Jack Splitt, the teenager who changed Colorado medical pot law, dies
Jack Splitt was a charmer, a flirt and a fighter for the right to open Colorado school doors for medical marijuana treatments for eligible students.
But most of all, the 15-year-old, who died Wednesday, was a good son and a role model for his younger brother Cooper, their mother, Stacey Linn, said Thursday. She said Jack, who battled cerebral palsy and the brutal pain that accompanied it, came to Cooper in a dream early Wednesday, hours before his death.
“He was standing tall and in a powerful voice told Cooper, ‘Please do not be sad. I am free,’ ” Linn said.
Later that day, Jack died. He left behind a legacy in state marijuana law and a huge gap in his family.
“He fought hard for children everywhere, there is no doubt,” Linn said, “but we’ll also remember his smile.”
Jack’s work in the state legislature to turn around perceptions of medical marijuana was nearly unmatched, say lawmakers and advocates. Splitt was the inspiration behind “Jack’s Law,” which requires schools to allow parents to provide medical marijuana treatment to their children on school grounds. The law became official this summer.
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Fourteen-year-old Jack Splitt, right, celebrates with his mother, Stacey Linn, as Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signs a bill named after the young man from Wheat Ridge, Colo., to crack down on the state’s medical marijuana industry Monday, May 18, 2015, in southeast Denver. The bill includes caregiver registration requirements and additional oversight for doctors who recommend marijuana for “severe pain.” In addition, the bill will allow students such as Splitt, who is dealing with the effects of severe cerebral palsy, to use medical cannabis on school grounds. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Fourteen-year-old Jack Splitt of Wheat Ridge, Colo., smiles as Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signs a bill named after the young man to crack down on the state’s medical marijuana industry Monday, May 18, 2015, in southeast Denver. The bill includes caregiver registration requirements and additional oversight for doctors who recommend marijuana for “severe pain.” In addition, the bill will allow students like Splitt, who uses medical cannabis for his severe cerebral palsy, to treat himself on school grounds. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)