. This is disheartening. It’s like a slap in the face as my diseases are a result of deployment and I only want to take care of my health. I should also note that I was charged with this even considering that I had a valid prescription. In Florida you must go through there companies and not possess any of the plant yourself. You can only have their company products. So the state attorneys really stuck it to me for the sake of standing up for their lobbyist.

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