Boy's death shines light on cannabis caregiver's plight

Mark Pedersen's life was forever changed on August 24, 2016, when 15-year-old Jack, the disabled teen he'd grown to love like family, was found dead in his Lakewood, Colorado home.

Pedersen's years of helping others, his own family suffered in silence

Pedersen, a 60-year-old medical marijuana caregiver, had been crafting cannabis oil to ease Jack's chronic pain from cerebral palsy and dystonia. But while helping countless others, Pedersen's own family bore a heavy burden.

His ex-wife, Karen, and their two other children received payouts from a 1995 lead poisoning lawsuit against Doe Run, the lead smelter where Pedersen worked. But the long-term effects of exposure took a devastating toll.

Emily Pedersen, the eldest child, blames the lead for her inability to have children of her own. In 2013, after years of declining lead prices and regulatory pressure, the Herculaneum smelter shut down for good. But Pedersen's case was just one of many filed against the company.