A federal parole officer is threatening to return 70-year old Robert Platshorn to federal prison after he failed a urine test for cannabis. As many of you know, Platshorn served 30 years in federal prison for marijuana smuggling and now travels the state of Florida advocating for medical marijuana.

Even though Robert has a document that says ”By this action you are no longer under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Parole Commission,” parole officer Scott T. Kirsche urine tested Platshorn and is now restricting his travel until a decision comes down from the Parole Commission in Washington D.C.

The outcome of the urine test was already predetermined. Robert had informed his old parole officer than he was a legally registered cancer patient being successfully treated with concentrated cannabis oil.

Urine test results normally take a week, but just 48 hours after testing, Bobby was ordered to report to the parole office and was put under tight supervision pending a decision by the Parole Commission in Washington, D.C., on whether to put Platshorn — who turns 70 this year — back in federal prison.

“Kirsche has written a report to the U.S. Parole Commission stating that I gave a UA dirty for THC (unconfirmed) followed by several clean UAs,” Platshorn said. “More troubling, he reported that I have been traveling without permission. This is simply untrue.”

“I requested that Kirsche contact my former P.O., Anthony Gagliardi, to confirm my sanctioned travel arrangements,” Platshorn said. “He simply refused to do so, even after my lawyer, Mike Minardi, made the same request.”

Would Robert Platshorn be getting this treatment if he wasn’t publicly advocating for medical marijuana rights? Unlikely.

While he waits with the threat of prison over his head, the travel restrictions on Platshorn are decimating his meager income, much of which comes from speaking engagements.

The feds are very fond of sending messages, and their message to Robert Platshorn is to keep quiet.

- Joe Klare