Butte County: NO on Measure A. Are you registered?Posted by Mickey Martin on May 17th, 2012

If you are a registered voter who likes cannabis you need to make sure you get out to vote NO ON MEASURE A on June 5th. Do not miss this one. Your grow depends on it.

The County will vote on a draconian ordinance that severely limits a patient’s ability to grow their own cannabis, and gives Butte Sheriffs the right to run amuck this growing season. It is bad news for EVERYONE. You have GOT to get to the polls and cast your vote for cannabis freedom this June 5th. Do your civic duty to protect the rights of patients and providers in Butte. If you are not registered, get registered. If you are registered, GO VOTE. If you live out of town, but are registered in Butte GO BACK AND VOTE. This WILL be a close election and your neighbors are depending on you to get out and make a difference. Even if you do not normally vote, this time we need you.  Make it happen, Butte.

Here is a good opinion piece from Chico News and Review:

Source: http://www.newsreview.com/chico/measure-as-a-downer/content?oid=6023935

Measure A’s a downer

A good example of why we must quit taking people to jail for weed….Posted by Mickey Martin on May 16th, 2012

Here is a great piece by They Young Turks that shows how disgusting prison for profit has become in this country. In Louisiana they imprison 3x as many people as Iran. Hello?! This is a HUGE fucking problem. Quit taking poor people to jail for weed. This bullshit must stop now!

Sac County ban already targeting patient growers…Please help.Posted by Mickey Martin on May 16th, 2012

What we are fighting for…Please Help!

Dear friends of medical cannabis,

Below is an email we received from a local patient named Shannon who has had her garden threatened due to the medical cannabis ban put in place by the Sac County Board of Supervisors. It represents one of many incidents that we have recently heard about as we enter the growing season.

The Patients Access to Regulated Medical Cannabis Act of 2012 removes this ban and returns a patient’s right to cultivate, as well as establishing over 20 new dispensaries n the county.

I live in Sacramento County and just planted a week ago.. The Sheriff just left and told me I had to dig it all up in 24hrs. Is this true? I’ve been a farmer for years and never had this problem, although I just moved to this house. Can you please tell me if this is true? I honestly believe my neighbor called.

Is NORML broke? Or just broken?Posted by Mickey Martin on May 15th, 2012

I was disappointed to hear Radical Russ Belville tell the tale of how NORML Network, which he produced, would be shut down because of lack of funding…even though they had raised their own funding. WTF? For a group dedicated to being an “informational resource” it begs to wonder why they would shut down a program that gets up to 5,000 downloads a day and which produced 13 hours of original cannabis content every week. In this day and age, it would seem that a project like the NORML network would be a natural evolution in providing cannabis education and information to the masses. Russ did a hell of a job, along with the other content creators there, to make entertaining and informative programming week after week. So what is the deal?

Here is what Russ says is the reason for shutting down the network:

We don’t have any money. There is no money at NORML. We don’t have enough to justify covering the expenses it takes to produce this network.

Russ goes on to tell about how National NORML pulled the plug after the network raised $5-6k to cover its own expenses and how they say they “just do not have it in the budget to earmark funding for any specific projects.” In the video below you can hear Russ tell the tale in his own words, and you can tell he is extremely pissed. I do not blame him, either.

Russ alludes to the real issue, which is the new Chairman of the Board, Paul Kuhn, does not see any real value in the network, and does not care for Russ being so “Radical.” He goes on to even state the jackass wants to “rechristen him Reasonable Russ.” Russ lets go a little and can be heard almost cringing as he talks about his “vision being too big” and how he “cannot have any of the money we raised.” I agree. Russ has all very valid points and has every right to be disgusted. Join the club.

National NORML is a joke at this point. I am not sure why they continue the charade and act as if they are actually accomplishing anything of value over there. On the reals, the NORML network was really the ONLY thing NORML had been doing that I saw to be of any value. Lord knows they are not organizing the community to make real impacts on policy. They are not winning the PR battle, with assholes like St. Pierre wandering around and damning the entire medical cannabis industry as evil profit-makers who are only about money. NORML has not made real and meaningful impacts to cannabis reform since the 70′s in my book….at least at the national level. Many of their local affiliates do most of the heavy lifting, while National NORML stands back and takes the credit.

I posed a challenge to Paul Kuhn the last time I mentioned the void of leadership at NORML during the WeedMaps debacle when he responded to a piece I wrote called Weedmaps Takes Over NORML. After Paul was kind enough to tell me my writing was not journalism, I challenged back that NORML was not really activism or reform, and begged him to show me a list of accomplishments for the last 40 years. I mean if you are running a policy reform group with almost a million dollar budget for 40 years, you should at least have 40 good accomplishments if you did one lousy thing a year….I responded:

So how exactly is it that you guys are “the major role players” in cannabis reform since 1995? I just do not see it. And after Keith ratted off Peter Bourne and blew any influence the organization had in National politics in the 70′s, the organization has done very little…..but you know that. I will be waiting for those accomplishments….

For the record, National NORML never responded with a list of accomplishments. Why? Because they have very little to show for the money they have gotten over the years. I hope Russ is right. I hope NORML doesn’t have any money. I hope whoever was funding that debacle took a step back and said “What the fuck are these losers doing with my cash?” 40 years of failure is not a great track record. No matter how much people like the NORML conference every year, at some point we have to realize as a community that these guys will not be taking us to the promised land.

Here was Kuhn’s bullshit defense of NORML then:

When I became active in NORML in 1971, support for legalization stood at 12%.  Now it stands at 50%.  I take pride knowing NORML played a major role, perhaps the major role, bringing this change about.  If it wasn’t NORML,  who was it?  NORML and the board have faithfully (not always perfectly, but faithfully) represented the interests of marijuana consumers for four decades.

Um….no asshole. Standing around the water cooler does not count as an accomplishment….Here was my response then, which I stand by today:

As for NORML’s history of reform, and your “if not them who?” remark…I will go with Jimmy Carter and Dennis Peron….If you notice the timeline you guys are touting as your work (link below) there was a small spike in 1976; and from 1977 to 1994 we actually LOST ground. This was when NORML was in control of the entire message and was the primary resource of cannabis reform policy and operations. In 1994-95 the number began to steadily rise and most of the real progress has been seen since Dennis began to widely publicize the medical cannabis issue then and Prop 215 was passed in 1996. Going from 12% to 24% over 25 years is no great feet. I would almost bet that had NORML done NOTHING from 1969-1994 simple attrition of an older generation would have seen the same increase in support.

I also think MPP was created around 1995 as well, and then the Gallup chart really jumps on 2004 after ASA was created….. Coincidence? Hardly.

I will be waiting for that list of accomplishments and simply pointing to a 40 year Gallup poll number is not an accomplishment by any stretch of the imagination. I will say your conference is normally informative and resourceful….and also kind of like Groundhog’s Day….Maybe after another 40 years we will actually have some serious reform to brag about….

I have given NORML plenty of breaks and nobody ever said you had done nothing. I just do not recall any major accomplishments in the actual reforming of laws…..That is not being mean. That is me asking for a list of NORML accomplishments for the last 40 years that have resulted in less arrests for cannabis consumers. I do not think that is too much to ask.

My thoughts on Washington State’s I-502…Posted by Mickey Martin on May 14th, 2012

So there is a lot of drama in Washington State right now about I-502, an initiative that will go before the voters in November to legalize up to an ounce and set up a distribution system like statewide liquor stores. I have taken a step back from this battle because I am somewhat torn. I have allies on both sides of the fence, and the big point of contention is the creation of a 5 nanogram per milliliter standard for DUI, and a zero tolerance limit for anyone under 21.

Let me start by saying that whoever wrote this DUI provision into an initiative that is supposedly “pro-cannabis” needs to be bitchslapped…..and hard. Why our community would put forth such a dumb idea is beyond me. Why we continue to do the drug warriors work for them is a question I will never be able to answer. One of the main proponents and people defending the 5ng limit is Seattle activist, Dominic Holden. In a piece in the New York Times entitled “Smokeless in Seattle” (very clever), Holden writes, “I haven’t found a single scientific study showing that even the heaviest of pot users would exceed the five-nanogram [DUI] cutoff after 24 hours.” SO? The last time I went 24-hours without smoking weed was when I was 13, I think. I am not going to wait 24-hours to drive my car…..that would be ridiculous. I would rather not be miserable than drive if that is the case….and to add the zero tolerance for those under 21 is simply cruel and unusual. It is hard for me to stomach that people supposedly on our side would think this was a good idea in any way whatsoever.

Their explanation for this is that Prop. 19 was opposed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving because it “failed to provide the Highway Patrol with any tests or objective standards for determining what constitutes “driving under the influence.” Yes…I am sure if Prop. 19 had a 5ng per ml DUI limit Mothers Against Drunk Driving would have surely supported it. I mean, I can see it now….”MADD supports Prop. 19″…are you kidding me? What a funny argument to make. I am sure had Prop. 19 had this provision MADD’s statement would have read that “because there is no scientific evidence stating this is an actual limit of impairment we believe it is bullshit,” or something to that effect. I think using an opposition groups backwards thinking as justification for this provision is somewhat disgusting. I think the claims made that during Prop. 19 “undecided voters had been swayed by MADD’s statements” is disingenuous at best. Furthermore, I think they lost their mind if they think that these same groups will not come out to oppose I-502, simply because it has an unjust and arbitrary limit placed on it…anyone want to take bets on that?

I think the I-502 DUI provision is utter bullshit. I think not being able to grow a few plants is also bullshit. It is a lot to give up just to keep an ounce on your person (as long as you are not in a car and have smoked in 24-hours).

But to the bottom line…if I lived in Washington State would I vote for it? Probably. Why? Because to me personally the message is bigger than the details. If I-502 fails, the headline is not going to read “I-502 was rejected because stoners do not like the DUI provision.” It will read “Washington Rejects Weed.” That is a huge negative for the cannabis community. That message will ring throughout the nation for years to come. It would be nice to see the headline “Washington Legalizes Weed,” and then amass an army of lawyers to begin challenging the new stupid DUI provision. I would even go a step further and begin a huge legal fund for anyone charged with a DUI under this new draconian bullshit, and let law enforcement know clearly that the best attorneys in the state are ready to take them to task any, and every, time they charge a person under this law. Put them on notice that they better have their ducks in a row before trying to implement these bullshit standards for impairment. Put any cop who uses this new law on the stand EVERY TIME and make them explain the impairment in detail. Challenge them at every step of the game. Make sure cops know that if they want to use this law against people that they will have a lot of work to do, and that they will be appearing in court. Cops are lazy. They will begin to realize it is not worth it….at least I would hope.

But I can assure you I would not be out vigorously defending and promoting the initiative like I did for Prop. 19. I just could not bring myself to do it. I am neutral on the initiative at this point, and would likely stand back and let the democratic process work. I could not in good conscious promote this thing, and I certainly could not sell out all of my morals and values to drink the kool-aid, like Holden has. Some of his justification is beyond reality and can ONLY be driven by his allegiance to the folks putting this on. He is a paid shill in my opinion; and if he is not then that is even sadder. That is the only explanation I have for a person who has supposedly fought for cannabis freedom for years coming out and stating this was a good idea. It is disappointing to see someone basically turn the corner and begin using the opposition’s talking points to defend his support of this issue. Do us a favor, Dominic….just state that the 5ng per ml provision SUCKS ASS, but that you think it should still pass. Quit trying to convince us all that the drug warriors are right and that we must appease groups like MADD if we want to win an election. It is just not true. A DUI provision, the same as is in place for pharmaceutical drugs, could have been put in…or the limit could have been set higher. There are a number of other solutions that could have been put forth that would have appeased these same groups (if you really believe that is a possibility). Quit defending the stupid. It is tiring. The DUI provision WILL NOT “help get it passed.” That is just bullshit.

Will I-502 pass? Maybe. Maybe not. It is sad that there was not a better effort to write a good initiative that would meet the needs of the community, while still assuring people of real public safety. Not some manufactured level of safety…but consistent with what our society already does to combat drug impairment. While I do hope it passes just for bigger picture reasons, I do think the folks who wrote it should be taken off the old Christmas card list. With friends like that….

Saying what we want and meaning it….Posted by Mickey Martin on May 13th, 2012

I am glad to see a conversation being had about our collective, and/or unified voice. It is an important part of this movement either getting it together, or not IMO.

I think the message is clear…”Quit taking people to jail for weed.” We can continue to try and argue for 600 ft. radius or 1000 ft. radius issues until we are blue in the face. We can continue to push our wellness message…or our right to medicate. We can argue til all night about what is a collective and what is not. We can continue to make our message about why we are all very ill and in need of our medicine, and why cannabis is a great medicine.

But as we begin to lobby people and make our move in the offices of lawmakers and officials, just remember, every moment we spend talking about something other than the fact that we need to quit taking people to jail for weed, we suffer opportunity cost. We need to begin saying what we really want when we have the opportunity and when we have the ear of those in power. In my opinion, legalizing cannabis for adult use is less controversial than medical cannabis right now.

In case we have not noticed, every news article and every public comment about medical marijuana is jaded with some tone about how the industry is illegitimate and a front for adult social use. I am tired of arguing that point. The more I have to spend time justifying why the medical industry is not a sham, the less time I am arguing the fact that we lock up 25% of the world’s prison population, but only have 5% of the real population because we lock up poor people for weed every day. 

So as we begin to develop a cohesive message, understand that our voice is powerful and if we are going to make a concerted effort to use it more effectively, we should consider saying what we mean and really meaning it. Otherwise we will waste another four decades fighting their battles for them….

That is just my imperfect opinion. I am interested to hear others opinions on what our clear and concise message should be?

A dedication to my mom, Kimberly MillerPosted by Mickey Martin on May 13th, 2012

We all share the common thread of mothers. Everyone was brought into the world by a woman who cared for us through our initial development and labored in pain so that we may have life. This relationship is one of creation and true love. There is no stronger bond on the planet than that between a mother and her child. No one person will ever have more of an influence or the ability to give one life. We often let the struggles of life interfere with our ability to truly see the sacrifice and care our mother’s gave to bring us into the world.

On this Mother’s Day weekend I would like to share a little about the wonderful mother I have been blessed with. My mother, Kimberly Miller, is one of the strongest and most intelligent people to ever have graced planet earth with her presence. While her life was full of hurdles and mountains to climb, she dedicated her life to making sure my sister and I were always well cared for and had everything we needed. Her tireless effort of raising us as a single mom is a testament to her dedication and love as a mother. Anyone who knows me personally probably can understand that I was not an easy kid to deal with. I constantly pushed the boundaries and never took “no” for an answer- never. Looking back, it must have been one of the greatest challenges ever faced by a mother, as I was an extremely emotional and trying youngster.

But my mom rose to the challenge and did her best to try and understand and cope with the rough waters of my adolescence. She maintained a successful career and ensured we lived in a great area with good schools and always had nice clothes and the latest and greatest things. As I raise my two sons with a strong wife to help me and still sometimes come up short, I now clearly understand the incredible feat my mother achieved so that we may have the opportunity to be a success. To make a long story short, I took the road less traveled and ended up in a world of trouble in my teenage years. Never once did my mother stop trying to help me figure life out and her love was always there, even in my roughest days to comfort me. I was just a kid that was going to figure it out on his own regardless and she was wise enough to eventually step back and let me do that.

While I am far from perfect, I think I have grown into a powerful, capable and interesting person. I can only credit my mom with a lot of my characters, as she taught me how to be a strong, confident and caring human that loves immensely, but takes little crap. Her ability to succeed and her ability to make people understand the world through her eyes is a major part of the ambition, drive, and communication skill I possess everyday. Whether I recognize it or not, there are times in everyday when I do something that I know to be reflective of my mother and her influence on my growing up.

My mom is also an extremely outspoken and dedicated cannabis activist. She stood by me when the Federal government raided my homes and business and put her house up to ensure my freedom. I can never thank her enough, as I can only imagine how the situation may have turned had she not been there for me. She stood at the front of the Federal building on the day I surrendered to authorities and blasted the Federal Government for their actions at my press conference. She never once questioned my actions or why I had chosen the field I was in, or its legality. She understood I had committed my life and my work to this cause and she backed my play 100%. She studied medical cannabis and has become a wonderful advocate for the cause and has become friends with many other activists in this movement for freedom and justice. I could not be prouder.

We never know how much time the Universe will give us with the wonderful women who have given us life, so I would just like to take this moment to say “I love you, mom.” You have given me the courage and the confidence to fight through anything and be a strong voice for what is right and just. While I wish I could have been an easier kid to deal with, I think we all know that was not an option in this crazy life. I cannot express the honor I have for having a mother who literally put her life on the line so that I could make it. I thank you and hope you have the most wonderful Mother’s Day ever.

Rep Jerrold Nadler NAILS IT on the House Floor. Calls DEA “Wrong and Humane”Posted by Mickey Martin on May 11th, 2012

Excellent. Could not have said it better myself.

The blind will always lead the stupid right to the slaughterhouse.Posted by Mickey Martin on May 11th, 2012

Torn and twisted. That is the only way I can explain where we are at in the cannabis reform movement. There is no other way to explain it. But how did we get here?

Most of the rank and file in this movement have no idea what happens in the back rooms of the cannabis reform movement. That is mostly the problem. What we have is a group of people charged with leadership roles who simply are not qualified to lead a third grade band camp recital. But because we feel trapped by these groups and believe that rebuilding the movement as one that actually works is just too difficult, we continue to see absolute failures. I am not really sure why we continually pour our hard earned money down the drain of failure, as the same groups throw the same parties and events year after year, and have very little to show for it.

We are better than our leadership has given us credit for. Instead of having a powerful voice in the fabric of society, we continue to see us led down the path of concession and collusion. Why? Because we have no clear goals, message, leaders, or demands. The reality is that we have entrusted our “movement” (and I still use that term loosely) to a fraternity of people who are more interested in personal victories and patting themselves on the back that they are with really making weed legal. I would go as far as saying some are actually working at this very moment on making weed MORE illegal, rather than more free.

Don’t believe me? Look around you. While other movements and groups of like-minded folks demand what they WANT and work tirelessly to get themselves there, our movement seems to work for what we think they will give us. We double down on the medical marijuana game because we still believe that we can convince the masses that everyone is so ill and that cannabis cures damn near everything. But then, when Uncle Sam comes and starts calling bullshit and attacking the medical movement for not being medical enough, instead of saying “adults should be able to use cannabis as they please,” we double down with efforts to more strictly regulate and control this very medical epidemic. WTF?

Meanwhile, the mainstream is passing up our movement and calling for real reform for adult use. Jimmy Kimmel, Richard Branson, Ron Paul, and dozens of others continue to keep the message in the mainstream. Even Pat Robertson is in on it. I mean, why is it that Pat Robertson of 700 Club fame, a person who claims hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans because of abortion, is more forward thinking on cannabis reform than a group like Americans for Safe Access?

ASA’s position is “The legalization of cannabis for recreational use is a separate issue from safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use.”

Pat Robertson’s position is “I really believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat beverage alcohol,” Robertson told the newspaper. “If people can go into a liquor store and buy a bottle of alcohol and drink it at home legally, then why do we say that the use of this other substance is somehow criminal?”

It is sad when a group who has made innumerable amounts of money from, and whose movement is made up of a lot of people who may not be considered seriously ill by normal medical standards, cannot make a statement in support of legalizing cannabis. It boggles my mind. What part of understanding that patients will never truly be safe to use cannabis until it is truly legalized, do these cats not get? Instead, they take the back door, “We are  not with those guys” approach. It is one thing to “not oppose legalization,” which is ASA’s current postion; it is another thing to grow a sack of nuts and SUPPORT adult use of cannabis for medical, social, spiritual and enhancing purposes. Continuing to act like you are fighting a “separate” battle, and that somehow because you claim everyone who smokes weed is sick that you have this moral high ground, is just stupid…and really bad strategy IMO.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The longer ASA turns its back on adult use, the longer we will be backpedalling and giving up our rights. If we are not advancing the cause then what ever are we doing? If our current goal is to support the efforts to place more restrictions on the industry in hopes that we will be further protected from the Feds then we are playing their game on their terms. I am not saying there is not a need for regulations, but I often wonder why we would choose to put all of our money and resources on an effort that decreases cannabis freedom. And I am not saying it is just ASA either…other reform groups now also seem more focused on expanding medical regulation than establishing real cannabis freedom.

At the big ASA Unity Conference coming up, they are asking people to come and learn how to lobby their lawmakers on medical cannabis issue. I think that is great. But do me a favor…when you are doing that lobbying and going from legislator office to legislator office, try to think about the bigger picture. Maybe the message should be this:

“While passing clear regulations for medical cannabis here in California is important, let us not forget that our nation locks up 25% of the world’s prison population but only have 5% of the actual population because we take poor kids to jail for weed every day. Please support AB 2312, but please also work to find a more reasonable solution to marijuana policy than locking up my friends and neighbors at alarming rates.”

Now there is a fucking message that is based in reality. It is fine if we want to march around the capital and pretend that all use is medical and that everyone is really a patient; but do not be surprised when half of these cats roll their eyes at you and say, “When are you people gonna quit bullshitting yourselves?”

That is a pretty valid fucking question from where I am sitting. When are we going to quit bullshitting ourselves? When are we going to wake up and realize we continue to refight the same old battles because we have failed to advance down the battlefield? I just do not get it. When is the last time our group came together to discuss how to make weed legal period, rather than how to expand our medical market further? I mean, I get that there is a great need for us to support the medical use of cannabis as it is VERY important for patients in real need; but when the fuck did that become the only battle we were fighting?

God Bless Richard Lee for having a sack of nuts and working for real cannabis freedom. I think in 2010 his effort to pass Prop. 19 was a paradigm shift in our movement from where we have been to where we needed to go. His effort has transformed the national dialogue and has sparked efforts in Colorado and Washington to advance the cause of freedom (we will get into the CO and WA thing soon).

Unfortunately, I just do not see that commitment and passion for true cannabis freedom at the highest ranks of this movement right now. What I see is a bunch of people hedging their bets and hoping not to get their head completely chopped off. I am worried by the lack of courage I see in the movement right now, and the effort happening to silence folks who question the direction of the few. Have we become so engrained in a false prophet that we have come to quit thinking for ourselves, or demanding what we really want?

I am sorry…I love medical marijuana. I think patients are a great example of how fucked up prohibition really is; but they are not the ONLY example. The real injustices lies in the larger battle…the private prisons- the drug testing- the invasion of your privacy for smelling weed- the locking up of poor people- the law enforcement budgets- the big business lobbying that has bought our government. That is where the REAL battle is. Medical cannabis is a small percentage of the real issue with cannabis prohibition. We are simply spending too many of our resources fighting a very small battle that becomes more limiting daily just because we have experienced some victories there. Why the world we are working to “reschedule” instead of “deschedule” cannabis is beyond me. If our goal is to get our weed from Walgreen’s then we are on the right path. If our goal is to be able to use weed for whatever we want whenever we want, then I believe it is time to change focus.

I am not sure what the answer is. I do know that there is a vacuum of real leadership and an entire society of fumbledicking happening in this community right now. I can tell you that the bottom line is, and always will be, the money. So before you give your hard earned money to folks who you believe have your best interest in mind, step back, take a deep breath, and ask yourself…”Are these folks truly fighting for the type of cannabis freedom I think is needed? Are they more progressive than Pat Robertson?” If the answer is, “Not really” then stick the money in your pocket and save it for a group that does aspire to bigger and better things.

We can no longer afford to waste time, energy, and resources fighting yesterday’s battle. We must begin to move on. Do not be blind…or stupid. Avoid the slaughterhouse with every ounce of your being. Do your homework and make sure we all know what we are really fighting for….Selah.