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Californians for Compassionate Use by Carol Miller

The medical marijuana initiative which we have been discussing in this column for some time is scheduled to begin circulation in late November. The final wording, over which proponents struggled, was submitted to the Secretary of State in early October, and the petitions should be returned and ready to be printed before Thanksgiving. The initiative protects cultivation and possession of marijuana for personal medical use by patients with a doctor's approval or recommendation. Under the CCU initiative this protection would be transferable to a family member or primary care-giver of the patient. A controversial clause has been retained which also protects physicians who recommend cannabis to their patients.

Great progress has been made in the last month toward unity and organization in this movement, and the much needed growth is especially encouraging at this time. We have been writing for years about the need to democratize the internal structure of the hemp movement, which has, until now, made its decisions in a classic top down, and for the most part, male-dominated fashion. Perhaps it is the need to share the work load that has inspired the leadership to expand and network. We hope this trend will develop into the vital, statewide movement which is needed to put this Compassionate Use initiative on the ballot.

In the Bay Area, former San Francisco Supervisor Carol Ruth Silver has provided an exciting addition to the initiative leadership. She has helped organize a steering committee to guide the direction of the network, and most significantly, she has helped form a financial committee to focus on fundraising. Dale Geirringer, director of California NORML, and Scott Imler, director of the successful Santa Cruz medical marijuana proposition, have joined with Silver to coordinate the finance committee and work with proponent Dennis Peron, while separating the initiative from the San Francisco Buyers' club, an important move for the security of the initiative. Michelle Aldrich, who helped coordinate the 1972 marijuana initiative which did qualify for the ballot, is also working with the financial and steering committees. Imler has been chosen to run the office in LA, and funds for that effort are a reality.

All this is great news, and even better news is that Jack Herer, who has been circulating a separate comprehensive HEMP initiative, has listened to our requests that he put his effort aside for a short time and help gather signatures for the Compassionate Use initiative. Jack had planned to gather signatures for both campaigns simultaneously, but at a meeting in Humboldt last weekend, he conceded that he would not submit his petition if he had not gathered $125,000 by mid-January.

The Humboldt meeting was especially exciting for those of us who came from Sonoma County because we were able to address directly the need for both democratization of the movement and gender diversity in the leadership. We facilitated a consensus meeting, which provided the much needed foundation for mutual respect and created a space for really listening to each other. In the context of describing to the group how consensus process works and how consensus decisions are made, Chris Conrad offered a proposal which was a well supported statewide three-year plan that would focus on the medical initiative now; then use the network we develop to raise funds and prepare for a comprehensive hemp initiative, such as Jack's, for the 1998 election.

Chris came prepared with charts, electoral polls and enthusiasm which inspired all of us and gave us the proposal we needed to convince Jack work with consensus on the current medical initiative. It was a moving and powerful gathering of hard working marijuana activists from all over the state and beyond. We were sitting in the beautiful community center in Briceland, supported and nourished by the hemp activists of Humboldt County. The sun and other gods and goddesses shined on us and I believe important seeds were planted in the movement.

The following week in the Bay Area, four separate, exciting events revealed progress toward our goals. The San Jose Mercury News ran a three part front page series on marijuana, beginning with their own proclamation that "The War on Pot Lost, but the Battle Goes On." The series included a full page on medical marijuana, and ended with an entire front page on hemp. This series ran during the regional meeting of the National Drug Strategy Conference, held at the Fairmont in San Francisco with guest speaker Drug Czar, Lee Brown. The conference was attended by local marijuana activists who report that local outrage was expressed by treatment centers that face cutbacks under current medical de-funding. Brown insisted, however, that the thrust of the Clinton Administration's "War on Drugs" is prevention and treatment, not enforcement. In fact, CAMP funds have been seriously cut, which is good news, though we have yet to see significant reductions in drug enforcement funds.

The same evening that the Mercury concluded its three day series, Alameda County marijuana activists met to discuss their organization in support of the Compassionate Use initiative. According to Dale Geirringer, the group is also poised to establish a medical marijuana buyers' club modeled on the San Francisco club. The group will address the Oakland City Council soon with a proposal for a local Prop P. style ordinance which would protect the club and legitamize the physician recommendations needed for access.

The fourth exciting news that came this week is word that Carol Ruth Silver has moved to Healdsburg and plans to run against Frank Riggs in the first district Congressional race next year. Dan Hamburg is not planning to run, probably because he is in South Africa. We wish Carol luck and know she is with us all the way on the hemp issue.

If you want to gather signatures for the Compassionate Use initiative, please call Marcia at 829-1209 for petitions and training. To arrange for a speaker or showing of THE HEMP REVOLUTION at a house party or meeting of your organization, call Carol at 847-3642.

December 1995

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