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sharon@seattlehf.altadar.com

The New Age Of Reefer Madness

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So I get this email from the 46th District Democrats, the “Demogram”.  It’s about their upcoming 2/19 meeting, How Do We Solve A Problem Like Marijuana?

As I read through the information they are sharing, my jaw is dropping, I felt teleported back to prohibitions roots when outlandish claims where levied against cannabis and led to its demise.  I can’t believe I’m reading an actual political newsletter.

Statements like –

“Medical marijuana outlets or cannabis dispensaries, as they prefer to be called, readily admit that not all their customers — as few as 25% — are diagnosed medical patients,”

So they are claiming that 75% of all medical patients are not medical patients or that 75% of all medical dispensary sales are to people without medical recommendations.  I’m also highly skeptical that any medical dispensary operators claimed to anyone that as few as 25% of their patient customers are authorized.

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the needs of legitimate medical patients are significantly different from recreational users. They prefer a clinic-like dispensary atmosphere, rather than wild decorations, some unwanted incense (allergies) and wild music.”

Wow, way to stereotype marijuana users.  While I’ve only been in a few recreational stores I know of none with wild decorations or burning incense while playing wild music. What is wild music anyway?  I prefer Metallica myself.

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“Doctors are forbidden to give advice, for fear of losing their medical licenses.”

Simply not true.  My Doctor at Swedish Cancer Care Institute wrote my medical recommendation when I was undergoing chemo & radiation.  I talked to my entire medical team about my medical cannabis use.  I was actually not on 4 of their recommended anti-nausea medications due to my medical cannabis use.  I readily did not use their anti-anxiety medication due to my medical cannabis use and I talked to them about it throughout all my treatment.  I talked to my Pharmacists about it too.   My entire medical team, to this days knows about my medical cannabis use.

Sure, the Federal boogie man is real but Doctors write medical recommendations and talk to their patients about their medical cannabis use.  How else have people gotten recommendations throughout time!  Again, they are making it seem like Doctors cannot be the ones writing recommendations when they are!

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Of course for obvious reasons we became curious as to where they obtained this data from.  I issued them a formal Freedom of Information Act Request. Vivian took a more straight forward route and emailed the Chair and asked where their data came from.

Their response was swift and concerning.

“It’s from (name removed) who is currently handling our program scheduling for the meetings. I don’t have specifics but it came from talking to cannabis dispensary owners and going to forums like this one. Though there doesn’t seem to be a lot of hard data there. You should come to the forum and help contribute to the discussion. There are a lot of different opinions around there. And with 90 bills in the legislature we need more input.

The idea that the 46th District Democrats are presenting that kind of information in a public document is alarming.  Especially when they “readily admit” the information is not culled from hard data.

I have a huge problem with this.  Not just in regards to cannabis either.  You cannot trust a damn thing that comes out of the mouths of politicians or that they put in writing and this is an exemplary example of that.

The 25% accusation is actually damaging, and that statement marginalizes and minimizes the struggle that legitimate patients endure daily, especially in the face of memes that are presented like this that characterize the patient community (and their doctors) as phonies and charlatans.

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I do plan on going to their meeting and talking about accountability, integrity of data, and loss of trust.  I also plan on being a great example of a citizen who uses medical cannabis and can work within the power structure to help them make good decisions.  It’s our responsibility and it’s time we stand up and help usher in legalization.  I’m wondering if any of you would like to go with me?

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Thursday February 19, 2015 7:30 PM

Olympic View Elementary School

504 NE 95th St
Seattle, WA 98115
Sign in starts at 7:00 PM

I hope to see you there!

Sharon

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