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Three Democratic champions for medical marijuana in California – you’d think there’d be more – Lite Guv Gavin Newsom, SF assemblyman Tom Ammiano and State Senator Mark Leno.
This was passed on to us by old Orange Juice friend and Democratic cannabis warrior John Paul Lucas, who has NOT YET BEGUN TO FIGHT on this important issue! He’s trying to quickly help put together, within the California Democratic Party Central Committee, a “Hemp and Cannabis Caucus” to push the Party and state toward progress on this burning civil rights and fiscal issue, and counteract the more reactionary forces in the Party.
So we’re trying to help him and his comrades here – they need THIRTY-FIVE “A-DEM” MEMBERS TO SIGN UP BY NEXT MONDAY, the 13th, and I’ve uploaded and linked to the form. A-Dem members? Apparently there are twelve in each assembly district, so the OC itself has 7 X 12 = 84 – we could get the 35 we need in our own back yard! Hey – I know some of these people! At the bottom of this post I will list all of OC’s A-Dems; I’ll call the ones I know and you call the ones you know, and let’s get ‘er done! First, a letter to prospective members, from Lanny Swerdlow, another Democratic activist for medical marijuana:
*********
Dear Democratic Party Member:
Thank you for expressing your interest in the proposed Hemp and Cannabis Caucus of the California Democratic Party. It has the potential to become one of the most transformative caucuses ever chartered by the California Democratic Party. Proposed bylaws are being drafted, provisional officers are being sought, and the relevant official forms that urgently require your signature are attached to this email. The key factor that will make the Caucus a reality is YOU and your participation.
As you know, Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom and many other elected Democratic officials have called for the Democratic Party to recognize and support the need for reform of our nation’s archaic, unfair, and inhumane marijuana prohibition laws. Every recent poll now shows that Democrats and Independents are overwhelmingly in support of reforming our nation’s marijuana laws. Since 2011, the CDP has been on record as officially supporting “Creating New Jobs and Tax Revenues with a Californian Cannabis and Hemp Industry” (California Democratic Party RESOLUTION: 11-07.10). Thus, the time is ripe for the Hemp and Cannabis Caucus of the California Democratic Party to organize and promote sensible and rational programs and reforms.
In order to be chartered, Declaration Forms from at least 35 members of the Democratic State Central Committee must be submitted. As a delegate to the state convention, you are a member of the Democratic State Central Committee and as such, you are qualified to sign a Declaration Form and become a provisional Charter Member of the Hemp and Cannabis Caucus of the California Democratic Party.
The linked Declaration Form, once submitted, will affirm your support for the official recognition by the California Democratic Party of the Hemp and Cannabis Caucus, and confirm that you share a common identity, demographic, or interest in the Caucus and its purposes: protecting the rights of medical marijuana patients under California law, repealing marijuana prohibition, ending the wasteful, so-called War on Drugs, and supporting the Democratic Party.
Here at this link are both the Declaration Form and an application to become a Charter Member of the Hemp and Cannabis Caucus of the California Democratic Party. (Your status as a Charter Member will be provisional until the Democratic Party officially charters the Caucus.)
Please take advantage of this unique and historic opportunity to play an important role in this dynamic and growing movement by filling out and sending in the linked Declaration and provisional Charter Membership forms.
The time frame for this action is very short. The final deadline for turning in the forms to the Central Committee is Monday, May 13. Please proceed in downloading, filling out, and signing the forms now. Then, submit them either by email, mail, or fax no later than May 12 (see details below). You will then be a Charter Member of the first official Hemp and Cannabis Caucus in the history of our Democratic Party and our nation!
To submit signed forms:
Fax to: 951-782-9898
Scan and email to: lannyswerdlowrn@yahoo.com
Or mail to:
Lanny Swerdlow (Caucus Coordinator)
PO Box 918
Cabazon, CA 92230
Thank you,
Lanny Swerdlow, R.N., L.N.C.
Dan Rush, Director, Medical Cannabis and Hemp Division
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union
LET’S SEE, WHO ARE THE A-DEMS in the OC?
I know some of them – the ones in bold – and I will bug those. If you know any of them, you do the same – times a-wastin’! (in progress)
AD 55 (Brea, La Habra, Placentia, Yorba Linda)
Sanobar Baig. Theodore Cha. Bina Kamdar. Douglas Doner.
Peegye Jackson. Steve Koffroth. Dot DeLeon. Clark Lee.
Brandy Carter. John MacMurray. Ida MacMurray. Calvin Sung.
update – Dot-check!
AD 65 (Fulerton, Buena Park, La Palma, some Anaheim, Cypress, Stanton)
Drew Cornick, Charles Doll, Gladys Mares, Peter Anderson,
Claudia Perez, Silissa Uriarte Smith, Rashad the Happy Arab, Pam Keller,
Christopher Sanchez, Paula Williams (Greg Diamond’s friend), Arnel Dino, DeAnn McEwen
AD 68 (Irvine, some Anaheim, Lake Forest, Orange, Tustin, Villa Park)
(John Paul Lucas), Michael O’Neal, Ted Perle, Greta Rice,
Cecilia Flores, Fatima Dadabhoy, Mani Kang, Tracey Clark,
Michael D Fox, Ambereen Dadabhoy, Beatriz Fernandez, Gabriel Orea
update – Mike Fox-check!
AD 69 (Santa Ana, some Anaheim,some Garden Grove)
Marcial Fernandez, Renee Hernandez, DR Heywood, Elaine Hoffman,
Irma Macias, Alejandro Moreno, Tish Leon, Julio Perez,
Jeanne Tran, Boyden Pantone, Maria Brena, Al Jabbar
AD 72 (northern HB, Seal Beach, Westminster, Fountain Valley, Los Al, most GG)
Mark Hollenbeck, Ray Cordova, Denise Velasco, Marti Sheldon,
Jamison Power, Mark Sheldon, Karen Hinks, Charlotte Pirch,
Jennifer Siegert, Joe Shaw, Anna Velez, Phil Silverthorn
update – “Godfather” Cordova-check!
AD 73 (Laguna Hills & Niguel, Dana Point, SJC, San Clemente, RSM, Aliso)
Minea Gracia, Michael Stone, Rosemarie Allaire-Bosson, Steve Nelson,
Michael Weinell, Eileen Boylan, Steve Stewart, Judith Rice,
Jason Varvas, Linda May, Linnette Garber, Mike Getto
AD 74 (southern HB, Costa Mesa, Newport, some Irvine, Laguna Beach)
Anila Ali, Peter Kaltreider, Hershel Will, Dinah Frieden,
Andrew Gallagher, RJ Victoria, Richard Armendari, Iyad Afalqa,
Kendall Vaught, Jennifer Muir, Katherine Reedy, Heide Krueger
It’s over man – you got all you’re gonna get – up in smoke. At least until you can differentiate the stoners from those with a real medical need.
Haha, I need to keep a collection of all your prognostications, to rub in your face later. You still owe me a Mexican lunch dude.
Skalywag, junior or who ever you are, the fact is that the Police dont go after stoners they go after very sick persons who are too sick to stand up for their rights and go through the punishment by process process.
Hey Vern, great idea! Let me know what I can do to help.
John you have to be a member of the CDP convention this year. but if we get enough of them to join then we can get members such as yourself. At this point we are recruiting ADEM members and then we will be able top attend the E Board meeting and have a presence there. Also the Brownie Mary Dem club is forming in OC. At this point this is my priority and then the Brownie Mary Dem Club then a statewide org.
If you know anyone who was a delegate this year to the CDP please get them to fill out the papers and join before monday.
Im hoping that we can get the required 35 ADEM members to hjoin in time so we can have a presence at the Eboard meeting in july. Im also hoping we can get a statewide organization formed.Apparenlty there is only the CYD, The Armenian Dems, and the CDC. I thought it was strange there are only 3 statewide orgs in the CDP. Then I think we will have the momentum to get rid of Lou Correa once and for all before he can run for AG.
i would like to personally lobby jennifer muir
get in line
I am not a Democrat but I would like to address all the naysayers…skally…it was edible marijuana cookies that helped me get through my chemotherapy treatments. I tried all the western medicine pills to stop my nausea and to get my appetite going. After losing 22 pounds in a month, I decided to try the weed cookies. I did not smoke it because the smell made me sick. 1/4 of a cookie took away my nausea and made me feel like eating. I started eating one a day and I was able to continue my treatment.
I don’t care why someone wants to smoke weed. If they want to get high they should be able to. So anyone who claims that weed is bad, has never been seriously ill or in chronic pain. Weed is much safer and cheaper than the opiate pharmaceutical drugs.
Inge,
What those with a true need – like you and Carl and others – need to understand is that the stoners are making it worse for you. People don’t want pot shops – which really serve stoners – in or near their neighborhoods. There has to be a better way.
But everybody wants a liquor store next door?
Depends on what your drug preference is, as to what you want next door.
I am just letting you know the facts of life.
The facts of life is old Archie Bunker Leave it to Beaver guys like you aren’t in charge of the world any more, and the graceful thing is to accept it quietly and just grumble to your family if you must.
vern, thanks,,,,the more people believe that, the more we can still get away with
Skally,
Is the a birds and bees talk?
I think what Junior/skalleywag or whatever ment to say was:
“People like ME, don’t want potshops in their neighborhood”
You could add Buffalo Wild Wings and professional soccer to that list too.
Paul and demagogue, according to detective Friday, your gonna get hooked:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Twre6ItGEI
Don’t forget another classic MJ flick – Reefer Madness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1jB7RBGVGk
Hey Meathead – One of the facts of life is that stoners are ruining access for those who truly have a medical need. You can’t have it both ways.
I am in a fairly unique situation in this regard Vern – maybe you’ve heard – if you haven’t ask Carl O.
http://www.alcoholalert.com/deathclock.html
This is the death clock for total drunk driving deaths in the USA. Id love to post a death clock for cannabis but there isnt one to post. Unless you consider the deaths at the hands of crazy trigger happy cops who raid the homes of sick people to take them to jail over marijuana.
You forgot “hungover” crazy trigger happy cops. Law enforcement has a big problem with alcohol abuse among it’s ranks. Alcohol can make you pretty mean the day after a binge.
That’s why they contract with rehab centers, to get a volume discount.
Paul, I don’t see you want to defend the proposition that no one ever killed anyone due to driving a care while stoned. We don’t need to defend that ground. We don’t know that it’s true (because we don’t regularly blood-test drivers for cannabis for reasons you and I both know and endorse.) So why ask readers to accept it?
People shouldn’t drive stoned — whether or not anyone has ever been killed by a stoned driver. Let’s set that question aside and focus on what is important.
WE WANT GUY FAWKES! WE WANT GUY FAWKES!
Chuck DeVore is a hemp friendly Republican.
From the OC Reg:
Legislature should craft statewide regulations.
The California Supreme Court’s decision May 6, upholding the right of cities to ban medical marijuana dispensaries, was described by one news article as a “massive blow to the medical marijuana industry,” but it really was just a minor setback in the long battle over the proper way to provide marijuana to patients allowed to use it.
The court at least offered some clarity that might reduce the endless litigation surrounding these facilities. And it did, admirably, point to a proper solution: Adoption of sensible laws by the state Legislature. Here’s a good place for a bipartisan coalition to craft reasonable regulations that will govern dispensaries across the state. At least advocates for medical marijuana know where to place their focus.
*It’s a wrap……..no pun intended!
Done