In case anyone was unaware, I am working on a campaign in Sacramento County that will allow for dispensaries and return the rights of patients and collective groups to cultivate there. It is called the Patients Access to Regulated Medical Cannabis Act of 2012 (PARMCA2012) and we have formed the Committee for Safe Patient Access to Regulated Cannabis (CSPARC) to push the effort forward. The language has been filed and can be found at www.RegulateSac.org. I wrote the initiative over a long weekend based on my vast experience in pouring over these ordinances in cities and counties all over the State, and in other states. Great cannabis mind and attorney James Clark worked with me to write some of the finer legal points and word things so that they represented the needs of our community, while still being rigid enough to pass with the voters in November. Many have commented that PARMCA2012 has the potential to be one of the best written ordinances in the State of California, and I agree.

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Some have asked me “Why Sacramento County?” Simple. Sacramento County would be the biggest victory for our community, as it embodies the issues our community faces across the State and with the Feds. Just one year ago there were up to 100 dispensaries in Sacramento County providing hundreds of jobs and access to thousands of patients. The County brought lawsuits against most of the organizations, and eventually turned to the Feds after the crackdown to seal the deal with a round of forfeiture threats to the landlords there. To make a bad situation MUCH worse, the County Board of Supervisors enacted a backdoor ban, outlawing ALL uses inconsistent with Federal law. They admitted in doing this that they were also outlawing personal and collective cultivation, a move I still believe is unconstitutional based on municipalities not being able to simply opt out of a State law passed by the voters. But a lawsuit to prove this unconstitutional could drag on for years, so after the Board of Supervisors passed their draconian and cowardice zoning ordinance, I marched right out to the press and told them we were going to take the issue to the voters. I do not make threats in the press without backing them up, so I began to reach out to patients and providers there to gain support for this effort.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive. We drafted the language in January and went through 15 drafts after giving it to members of the local activist community for review. We believe, after long thought and careful consideration, that this initiative will be a model for the State; and after our victory in November we look forward to bringing similar efforts to other areas of the state where they lack access.

The local community has come together in an incredible show of camaraderie to help us with our efforts. We have amassed an army of 40+ volunteers who are currently circulating the petitions in Sacramento County. The volunteer effort is going well, but we are working to do fundraising to be able to pay some professional gatherers, as well. We understand that we have a challenge on our hands and we are okay with that. We believe in this effort and have faith that the road will rise up to meet us on this journey, and that we will have our signatures in the bag by our goal of May 24th.

BUT WE STILL NEED A LOT OF HELP! So if you can volunteer to gather signatures for a great cause, or if you know of some folks that can donate to this worthy cause and who want to be a hero to tens of thousands of displaced patients in the State’s Capital County, have them contact us at csparc.sac@gmail.com or visit our volunteer sign up page at http://www.regulatesac.org/volunteers. Your efforts on this will be much appreciated. We have been blessed by our initial response and look forward to a victory party on November 7th, where we can thank each and every person who is helping to move this mountain.

The Committee for Safe Patient Access is comprised of patients, activists, doctors, collective operators, lab representatives, former law enforcement, and our awesome volunteers. The Board has come together in an unprecedented show of local force in Sacramento to help champion this cause, and the response has been amazing thus far.

I will say, there have been some poor responses by a couple of Sac City collectives, who have expressed that they “do not want the County collectives to reopen because it will hurt business.” This response has been far and few between, as 90% of the dispensaries in the City and delivery services in the area have been SUPER supportive. To the one’s who oppose our effort based on greed and self-interest are simply mislead and should know- KARMA IS A BITCH. I will not name you by name just yet, but it is unthinkable for an organization who provides cannabis to not support an effort that a.) allows patients and collectives to grow without being outlaws; b.) allows for patients in far reaches of the County to have convenient and local access without driving long distances; and c.) will show that Sacramento City and County support medical cannabis. So if you are one of the collective’s who have spoke out against this initiative to serve your self interest, just know it is not too late to come around and join the fight before getting called out for your bullshit.

But enough about the haters. We have too much love to focus on them. Like I said, 90% of local medical cannabis organizations have declared their support, and there are many local dispensaries where patients can go to find the petition and sign it. The Committee also has its own website that provides more information to volunteers and signature gatherers at www.CSPARC.org, so check it out if you want to get involved and help us make history in Sac County. It will take a major commitment from many in the community to pull this off, but we are confident that the support is there and that we will make the November ballot, no doubt.

We plan on showing the world what a group of dedicated cannabis activists can do to change their political reality. Sacramento County was decimated by intolerant enforcement and PARMCA2012 is the first step in restoring sanity there. We believe that in a local campaign we can control the message and focus on the realities facing people in Sac County. The Sacramento News and Review ran a story called “Sacramento County binges on liquor stores” where they state:

Sacramento doesn’t have a drinking problem. It has a drinking solution. County supervisors last year approved a flood of new liquor licenses for high-crime and booze-saturated neighborhoods. On the upside, the county can make up for tax dollars it lost when the feds changed their tune (again) and began raiding medical-marijuana dispensaries (again).

So the dialogue is happening there and we are seeing overwhelming local support on the ground for our effort. People understand that just because dispensaries are gone that cannabis is not gone, and they understand that a well-lit and clean facility is the best place to have these transactions happen; not in the Wal-Mart parking lot. The measure will also include a supplemental tax rate that mirrors the City of Sacramento’s, to create a level playing field, and to provide a $2 million dollar a year carrot on a stick for the voters. We expect it to pass overwhelmingly once we make the ballot.

It’s not easy being green. There are people who make a lot of money by keeping cannabis and its cousin hemp illegal. The smear campaign has been going on for more than 80 years, so it’s been an uphill battle fighting the propaganda of the powerful.

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Hemp is a wonderful, renewable source of durable fiber for clothes, ropes, and paper, as well as human and animal food and medicine, and so much more. It’s a value-packed resource. It’s easily replenished and a very hardy plant that grows abundantly in a variety of environments. So, naturally, our government has made it illegal. You’re welcome, China and Canada (the world’s two top hemp-producing nations).

Follow the money

Who makes the most money because the cannabis and hemp plants are illegal? That’s a tough one to answer, but if you factor in jobs, power, and profit, law enforcement and its veritable alphabet of agencies are strong contenders.

The DEA, FDA, ATF, FBI, and your local PD all depend heavily on the “Drug War” and especially cannabis. Hundreds of thousands of jobs depend on the ongoing Drug War. Seizures, impounds, and fines provide billions of dollars of income. Whether they address the actual problem of drug use is another matter.

It can be costly to get caught with cannabis. Depending on the circumstances, it can be anywhere from a pain in the neck to losing your car, your house, your boat, and ending up in jail and/or paying fines. And while there are a few states that have legalized cannabis for discretionary use, technically it’s still considered a federal crime. As such, there is always the very real danger that even legal businesses that dispense the herb to patients can be raided and have their assets seized.

The prison system is becoming increasingly privatized and makes plenty of tax money off each inmate. Corporations understandably would much rather house non-violent folks arrested for cultivation, possession, and sale of cannabis than murderers and rapists. It’s easier and safer.

Pick up a new paper

Converting trees to paper requires a plethora of toxic chemicals. Wood is not white, so chlorine and bleach are used to whiten the pulp. Over three million tons of chlorine are dumped into our waterways annually, with the paper industry being the largest contributor. Chlorine is a confirmed source of the carcinogen dioxin, which is linked to cancer, liver failure, birth defects, miscarriages, and many more harmful effects.

Hemp, on the other hand, can be whitened with hydrogen peroxide which is relatively harmless compared to chlorine and bleach. In addition, it takes a long time to grow trees to paper-making size, while hemp grows much faster and can be harvested multiple times per year.

As an extra added benefit, hemp paper also lasts longer. Paper made from wood pulp yellows with age; hemp paper does not. It also disintegrates more slowly. So, with demand for paper still skyrocketing despite the widespread use of the internet and e-mail, why is it still illegal to grow? That’s easy. Because the timber industry makes more money that way.

Hemp fiber makes fine, breathable textiles and works as well as nylon for most applications. So why is it still illegal? Because duPont and other large plastic-making corporations make more money that way.

Down on the pharm

And, of course, drug companies are terrified of cannabis being legalized. Consuming the herb provides a wide variety of potential health benefits, outside the profit realm of the medical and pharmaceutical industry. So it’s still illegal, because the drug industry makes more money that way.

Most cancer patients who die during chemotherapy die of chemo, not cancer. Chemo works in approximately two percent of cases. Cannabis has cancer-killing properties. Now, it doesn’t treat all cancers or all patients, but breast, prostate, and many other prevalent types have been studied, and cannabis has had great success. Cannabinoids THC and CBD (cannabidiol) not only kill cancer cells, but also aid in slowing tumor growth and metastasis (spreading). As a side bonus, cannabis has never killed anyone.

Cannabis also shows great promise in addressing not only glaucoma caused by diabetes, but diabetes itself. Add to that the scientifically accepted use of cannabis to treat pediatric and adult epilepsy, chronic pain caused by inflammation, nerve pain, digestive conditions, and so much more. These chronic conditions are “normally” treated by opioids or other synthetic drugs, representing uncountable billions of dollars lost to cannabis by pharmaceutical companies.

Crime does pay

Illegal crime syndicates are some of the best organized and connected lobbyists. They will stop at nothing to have their way. Bribery and death are just part of their game. The drug cartels have actually adapted the best, being willing to shift their inventory to other products. But make no mistake, they want cannabis to remain illegal. As long as it’s illegal, it’s quite literally a “cash” crop for black market dealers, who care nothing about quality, brand reputation, or the nation’s youth.

All this holds significant sway over our politicians. They get elected by being “tough on crime” but get paid by lobbyists. The lumber, plastic, law enforcement, pharmaceutical, and crime industries all have ways to get their wills enacted, often at the expense of the people.

The excuse that has been used to ban hemp production is that the plant is first cousin to the cannabis plant. Some strains of cannabis are comprised of over 30 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), unlike hemp, which has only scant traces of the psychoactive compound. The powers that be have decided that THC is so bad that even plants without it are off limits. (Apparently, since it’s a mood booster, it’s got to be banned. Unlike other medical mood “boosters” like Xanax or Ritalin, which both just happen to be on this list of 9 Most Addictive Prescription Drugs.)

Change the times

Now more than half a century since Bob Dylan wrote “The times, they are a-changin’”, they finally are, with respect to cannabis freedom. (At least in some parts of the country.) Many Americans have tried it, liked it and (*gasp*) not died from it, or even gotten sick, or let their life slip away on the sofa playing video games and guzzling Doritos. It’s becoming rarer by the day for an American not to have read about or spoken to someone who’s had a positive experience with medical cannabis. It’s important that we keep the conversation going and keep informing the public when new studies come out.

Want to pitch in? You can help by sharing posts, talking with your families and neighbors, and letting your elected leaders know that legalization is important to you. Together, we can make this green plant with so many wonderful properties available to those who need and want it.