Pubdate: Thu, 12 Jun 2014 Source: Hickory Daily Record (NC) Copyright: 2014 Hickory Daily Record Contact: http://www.hickoryrecord.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1109 Author: Evan Matsumoto DRUG OR MEDICINE? THESE GUYS ARE WALKING 240 MILES IN SUPPORT OF STATE BILL HICKORY -- Todd Stimson's potted marijuana plant is a plastic replica. But that didn't stop the afternoon U.S. 70 traffic from honking and yelling at the trio of men. Hickory was another city they had to pass on their walk from Asheville to Raleigh. The march on the state's capital is in support of House Bill 1161 -- the controversial bill to legalize cannabis for medical use -- Stimson said. As Stimson explained the group's purpose, a white SUV pulled into a parking lot, horn blaring. Girls jumped out of the car, expressed their support and snapped a couple photos before driving away. A few minutes later, another car pulled in. A woman hopped out to take a few pictures. Ray Pague said he is a registered patient in the state of Oregon, where the use of marijuana for medical purposes is legal. In Oregon he's a post traumatic stress disorder patient, he added. In North Carolina, where he lives now, he's a criminal. "I wanted to know why I was treated one way on one side of the country and a different way on the other," he said. HB 1161 says modern medical research has discovered beneficial uses to treat "certain debilitating medical conditions." The bill, also known as the North Carolina Medical Cannabis Act, says "compassion dictates" for the state to distinguish between medical and non-medical uses. The third member of the party was Jason Humes. His forearms were covered with long socks to protect his already sunburned arms. And all three complained, through smiles and laughs, of blisters. "It seems like the public approval is overwhelming," Humes said as another handful of cars showered the group in honks. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt