Cedar Fire Victim Fights New Battle Over Marijuana

SAN DIEGO -- 10News first met Rudy Reyes at UCSD Medical Center, after he suffered third-degree burns on 75-percent of his body.

"I've already been through the hard stuff -- there's not much more to go through," said Reyes.

Reyes was a victim of the Cedar Fire. He now feels victimized again by politics.

"I sit here everyday -- I'm slowly falling apart. I hate to say it like that, but I am -- I'm slowly falling apart," said Reyes.

Reyes says his skin is beginning to dry up and crack into open sores after sheriff's deputies raided his apartment last month and took away his stash of topical creams made from cannabis.

Officers also took away dozens of plants he was growing inside his apartment to help make those creams. This happened after his landlord called authorities to report his use of medical marijuana -- a treatment that his doctor prescribed since he was a patient at UCSD.

And with the recent crackdown by federal authorities of local marijuana dispenseries, Reyes says he has few options to alleviate his pain.

"I don't want to have to go to the black market, especially in my case. I can't go to the black market for this -- people don't make this," said Reyes.

And it takes a significant amount of marijuana to make a small amount of cream -- about two pounds, according to Reyes, which is why he was growing it on his own. It's a right he believes is his under state law, even though medical marijuana is illegal under federal law.

Thanks to a friend, Reyes has a little cream, oil and lotion left. Reyes says this will last him a day or two and that's little relief for pain he'll have the rest of his life.

"I'm caught in a really messed up position -- I really am. I was just trying to take care of myself medically," said Reyes.

No charges were filed against Reyes.

And Monday night, a spokesperson from the Drug Enforcement Agency says authorities went to Reyes' apartment in response to a citizen complaint -- now Reyes has been evicted.

Reyes plans to appeal for help from county supervisors Tuesday during their first board meeting of the year.

For more information on Reyes' situation, go to www.SaveRudy.org.

Do you think people should or should not be allowed to use marijuana for medical purposes? Find out the results of the 10News exclusive SurveyUSA News Poll.