Bend man’s painful dilemma: No pot on probation

A year ago, Bend resident William Good made the news when he nearly died crashing his truck into a semi on Highway 97 near La Pine.

“I was in a drug-induced coma for two days in the ICU,” Good said Wednesday. “I broke my neck, collapsed my left lung, broke my femur and shattered my heel.”

He also was charged with a DUII — the intoxicants being drugs, after meth was found in his system.

Now he’s in the news again — not to talk about the crash, but about his struggle to stay within the terms of his probation, live a pain-free life and keep sober.

“I was on Oxycontin right after the accident, and I couldn’t take those any more, so I had to take myself off them,” he said. “Not only am I against pain pills, but I’m a recovering meth addict — and when I take pain pills, it’s a trigger for me.”

Good said his doctor recommended medical marijuana to ease his daily pain and help him through his job at a local car wash.

“It’s not about wanting to go get stoned, get high, sit around and do nothing,” Good said. “It’s about pain relief and being a functioning member of society.”

But under his restrictions on probation with Deschutes County, it’s not an option.

Good’s mandatory random urine samples must come back clean of marijuana and other illegal drugs, or he’s in trouble once again.

County Parole and Probation spokesman Tanner Wark said because the plant is illegal under federal law, offenders are generally not allowed to use marijuana for any circumstances, unless it’s court-ordered.

Wark said there are discussions among the state Parole Board and the courts to consider making policy changes, in preparation for the legalization of recreational marijuana in July.

Good said waiting until his probation period is up in December is excruciating.

“It’s ludicrous,” Good said. “They want me on legalized forms of heroin, rather than smoking an all-natural plant.”

“I almost want to describe it as needing air and not being able to breathe,” he added.