Google Hangout: Parents Helping Parents Change Medical Cannabis Laws

Wednesday, July 30th at 8:00 p.m. eastern time, parents who helped pass medical cannabis or CBD laws are sponsoring a Google Hangout to mentor others planning legislative action in their own states next session.

The Hangout is facilitated by Shannon Moore of Maryland. "We passed our law in Maryland this past April. We worked very hard and learned a lot about successful organizing strategies.", said Moore. "I want to help our friends in other states pass laws that will help their kids. And, I want to bring medical cannabis refugees home to their loved ones. A number of us who have worked to pass state laws are going to share strategies that worked for us. Our hope is to see all kids have access who need it and to give parents the tools they need to be successful citizen lobbyists."

Featured speakers include Annette Maughan and Jennifer May of Utah, Maria La France of Iowa, Gena Dalton of Alabama, and Jill Swing of South Carolina.

For details on how to watch the Hangout visit the Facebook event page , follow the direct Google + link, or watch on YouTube.

Medical Cannabis Refugees Invite Obama To A Day In The Life

Last month the Obama Administration announced that the President will be doing a series of "A-Day-In-The-Life" visits with average Americans throughout the country. The Parents Coalition to Reschedule Medical Cannabis has begun a letter writing campaign to The President on behalf of families seeking medical cannabis treatments for sick children or adults. Those who have had to move from home states for treatment elsewhere or those living in prohibitive states and unable to move are invited to submit their stories to The Coalition in WORD format at nationalPCRMC@gmail.com.


The letters will be bundled and submitted to the White House after July 7th. The campaign is being coordinated by Kristi Baggarly, a lead Coalition organizer from Georgia.

"I found out about President Obama's tour through the White House email updates", said Baggarly. "This email caught my eye for some reason and, while I think the campaign is driven by his desire to learn more about the economic hardships of Americans, I thought that he should also hear about the struggle of families who are literally fighting for their children's lives.  This fight often leads to the financial distress that many Americans experience, and the economic downturn certainly has not helped. I realize that this may not be something that is on his radar, but I believe in the power of our team and that we can help bring some awareness to our national leaders.  We all have done what many considered the impossible at the state level, and there is no doubt in my mind that working together, we can bring this kind of change across the country!"

Annie Galloway moved her family from Vermont to Colorado so her epileptic daughter could obtain Charlotte's Web, a non-psychoactive cannabis/hemp oil high in cannabidiol, to treat her seizures. From Galloway's letter:

"I chose to leave our family, friends, my work and her Care Team to see if this treatment would offer her a better life.  She has suffered with Intractable Epilepsy for almost 5 years.  Since being here we have met a wonderful group of families who are like ours, we have joined together to support one another as we try this new life changing therapy.  I hope that you will visit our home so that you can learn more about what it is like to live with such a serious medical condition and what it is like to be trying to give my daughter a better chance at life with the controversial treatment of Cannabis.".

Thousands of American families live this reality right now. If yours is one of them The President needs to hear your story. To find out more visit The Coalition's event page from this effort here.

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Further Reading:

President Mingles in Minnesota for A Day in the Life visit - The Los Angeles Times

Editor's Note:

The Parents Coalition to Reschedule Medical Cannabis recently expanded its presence from being a southern regional group to a collection of national advocates. Our Facebook page is still listed under our former name, Southeast Coalition for Medical Cannabis Research, but that will soon change.

Parents Barrage Attorney General Holder With Postcards Urging Rescheduling of Cannabis

A national postcard mail in campaign to Attorney General Eric Holder will go live the morning of July 1st 2014. The timing is specific so the cards arrive on the same date in a flurry of pleas for the rescheduling of medical cannabis. Post Cards for a Cause is inspired and coordinated by Pennsylvania parent medical cannabis activist, Dana Nadzam Ulrich.

"Postcards are the easiest and cheapest way to get our message to those who can make this change.", said Ulrich. "That being said, postcards will also allow your messages to be seen all along their route to their destinations. Many hands and eyes will fall upon your cards as they travel from all corners of the country."

And spread the message they will. Post cards depict sick children sharing the message of their unnecessary suffering. Many parents have ordered hundreds, even thousands to pass out to friends and relatives for the mass mailing. Even if it is too late for you to order yours from Vista Print you could still print a picture of yourself or your child, or a ribbon from your condition on card stock and pass them out to family and friends to be mailed on the first. Here is a small sample of some of the cards going out Tuesday. To see a more visit Post Cards for a Cause.

In Memory of Sabina Rose.





Who could deny this epileptic baby his right to this treatment?




Or this epileptic angel?




Who would deny this beautiful young woman her best
chance to live?



Or this sweet girl.





Who would deny this boy a world less assaulting to his senses?





Who wouldn't do everything possible to protect her access?






Or do everything in his power to save these children?





Who wouldn't bend over backwards and sideways to give him a
better quality of life?

 

She deserves better.
















And, so does she.






What is their quality of life?





Our his?


What would you do Mr. Holder, Mrs. Burwell, President Obama if these were your children?

Special Needs Parents Group Urges HHS Secretary Burwell to Reschedule Cannabis

Parents Coalition to Reschedule Medical Cannabis has begun a letter writing campaign urging the new Health and Human Services Secretary, Sylvia Burwell, to reschedule medical cannabis. Mrs. Burwell was sworn into office on June 9th to replace outgoing Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The effort is being spearheaded by Jill Swing of South Carolina, a lead Coalition organizer. She decided to take this on after reading the federal Controlled Substances Act and learning that the HHS Secretary has the power to recommend rescheduling any drug on the list.

"Sub-chapter I-Control and Enforcement, Part B Section 811:.Rules of the Attorney  General under this subsection may be initiated by the Attorney General (1) on his own    motion, (2) at the request of the Health and Human Services Secretary or (3) by petition of any interested party." 

"Up until that point all the focus was on the Attorney General concerning rescheduling, but now I learned there was another person who could make that happen.", said Swing. "What I hope to accomplish is that by sharing our stories, we will reach her on a personal level (she has two young children) and encourage her to request that Attorney General Eric Holder reschedule. Also, under her Agency there is something called the 'Guidance to Procedures for the Provision of Marijuana for Medical Research' which is an additional review for any non NIH-funded protocols. Marijuana in the ONLY Schedule I substance that has to undergo such scrutiny in order to allow research to be done. So, in addition to asking her to reschedule, we will be asking her do away with this policy, to make marijuana more accessible for research."


The Parents Coalition to Reschedule Medical Cannabis invites anyone who wants to write a letter to join this campaign. Interested persons can join the Facebook event Letter to Secretary of HHS, Sylvia Matthews Burwell. The page includes the Secretary's address for the header and more details about the campaign. Send a one page letter in WORD format detailing yours or your child's struggle and how medical cannabis has or might help to Jill by July 6th at hope4kidssc@gmail.com. Pictures welcome. All letters will be bundled together and sent on July 7th. The Coalition also invites state legislators who have passed medical cannabis laws to write letters detailing the barriers Schedule I status for cannabis creates to patient access in their states.


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