Medical Marijuana User Montel Williams Fined for Pot Pipe at Airport

Montel Williams, a popular television talk show host, was detained by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials at Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport on January 4^th. Montel Williams was ticketed for possession of drug paraphernalia, after TSA airport security agents discovered a pot pipe among his belongings.

Although Montel Williams explained that he uses marijuana for medicinal purposes, the TSA agents fined the 54-year-old Emmy Award-winning television personality and motivational speaker $484, which he paid before hurrying to make his flight.

Diagnosed in 1999 with multiple sclerosis (MS), Montel Williams is an open advocate of the legalization of medical marijuana therapy. He claims to use pot personally to cope with physical pain from the progressively debilitating demyelinating neurological disease.

Montel Williams, founder of the Montel Williams MS Foundation (in 2000) and a decorated U.S. Navy officer, has long supported legalizing pot for medical purposes for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other serious conditions.

"I spent 22 years in the service supporting, defending our Constitution of the United States," Montel Williams explained (in his 2004 book, "Climbing Higher"). "I fought in the war against drugs. I want to tell you right now in this country, we need to start thinking about compassion.

"How dare someone tell me they can prescribe morphine, vicodin, percocet," Montel Williams continued. "Name the most addictive drug they can give me, and I can be a walking member of the society by taking that garbage. But my doctor, who has prescribed it for me, can't prescribe medical marijuana? Why? Because we have an idea everybody who does it sits around smoking."

Personally, Montel Williams has explained that he suffers from extreme neurological pain, particularly in his feet, and severe tremors because of living with multiple sclerosis (MS). He openly claims that the use of marijuana for therapeutic purposes offers considerable relief from these symptoms. Montel Williams has clearly stated that he does not use marijuana, even as a medical therapy, while he is working.

This was not the first time Montel Williams faced legal troubles for drug paraphernalia.

Montel Williams was held up in November 2003 at Detroit Metro Airport for similar reasons, after airport security staffers discovered a glass pipe and marijuana residue, along with his doctor-prescribed MS drug needle kit, in his luggage.

Montel Williams had to pay a $100 fine for this incident, according to an interview published in January 2004 by "TV Guide Online." The popular TV talk show personality explained that he had tried strong prescription painkillers, but that he chose not to use these because of the medications' addictive tendencies.