It was an absolutely beautiful day, after a week of heavy rain throughout Southern Ontario it was quite a relief that the bright and shining Sun had come out to greet us! Preparing to begin our trek throughout the streets of downtown T.O. and before our group had a chance to completely assemble, our Alliance was split up at the launch point - the energy of the growing crowd pushed forward and the marchers were raring to get started! Fortunately it all worked out as those of us not right at the front remained to accompany our Prohibition-era Ford from Good Fellas Limo. Complete with our very own "Al Capone" Chauffeur, the sweet ride was able to idle throughout the parade route and catch the eye of interested onlookers.
Michelle our Belle - the most photographed woman of the day! And our very own "Al Capone" - Thanks Harold!
The day’s most creative protest was staged by the National Organization for Reforming Marijuana Laws (NORML) Women’s Alliance. The NORML women dressed up in 1920s costumes and were followed by a car of a similar vintage, driven by a man dressed as Al Capone. According to NORML media spokesperson Andrea Matrosovs, the Women’s Alliance wanted to make plain the connection between the prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s and ’30s—which was a boon to organized crime—and marijuana prohibition today.
“When women gathered together in the ’20s and ’30s, they made things happen,” she said. “And it was to the benefit of families, and the dis-benefit of organized criminals.”
Matrosovs was somewhat unique among Saturday’s demonstrators. She doesn’t smoke marijuana at all. Her interest in legalization comes purely as a result of her social-science background and the time she spent as a high school teacher.
“If we could legalize, regulate, and tax, then we could take those revenues that are currently going to organized crime and direct them to good things,” she said. “My background is as an educator…and it bothered me that our youth were being funneled into alcohol, because that’s legal in our society at age 19, where marijuana isn’t.”
*****
MyETVmedia
interview with Jodie Emery of Cannabis Culture and the NORML's Women's
Alliance at the 14th. annual Toronto Global Marijuana March @ Queen's
Park.
"An estimated 15,000 people gathered at Queen’s Park on Saturday afternoon for the Toronto Global Marijuana March, and The Grid was there to find out why the event is so popular.
"Along the way, we encountered members of the NORML Women’s Alliance of Canada, who gathered in elegant 1920s costumes to protest the current prohibition of marijuana..."
Once again, my camera failed me but not before I took the above pictures* leading up to the start of the March. I'd like to thank Wendel Grant and Alison Myrden for letting me share some of their great photos (below) from the awesome day, Thanks! (To see these great pictures enlarged, "Click" on them.)
NORML Women getting approval from the growing crowds
and passing motorists.
The Grand Parade Marshals!
Leading the way!
Alison's Photos
Alison and the NORML Woman's Alliance marching alongside Jodie Emery.
Cannabis = Zero deaths. Ever.
Kelly and Alison - NORML Women inspiring us all!
It
was a privilege to gather
with such an incredible group of people who honestly care about
our fellow human beings and Mother Earth. Kudos to you, my fellow
NORML
Women, I'm glad to have marched alongside every single one of you.
Just like the Sabine's contributed to end the Noble Experiment all those
decades ago, NORML Women will campaign** to bring about an end to the unjust Drug War today. We're "Women On a Mission to End Prohibition" - take that, Steve!
Today on momlogic there was an amazing article called Marijuana Mamas! It's hopeful to read that other Moms who are in the same situation I am in are "Coming out of the Cannabis Closet".
Us Moms fear the "Bad Mom" label - and we all know that "society" slaps that one on us for our choice of Cannabis as medicine and recreation. It's sad and wrong and we must try and change these views. Here is the comment I left:
I too, am a "Marijuana Mama" - and like so many other Moms, we face stigma over our cannabis use. We live with the fear of having our kids taken away or being incarcerated because we choose the safer choice - Cannabis - over addicting, zombifying, full of side effects prescription narcotics and alcohol.
Like other Moms have mentioned, using Cannabis ENABLES me to be the best Mom I can be. Before Cannabis I was a walking pharmacy, Big Pharma had a grip on my doctor & I had become a victim of the pharmaceutical industry. In early 2007 I had such a horrible reaction to a prescription medication that I ended up in the hospital, I honestly thought I was dying.
I had enough, chucked all those medicines and with the help of Cannabis I am now living a fuller, happier, healthier life. I take only 2 much needed prescription meds, (Update June 2012, I am now off of ALL prescription synthetic medications!) as opposed to my former 8-11. Using Cannabis helps me be a Hands-On Mom. Anyone who suffers from pain, in my case Degenerative Disc Disease, Crohn's Disease, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and chronic debilitating Migraines, knows the chaos it can cause and how much it affects our physical ability and daily lives. Not being able to physically participate in every day activities with our kids is heartbreaking and I am thankful that Cannabis is available to aid me. Whether it's kicking around a soccer ball in the park, or simply going for a nice leisurely walk with my boys, I value every second of it all!
Once my (two older) kids were mature enough to understand, we (my Husband and I) were completely honest with them. Responsibly educating them fully about Cannabis includes teaching them the history of Cannabis, which has been used by Humans since the beginning of Mankind. We reassured them I would never die because I used Cannabis because it is non-toxic and one of the safest medicines to use in the world. Cannabis has never killed anyone, ever.
I've also explained to them that while I could face incarceration for my use (don't be lulled into the illusion of being untouchable because you have a MMAR Card, there have been many legal users who have still been charged, for things as silly as a few plants over the limit, or vacationing in a place where it is still illegal) if it happened I would stand up in the face of my oppressors and fight for my Human Right to use this natural plant. They like having a Mom who is brave and willing to stand up for her beliefs.
While my Cannabis use is not for recreation, I vehemently defend the rights of others to use it if they prefer it over alcohol. My Husband and I rarely ever touch alcohol, maybe at a wedding we'll have some drinks, sometimes my Husband likes a cold beer in the summer. That's it. My Husband doesn't smoke pot - he feels no need or desire to. He is thankful that I have finally found a medicine that not only helps my pain, but relaxes my mood and stress becomes not so much of a problem. Our lives are better for it, our marriage is better for it, and most of all, the quality of our children's' lives are better for it.
I believe that no government, no politician, has the right to tell me that I cannot use Cannabis for my health and happiness. I am an adult of sound mind and I have autonomy over my own body. It is my choice and I will not be bullied by parliament, especially when legal prescription medications are the fourth leading cause of death in Canada.
Canada and the US are always trumpeting "Freedom! We live free!" well, no we don't. Living free means being able to make choices for ourselves. Now please don't confuse this with crime. Crime is hurting others, crime is when there is a victim. I know that me eating a Cannabis Cookie for pain is of no consequence to anyone else.
Moms, we have to stand up and say, we want our Police to focus on REAL Crime that does affect our kids, child predators and abusers and pedophiles - parents should be demanding the Billions of dollars our governments spend every year on enforcing pot smokers instead be put towards catching child molesters.
Does it not disturb anyone that government would rather shovel money towards enforcement and incarceration, instead of education and programs that will help kids in our communities?
How many universities could have been built (with billions of tax payer dollars) while government has been busy building prisons? How many scholarships could have been paid for instead of the government spending your hard-earned money for enforcement, court, lawyer, incarceration and probation costs?
Prohibition also does not keep drugs out of our children's' hands. Prohibition leaves drugs to be controlled by the black market, and we all know that drug dealers don't ask for ID.
If our Government was truly serious about keeping drugs out of the hands of minors they would legalize and regulate the sale to adults. Any kid will tell you, they can get their hands on pot much more easily than they can get alcohol and cigarettes.
I am truly appalled that we have politicians that trample on our individual freedom and rights. They go under the guise of being "Tough on Crime". Well, I want our politicians to be SMART about crime, and focus their efforts on punishing those who truly are a danger to our society.
Us Moms, whether you smoke Cannabis or not, have to be vocal in this fight, we have to let our cries be heard - Cannabis users are not likely abusers, and we deserve the same freedom as everyone else to choose our method of medicine and recreation. And we deserve to have safer streets for our kids to play - gang and cartel free.
And please, we must denounce the Gateway Theory, if someone gets addicted to hard drugs, it's not because they may have used pot.
Marijuana Mamas, we must lead the way to ensure a better life for our kids, in countries that value our children and their futures. Prohibition must end and we can all do our part.
Please visit the website for LEAP - Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, this is a wonderful organization made up of Police, Judges, lawyers etc who have fought in the front lines of the War on Drugs. They will come to your town to speak and educate others about the failure and danger of Prohibition. Educating the public about the propaganda they have been fed all of their lives is necessary. Education is the key and we must spread it in the face of the yellow journalism that pervades the media when it comes to Cannabis.
Because of the illegality of Cannabis I don't use my real name, but I encourage other "Marijuana Mamas" to do what I have done - start telling the world about Cannabis, how Prohibition is draconian and immediately strips us of personal, individual freedom and brings more crime upon us - in a Blog, a Letter to the Editor of your local newspaper, Facebook, Twitter, wherever you can. More of us have to start speaking out if we are ever to change our draconian cannabis laws - laws that steal the freedom of every single one of us....
Pass It to The Left,
~Mary Jane Cannabian
http://www.maryjanecannabian.blogspot.com
Update: February 15, 2010. The Tyra Banks Show has aired an episode "Soccer Mom Stoners"
I reposted this blog post in the comments, and also added the following:
p.s. For all you Judgy Judgerson's out there, I'd like you to think about this:
Poisonous Ingredient - Caffeine
Where Found * Certain soft drinks (such as Pepsi, Coke, Mountain Dew) * Certain teas * Chocolate, including hot chocolate drinks * Coffee * Over-the-counter stimulants that help you stay awake such as NoDoz, Vivarin, Caffedrine, and others Note: This list may not be all-inclusive. Symptoms of Overdose Symptoms in adults may include: * Breathing trouble * Confusion * Convulsions * Diarrhea * Dizziness * Fever * Hallucinations * In and out of consciousness * Increased thirst * Irregular heartbeat * Muscle twitching * Rapid heartbeat * Sleeping trouble * Urination - increased * Vomiting Symptoms in babies may include: * Muscles are very tense, then very relaxed * Nausea * Rapid, deep breathing * Rapid heartbeat * Shock * Tremors * Vomiting http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002579.htm
I mention it because like with all things, moderation is the key. Unhealthy eating is a cause of many of our health problems.... do you think we should throw Moms' in jail because they eat too many Twinkies or hit the drive-thru at McDonald's every day after they drop the kids off at school? Criminalizing people for what they put into their bodies is insanity. Now if someone commits a crime while under the influence of a substance, like alcohol, NyQuil, Vicodin, Cannabis, etc. then by all means prosecute away, but jailing people for non-violent drug use is in no way justifiable. I pray none of your kids are busted for possession - the incarceration for drugs does way more damage than actual drugs ever could. Thanks to MikeCann for posting the episode for you to watch HERE.
Here is a post I wrote just over 3 years ago: " That was awkward...
Marijuana Mamas - The Secret Lives of Cannabis Using Moms " http://maryjanecannabian.blogspot.ca/2009/06/marijuana-mamas.html
If someone would have told the younger me that I would become a Cannabis Legalization Advocate I wouldn't have believed them. But when presented with the truth about Cannabis/Hemp and becoming educated beyond what we were fed in DARE there really was no question that fighting Prohibition and the destructive War on Drugs was the absolute right thing to do.
Our children deserve to grow up receiving proper education about ALL drugs and to live in environments free of organized crime. Cannabis needs to be re-legalized and regulated like alcohol and cigarettes. This ensures that underage youth are restricted from purchasing and that gang violence decreases because there is no longer a Cannabis black market for them to profit from and fight over.
I am thankful for Cannabis, it is a gift from Mother Nature and because the government does not own my personal body I will utilize this miracle plant that benefits my health and life exponentially. I am not a lazy Stoner, I am not a criminal, I am not addicted to harmful legal prescription narcotics or illegal synthetic street drugs - what I am is a loving, caring Wife and Mother who puts the well being of my children FIRST. I use Cannabis responsibly and do not deserve to be convicted criminally while booze using moms celebrate "Wine o'clock" and post their drunken "Hot Mess Ladies Nights" pictures on Facebook.
If our government and law enforcement is so adamant about Pot being dangerous ("What about the children!") you would think they would support a system of regulation and quality control over the cartel and gang controlled
free-for-all that has been allowed to flourish over the last 40+ year War on Drugs.
Women in Canada, please check out the NORML Women's Alliance of Canada, Moms for Marijuana International, and Moms United to End The War on Drugs - all on Facebook. There are many of us, more than you'd imagine and we are organizing in our communities and politically active at the local, municipal, provincial and federal levels and just like the strong women of WONPR in the 1920's and 30's we will be successful in ending Prohibition!
Update July 30th. - Another article, see, we're everywhere! Read I'm a Marijuana Mom
"I want to start with a quote from a 35-year-old African American man talking about his drug use as a younger man. He said:
'You might just be bored, or alone. Everybody was welcome into the club of disaffection. If the high didn't solve whatever it was that was getting you down, it could at least help you laugh at the world's ongoing folly and see through all the hypocrisy and bullshit and cheap moralism.'
That man called himself a junkie and a pothead. He said he was a confused teenager. He also went on to become the President of the United States, Barack Obama."
~ Professor Eugene Oscapella (Barrister and Solicitor, Lecturer in Criminology, University of Ottawa
Canadians, albeit slowly, are becoming more aware of the utter failure of the racist, greed filled War on Drugs and question draconian government policy regarding Cannabis.
"According to recent crime statistics, it is estimated that the federal and provincial governments spend between $300 million and $500 million a year enforcing the law against simple possession of cannabis. Now maybe Canadians have become used to hearing about such amounts of money, but I know that a lot of communities, particularly those where our Aboriginal peoples reside, could make much better use of such funds.
It’s about time that we get over the stigma associated with many of the false assumptions that dominate this debate, and pragmatically move forward on eliminating pot prohibition. As someone who has both walked the streets as a member of the RCMP’s drug squad and examined legislation for passage into law as a Senator, I have a sharp understanding of what constitutes a criminal.
Are you as a Canadian prepared to live in a society that will now be spending billions more in Cannabis enforcement? Do you think that your hard earned tax dollars should continue to be wasted in a war on people that will never, ever end? Are you willing to accept that with the passing of Bill C-15 (Update: now renamed Bill S-10 after prorogation by the Tories) Canada will no doubt end up like the United States, who consists of only 5% of the worlds population, but incarcerates 25% of their citizens?"
Canadians, please educate yourself on Bill S-10, which will enact mandatory minimum sentencing. If we continue down a path of incarceration instead of rehabilitation as the United States has erroneously done, it won't soon be long that Big Brother will have to build dozens more super jails to house all of us. And taxpayers will pay for it all. Please visit whyprohibition.ca for all of the information on this Bill, including a petition and where to write your Members of Parliament.
I warn you now though that Prohibition does affect you and your families' safety, you should be very concerned. Prohibition creates the black market, that market makes untaxed money, and lots of it. The "BC Bud" cash crop alone is estimated to make 7-12 Billion dollars a year for the Underground Economy. Organized crime and gangs need money to fund further illegal enterprises and buy weapons to carry their tasks out. So in fact, the very government prohibition is handing cartels and gangs their profits on a silver platter, and in the process exposing you and your family to living in a country that must endure more crime from increasingly violent territorial turf wars. Disputes are settled in the streets with guns, not the courts.
Sound Familiar? It should. It's exactly what happened during Alcohol Prohibition in the 1920's and 30's.
Innocent people get caught in gun crossfire. Innocent people are dying because we have a government that would rather be viewed as "tough on crime". But wouldn't you rather have a government that is smartabout crime?
Like Identity Theft. ((Update: (01/28/10) Because the Conservatives prorogued parliament on New Years Eve, a bill to address the growing problem of Identity Theft died. Check out Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament )
"From the Report to the Minister of Public Safety Canada and the Attorney General of the United States,October 2004
Identity theft refers to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's identifying information for the purpose of fraud or other criminal activity, typically for economic gain. The perpetrators of identity theft include members of organized criminal groups or networks, terrorists and individual criminals. Identity theft is usually done for economic gain but has also been used by terrorists to obtain cover employment, finance their activities and avoid detection when carrying out their attacks. Criminals also use identity theft to divert law enforcement focus away from the true perpetrators of crimes.
There are indications identity theft is growing rapidly, due in part to the Internet and modern technology. During a one-year period in 2002-2003, total losses to individuals and businesses related to identity theft in the United States were estimated at approximately US$53 billion. In Canada the losses for 2002 were estimated at approximately CAN$2.5 billion.
On the basis of available data, it appears that identity theft is likely to continue to grow substantially over the next decade and become increasingly important in cross-border criminality. It is expected to pose a threat to tens of millions of people and businesses in Canada and the United States unless law enforcement authorities and private-sector entities mount a vigorous and coordinated response to the problem."
So which is a bigger threat to you? Someone enjoying a joint in the privacy of their own home, or the growing chance that criminals are using their black market drug money to steal your money?
You don't have to advocate drug use. If you think that it's "wrong" to use a substance, it's your belief and you are free to hold it. But the next time you reach for a Tylenol for a headache or a Robaxacet for your bad back, remember that they are drugs too. In fact, drugs taken as prescribed in hospitals are the fourth leading cause of death in Canada – about 10,000 deaths a year. Perhaps another 10,000 are caused outside hospitals. Pharmaceuticals dominate our medical care to the point that we spend more on legal drugs (in 2005 prescription and Over the Counter amounted to $24 Billion) than we do on doctors ($18 Billion) while seriously injuring over 100,000 people a year in Canada, and over two million in the U.S.
Cannabis has never, in the history of all mankind, killed anyone.
"The "Gateway Theory" doesn't work.
The money saved from ending prohibition can be put towards education for children, health care, housing and community programs, and most importantly, funding for police efforts dealing with real crimes like murder, child and domestic abuse, paedophilia, child pornography, theft and so on. It is also much more cost effective to offer rehabilitation programs for hard drug users then it is to house them in jails, where they learn how to be - better criminals.
Of course there will still be rules. For example, no driving or using heavy machinery (just like it says on prescription medication bottles) after use. Proof of legal age for Cannabis purchase at regulated dispensaries would apply, similar to the sale of alcohol and cigarettes. This immediately eliminates the job of "Drug Dealer", and we all know they ask kids for ID, right? If anything, governments biggest argument that drugs can be dangerous is the smartest reason to control it.
Over 600,000 Canadians now have criminal records because they chose to use Cannabis. For the most part, these are otherwise law abiding, caring, socially productive individuals who have made a personal choice to use a naturally grown non-toxic plant.
Cannabis has been used by humans for thousands of years, we as a society should not sit idle when people who hurt no one else are filling prisons for profits. Legalizing will put cartels out of business and Canadians will no longer have to suffer the collateral damage that prohibition and the war on drugs causes.
Whether one chooses to use Cannabis, a natural plant, or not is a personal choice. Just as one can decide to have a beer watching a hockey game, a glass of wine after the kids are in bed, or start your morning off with a nice hot cup of coffee. The last time I checked I did not hand the federal government the authority to make that decision for me. I am an adult of sound mind and I have autonomy over my own body. Criminalizing people who choose to use an herb that has ZERO recorded deaths is outright ridiculous.
What I ingest is my business. What you ingest is your business. Not that of politicians and police. Alcohol, nicotine, prescription drugs, unhealthy eating, coffee, these all contribute to thousands of deaths in Canada every year, but we don't throw Alcoholics, sugar-fiends and drinkers of Timmie's Cafe Mochas in jail either. Too much junk and fast food can pack on the pounds - does this mean we should incarcerate obese people because they are harming themselves and costing society money in health care costs? Where does it end? How far will the government go in the name of "Keeping us safe from ourselves"? Ask yourself: "Just how free are we?"
This video is one everyone should see, and hopefully pass on. Barry Cooper, a highly ranked former DEA Agent who fought on the front lines of the War on Drugs speaks to students at the University of North Texas. The event was organized by the Texas chapters of The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) April 5, 2007.
"Now what I contend is that my body is my own, at least I have always so regarded it. If I do harm through my experimenting with it, it is I who suffers, not the state." - Mark Twain
Excerpts from:
The 19th meeting of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. Monday, May 4, 2009 Bill C-15, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts.
Mr. Gord Perks (Councillor, Toronto City Council, and Chair, Toronto Drug Strategy Implementation Plan): Canada's prisons and criminal justice system do not have enough capacity at present. Prisons are overcrowded and courts are congested. In reality, it is the provinces and territories that will feel much of the financial impact of this legislation, as many of the mandatory sentence terms will be less than two years. However, there is only one taxpayer, and Canadians will pay the increased prison, court, and police costs resulting from Bill C-15. The average cost of incarcerating someone in Canada's federal system is $93,000 per year, or $255 per day. How I wish I had those kinds of resources to help members in my community who are struggling with addiction. It costs substantially less to maintain an offender in the community than in prison: $23,000 per year versus $93,000.
Mr. Philippe Lucas (Executive Director, Vancouver Island Compassion Society and Canadians for Safe Access): I just want to differentiate between drug-related crime, which Mr. Bagnell mentioned, and prohibition-related crime. When we talk about shootings in Toronto, when we talk about shootings in Vancouver, these are not people on drugs shooting each other. These are people shooting each other for drug profits. Nothing to do with the actual substances themselves has caused this violence. This violence is caused by the profitability of these drugs. So obviously addressing the difference between drug-related crime, which is typically petty crime that feeds someone's substance abuse and dependence on substances, is very different from prohibition-related crime, which is the high violence we're seeing and the gun violence we're seeing in our major cities in Canada.
Professor Eugene Oscapella (Barrister and Solicitor, Lecturer in Criminology, University of Ottawa: I want to start with a quote from a 35-year-old African American man talking about his drug use as a younger man. He said:
You might just be bored, or alone. Everybody was welcome into the club of disaffection. If the high didn't solve whatever it was that was getting you down, it could at least help you laugh at the world's ongoing folly and see through all the hypocrisy and bullshit and cheap moralism.
That man called himself a junkie and a pothead. He said he was a confused teenager. He also went on to become the President of the United States, Barack Obama. It's ironic to see so many of the politicians on Parliament Hill salivating at the prospect of being seen in the presence of this man when under this law (Bill C-15) he would in all likelihood have been condemned to a two-year mandatory minimum prison sentence because he used cocaine. As you know, under the current drug law, even just passing a joint or passing a powder to a friend, not selling it, is considered trafficking. That can also probably be said of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, both of whom have admitted their past drug use. Is this not a bit hypocritical?
I appeal to all Canadians, please stand up for civil rights on behalf of your children, your families, your friends and your fellow citizens who are presently incarcerated for using a plant that is said to be in the anointing oil of Jesus Christ. Speak up and be heard. Let your government officials know that you are in the dark no more. You see the bigger picture and realize that prohibition of Cannabis has amounted to a complete and total failed policy with all of Canadian society becoming an unwilling victim.
You realize government cannot legislate human behavior. Educate yourself about prohibition, and how Cannabis came to Canada and was unceremoniously criminalized without debate, because it really does affect us all. Take this knowledge and spread it. Our chance for a more peaceful country urgently depends on it. If you do nothing, if we don't all become involved in something so important as securing a safer, kinder, future for generations to come, Canada, as a nation, will surely fail.
Marley &Tosh - "Get Up, Stand Up! Don't Give Up the Fight"
Bill Maher, host of HBO's "Real Time" speaks out about America's War on Cannabis to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) annual conference, San Francisco, 2002. His friend Todd McCormick was in a California prison at the time - serving 4 years for researching a book to help medical marijuana patients grow their own medicine, as a collaborative effort with motivational author Peter McWilliams.
Bill is right, everyone can do their part.
When siblings David and Elizabeth Gregorywere laid off from their jobs in January, they used the time to create an iPhone application focusing on the legalization of Cannabis. CHRONIC-les was released for sale May 21 and has had more than 1,000 downloads. If you have an iPhone, please check it out in the Appstore - it's only 99 cents! It also includes a pre-written letter to President Obama that can be sent by pushing a button. The app can also locate the nearest NORML chapter for you. Follow along with this dynamic duo on Twitter @CHRONIClesApp
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Penalties against drug use should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against the possession of marijuana in private for personal use." ~President Jimmy Carter: Message to Congress, August 2, 1977
I was tearing up by the time I finished reading this news. This is a sign of true change, and I applaud the efforts of Mayor Kitty Piercy and the the City of Eugene, Oregon as well as Willamette Valley NORML.
Changing the worlds view of Cannabis depends on all of us working continually, and an event such as Medical Marijuana Awareness Week proves the dedication of so many is starting to shine bright in the light of day.
Keep up the good work and momentum, everyone, bringing forth the truth about the miracle that is Cannabis to the masses will end the madness that is Prohibition.
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR City of Eugene, Oregon PROCLAMATION Official Proclamation of Medical Marijuana Awareness Week in Eugene, Oregon
WHEREAS: In November 1998, Oregon voters passed into law the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act, allowing Oregonians suffering from debilitating medical conditions to use marijuana as medicine. Currently, nearly 25,000 patients are enrolled and over 2,900 doctors have provided recommendations for patients’ utilization of medical marijuana; and
WHEREAS: Thirteen states have passed laws allowing for chronically and seriously ill patients to use cannabis with the approval of their physicians; and
WHEREAS: On September 6, 1988, Drug Enforcement Administrations (DEA) own Administrative Law Judge, Francis L. Young, ruled that “Marijuana, in it’s natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known”; and
WHEREAS: There are over are over 17,000 published scientific studies on the therapeutic values of cannabis and cannabinoids in the National Library of Medicine, and, there are over 2,600 patents filed for the medical use of cannabinoids in the United States Patent office; and
WHEREAS: Pre-Clinical and Clinical trials indicate that cannabinoids are useful in controlling Alzheimer’s Disease, Cancer, Chronic Pain, Diabetes, G I Disorders, Hepatitis C, Multiple Sclerosis, Osteoporosis, Pruritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Sleep Apnea; and,
WHEREAS: Marijuana has a history of thousands of years of safe use without any recorded deaths attributed to its use, and, all citizens deserve to know the truth about cannabis,
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Kitty Piercy, Mayor of the City of Eugene, Oregon, do hereby proclaim the Week of April 30th, 2009 to May 6th, 2009 as “Medical Marijuana Awareness Week” in the city of Eugene, and encourage all citizens to join in this observance.
Kitty Piercy, Mayor Dated this 22nd day of April 2009
Thank You, Oregon, your willingness to embrace the facts of Medical Marijuana above years of Propaganda makes you a Leader among States. Bravo!
Mr. Lunk's Hideout has been kind enough to let us know that "The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) is coordinating the nomination of the Netherlands for a Nobel Prize for its achievements in minimizing drug use in its citizens, while at the same time restricting imprisonment."
Please take a moment to "Digg" this wonderful news, and if you know of anyone that qualifies to submit a Nomination, please pass this info on to them.
Mama, Wife, Writer, Political Junkie, Legalizer, Freedom Fighter, Student of Life, Atheist, Lover of Music & Written Word.
#420Friendly #Spoonie
****************************
"I, as a responsible adult human being, will never concede the power to anyone to regulate my choice of what I put into my body, or where I go with my mind. From the skin inwards is my jurisdiction, is it not? I choose what may or may not cross that border. Here I am the Customs Agent. I am the Coast Guard. I am the sole legal and spiritual government of this territory, and only the laws I choose to enact within myself are applicable." ~ Alexander Shulgin PhD, Chemist and author
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