ROCK ISLAND, Illinois-Jeremy Collins of Carbon Cliff has cerebral palsey and scoliosis and is confined to a wheelchair. Pot gives him relief, but so far, none of his Quad City doctors will prescribe it for him.
"My body hurts all the time. I have to rely on pot off the streets because I can't get it medically prescribed because no doctors around here want to, they're not on board with prescribing", said Collins.
Collins was at the first ever Quad Cities medical marijuana expo, held at the Stern Center in Rock Island.
Several representatives of cultivation centers that grow the medicinal marijuana were on hand touting their products and their benefits.
"It's not kids trying to get stoned, it's changing people's lives", said Bailey VanHoe, with GTI, a cultivation site that grows medical marijuana state-wide, including Milan's Nature's Treatment Center of Illinois dispensary.
But several of the potential patients say they are not getting qualified by their doctors. At least not at the two biggest healthcare providers, Genesis and Unity Point.
Dale McConnell of Moline came to the expo and is pot curious after taking opiates to try and ease his pain from arthritis and neuropothy.
"I've been looking into it, I want to see if I qualify", he said.
A steady stream of people, young and old came to Wednesday's expo, which closes at 6pm.
"I am excited, and surprised by the turnout", said Matt Stern, the owner of Nature's Treatment Center of Illinois in Milan.