I Thought I Saw An Elephant Fly

I Thought I Saw An Elephant Fly, a photo by ♀ Winged One ♀(off flying somewhere) on Flickr.

I have always felt closest to this animal. I have always felt it's spirit. Tonight I think I understand why. I think I identify with them. My inner thought is that I always remember. Even when I want to forget, I remember. The act of letting go of a memory is terrifying, even if it would serve me to let it go. As I build memories, I store them, the ones that I shed tears within, to protect me from shedding tears again. Tonight for some reason I decided that even if I shed those tears, sometimes some today's are worth the tears. I wonder though, at what point I hold them and say those were significant enough to run away.... I am tired of running away.. I am tired of walking to the fire in fear of being engulfed when instead I can dance with the fire and not get burned. There are parts of me that will not allow me to not remember, I have that ingrained within my soul, I need to learn to just walk through it, instead of altering my path to avoid it. If I keep my head in the clouds, the universe becomes my daily mirror... it is time to let go of me.

We all need our Heroes

       Last week hit me like a freight train on a one way track to hell. Got treatment, hemorrhage through to my chest, got sent to Oncology. I am now in stage 3 of A.L.L. Talk about not wanting to face reality. Not ready to be this deep again, not sure I can swim out again...
       I have been a medical cannabis patient for many years now.  I have always used it for help with eating, since chemo ruined my tummy. I have used it for pain, since my spine was broken in 2004. I have heard that it will cure cancer, now is my only chance. There is so much out there, and so many places to choose... but where is the cure? How do I find it?
      Enter Cat Jeter. Cat is a wonderful activist and healer.

     She took my diagnosis and went to work, and yesterday met up with me. She brought me some oil to eat, and taught me how to dose it. I am very sensitive to medicines, cannabis being no different, so we have to start me on infant doses.  She educated me on how I can heal my body, and then got in her car and flew off into the sunset.

     Wish me luck, I only get one shot at this now. I have walked completely away from American medicine. We must find the cure, not pretend it does not exist. My life is better because Cat Jeter made the choice to find the cure in a plant that could have sent her to prison.

...

Damn him for pulling the plug
I was totally content being silent and just shrug
Totally happy letting visuals guide my muse.
Then he walked in and magically exposed the ruse.
No more letting him in side my head
It is one hour past midnight and I need my bed
But now the voices will not silent, it is like the party place
It's me against a ticking time bomb and I never lose a race.
If he would just give me back the key that must have slipped my hand...
I can going on trying to be someone other than I am.

tlc

...

I want that one great love affair before I die...
I want that summer kiss on the beach
I want the butterflies to still be there in the winter chill
I want the one thing that eludes me, a touch that is real.

I guess I want a little too much
So instead of wanting, I shall count what I have
Blessings, challenges and everything in between.
Life is fuller when you have less things.

Puppies playing and kittens pouting,
Children laughing, and activists shouting
Sunrises and moon dreams
Flowers bursting at their seams.

Bugs proving alien life forms
Evolution rewriting the norm.
Women stronger, men are allowed to feel
Fighting against inhumanity, keeping it real.

Dancing by myself, as the last daily thing I do.
Don't look at me like I am crazy, don't you do it too?
Maybe tonight I will go for a ride
Drive til the stars fill the emptiness inside.


tlc
1.26.2014

pfft

What do you do when they tell you you're dying?
You try to run away from your own skin...
You try to shove in as much living,
Because you know you won't do it again.

You hide the truth behind a smile
Because you are tired of all the tears.
You stay up endless nights in solitude,
Listening to your own unspoken fears...

You grasp at all that is happy
You latch onto all that is true
Yes when they tell you that you are dying
You kinda change your view.

You give
and don't worry about return
You become an adventurer
There is so much you want to learn.

When they tell you all hope is gone
Tears escape a stolen breath
The doorway to your dreams are just opening up
And in walks Dear ol' Death

I want to run and hide
Scream and rage
Give up and give in
My soul locked in this human cage.

I smile and walk out to face my life
Pretend I am talented and that I know how to fly
Try to be someone other than me
Kiss the moon, like it is my last goodbye.

tlc 1.26.2014

Stephanie Bishop

        "I think that what cannabis prohibition represents on a social level is a rift in society that is created by a lack of acceptance. This Reefer Madness Campaign happened and everyone was taught to habitually consider someone a criminal for their personal use of any drugs, especially their personal use of marijuana. 

         As we come out of prohibition, which is profoundly happening on a universal level, we are repairing that rift in society by showing that cannabis can be returned to a place of complete social acceptance.

     We want to give it to our children as cough medicine like we did in 1923. That all of the products in our home are made from industrial hemp products instead of petroleum  based toxic products.We want to teach our children to know a world that has cannabis all within it."  

Stephanie Bishop 

My Notes That I took to Olympia to Lobby for my Rights

Regarding the Recommendation by the LCB

Regarding Recommendation #3 – Regulations regarding health care professionals …
Bullet point 3 - Keep “solely” for healthcare professionals and require training for those wishing to be “primarily.” Professionals with cannabinoid experience should be allowed to specialize.
Bullet point 7 – The ability to add conditions through due process should be kept. A process should exist to examine science as it becomes available in a regulated and appropriate manner.
Regarding Recommendation #4 – Collective Gardens
Collective Gardens should, in the near term, be allowed to survive issue. Patient access is unlikely to be provided for in the 502 system, at least at first. In our opinion, cannabis production under 502 will take more than a year to even begin to satisfy the needs of the legal market. Collective gardens have served the needs of the medical patient since before they were codified. 
Implement the 502 system and see how it works. If we end up with a system that looks likely to serve patient with appropriate products, a reliable supply and prices to the patient that are reasonable for medicine, we can begin a conversation about transitioning to a 502 model. 
Regarding Recommendation #5 – Possession amounts
Bullet point 1 – Possession amounts should be kept as they are currently. Patients need to hold larger amounts especially collectively. As supply actually materializes (that is reliable) and serves the needs of patients with reasonable prices we can revisit this issue.
Bullet point 3 – Patients should have the ability to grow a reasonable supply. If a 502 system emerges with reliable supply, appropriate medicine and reasonable prices emerge then we can revisit the issue.
Bullet point 4 – The ability for qualified patients to act as a compassionate caregiver to another patient should be kept. Not all patients possess the ability to grow for themselves and it is not appropriate at this time to tell patients that they will be served by a model that does not exist.
Bullet point 5 – Please provide specificity on cannabinoids to be tested. We suggest THC, THCA and CBD
Bullet point 7 – Affirmative defense should be kept.

I CHALLENGE YOU

Find Common Ground

      We need to find where we agree instead of yelling about what we do not. I cherish those that oppose me, for there are parts of me that also oppose what I think sometimes. I do not need to halt my learning process by thinking I know enough, I can never know enough. 

     We need to lay down the "I'm right" ego, and willingly play the "I'm wrong" side. I heard a saying recently that I agree with, "We need to learn to swim with the current, not against it." Sometimes I think my way is right, even though everyone else seems to be on a different page. I need to look at their page, and try to get on it if I hope to move forward towards our common goals. Ultimately I would rather be effective, than be stuck back in the rough rapids of being the one that is "right".

    I dare you to love. I dare the Sarich's and the McPeak's to meet and have coffee. I dare the 420leaks and the activists on the bill committees to have table talks so that we can all provide the best road to which we must all travel. I dare you try to to become united, not just in appearances but also in heart. 

     Ask yourself, where were we 5 years ago. We were united. Why are we not united now? Ego. If you are pointing the finger at someone, regardless of what they are doing, you must also point it at yourself.
     We are all the same, and we are all in this together. I challenge you, for the sake of the patients, get it together, find common ground, title that playground, One Love. 

Let's Talk about Law

Senate Bill 5887

Senate Bill 5887 in full

Staff Summary of Public Testimony on Proposed Substitute as Heard in Committee

(Health Care): PRO: This bill is not an attack on medical marijuana. This bill will allow 

me to grow enough to treat my son. Many people will not be able to afford marijuana from a dispensary and are also concerned that they will not be able to find the products they need in an I-502 store. The alignment of the recreational and the medical systems that include mechanisms for patient access is supported. The approaches that share revenue with local governments is also good; it is imperative that local governments be provided resources to help implement these systems. The federal government will be watching closely, so the state and the local governments will need to develop a partnership to ensure regulation of these markets is successful. The Legislature must get this right this year and there is no more time for delay. The I-502 system is not ready to incorporate the medical system. We need a transition period for collective gardens. We support appropriated regulation that provides a practical approach and appropriate methodology in regulating the medical system. I-502 stores will underserve the recreational users and we are concerned about levels of care for the medical patients. The 1000-foot buffer rule needs to be amended to be similar to the approach provided for in SB 6178. The bill does not provide standards for medical standards. Standards have been put together for the state to ensure safety of the products used by medical patients. There is concern about the lack of regulation relating to patient safety and addressing quality control; we would like a voluntary board to set out real standards for patient protection. Regulation is necessary. Both bills adopt many of LCB's final recommendations. This bill provides better clarity and a balanced approach to the divergent needs of patients, providers, and law enforcement and addresses the enforcement priorities of the DOJ memorandum. 

CON: The federal reasons for these bills do not add up; the federal government does not make a distinction between medical and recreational marijuana. I-502 was not written to work. These bills keep the shortcomings in I-502 in place. The tax structure should be modified to allow for profitability. Physicians are punished by these proposals. Decisions must be based on public process and stakeholder involvement which has not happened here. These bills are products of a secret workgroup and this is not what the public voted for in passing I-502. These bills will cost jobs and create a minor economic disaster in those cities 

with dispensaries that will be eliminated. It is appropriate to wait until next session and move forward with input from stakeholders. The Pharmacy Board says that marijuana is an herbal medicine and we already have an exemption for medical cannabis determined by the Board. If you want to get rid of recommendation mills, you can do it with two sentences. You do not need to interfere with relationships between patients and doctors. People will die if they cannot get their medicine. The bills do not address the issues of patients who need more medicine from plants and who do not have the funds to spend on medicine. These bills are taking patients' vested constitutional and civil rights. These bills are not patient friendly and go against the intent of I-692 and I-502. There is no need for a registry when possession of small amounts of marijuana is permitted. LCB is not equipped to address medical marijuana.

OTHER: We want to make sure that patients have safe, reliable, and affordable access to products that will actually help them. The recreational system is being created and the medical system is being squeezed into the recreational system without considering the needs of medical patients. We are concerned that the medical interests of patients will be overrun. We believe that a deregulated medical system will not be able to stand side by side with a recreational system and we want to provide assistance in developing this legislation. My doctor should be the one to decide how much cannabis I need to use. I need to keep my home grow because I will not be able to purchase it in the store.

It is important to have education in what is happening in Olympia. Remember when we all voted against 502? We did it because even though it was a bill to proceed the end of prohibition, we knew it did not cut it. This bill is just like that. We need rules and structure. We need to do it without affecting what is already in place. This bill looks to completely change what is in place and put it into the model that we do not even know is going to work on a rec level much less provide for the patients what they really need. I support rules and regulation but at this time I am going to have to contact every single one in pro and beg them to not settle at my expense. I have leukemia, I do not have a grower. I can not be exposed to others that have colds and viruses. To demand that I go into a retail store and purchase in the same space partiers go, who do not care if they have the sniffles is to further endanger my life. To agree to sign anything that gets rid of my safe, healthy access is to sell me out I fear.

Please Contact the Committee Members and tell them to vote against this bill

Committee Members

Magical Butter Studios Supports The Seahawks and Marijuana Legalization

Magical Butter Studios is a new private facility in the SODO district of Seattle. They are proud to host venues within the Canna Community and raise awareness and education to all the wonderful uses of Hemp and Cannabis in today's emerging market. Cannabis is safer than alcohol. Check out their wonderful product at WWW.MagicalButter.com

Namaste

Dear Universe, Thank you for the sparks of life coming through my existence. Lately I feel like I am growing, when I swear I had gotten that over with all of this time combined. I feel like I am growing in the good things in life, and well I wasn't sure I would get to that part. So thank you... Goodnight World, I love you.

About A Boy

This is Cameron, He has been learning about Roarawaycancer and learned our government is trying to take meds away from kids and decided that was not okay with him and he wanted to do something about it. He is not a current patient, but he is an incredible inspiration and I'm sure we'll be seeing more of him. He does not use any' cannabis and has no reason to at this time. He is healthy and believes that if this plant can help people who are sick then why wouldn't we give it to them.

Creating The Cures

                   Dawn Darington is a woman on a mission. Dawn is desperately seeking the cure for cancer using cannabis, and at the same time reaching out to teach all of us in the community how to heal ourselves and others. Dawn is known to say, "Education is key"

A patient's bird wanted to take Dawn home with her

                Some time ago a patient found himself seeking Dawn because he had no other hope. He was a patient in Spokane and he had been fighting colon cancer. Treatment had ravaged his body completely and the doctors had advised him to get his affairs in order. Dawn immediately started him on oil and after 13 months of treatment on the oil, he just got the news that he is cancer free.
                 While lobbying in Olympia this week the Cannabis community wanted to honor Dawn and her commitment to the community. They wanted to acknowledge her accomplishments and contributions to healing and life. A patient, Debbie Hanson  presented her with a plaque recognizing all her hard work, and generous giving.

"Dawn is one of the most passionate people I know. She has a heart of gold. She is providing my oil free of charge and is relentlessly searching for the strains I need for my challenges. She is my hero and my mentor." 

       There is still so much we do not know about this wonderful plant. We have been forbidden to study and utilize the millions of healing possibilities this beautiful plant has to offer. As we continue to lobby and educate the world on the facts we are now discovering we should take a moment and recognize not only are we creating history, we are creating cures.

             

Lobby Days In Olympia

                 As the whole world watches Washington State pioneer the future of recreational marijuana laws and at the same time protect the medical cannabis laws already in existence, we return to Olympia today to continue what we have started.

                This morning the Committee held one more public hearing on HB2149. At 8am hearing rooms started filling and five minutes later the staff started directing us to the overflow room. Over 80 individuals signed up to speak, less than 30 were granted that freedom. 

                 As soon as the hearing cleared, the true activism began. Everyone began rushing off to meetings, to hopefully have one more chance to help educate the lawmakers on the needs. As individuals came to have their image taken, there was such a sense of empowerment knowing they were actively being part of the solution. 

                Though everyone has a different path that led them to Olympia today, their mission was all the same. End Prohibition. Protect Patients Rights.
Here are a few of their individual thoughts:

 "The Ric Smith Memorial Bill is a long time in the making and something I have put my heart and soul into. It is so rewarding to see all of our hard work pay off with the birth of this bill. " Kari Boiter

 "Unity is so very important, we need to find common ground." Troy Stevens

 "Miracles are happening" Dawn Brady

"As we moved into the above ground commercialization of cannabis, preserving the rights and access for cannabis patients is paramount. I believe HB2233 introduced on Monday will do just that. " Ah Warner

 "I believe that any governmental oversight, or the regulation of any medicine; should not be handled by the same agency that issues liquor licenses and regulates the use of recreational intoxicants." Dave

 "We are so happy to see patients engaged with their Legislature and we are even more excited to see the Legislature engaged with the public." Bailey

Saving Medical Cannabis In Washington State

       The Washington State Legislature has returned to session, and with it so have we. We are the patients, and the support network that has gathered around the patients to help us get back to the business of living. 

        We deserve the right to seek freedom from seizures, cancer, chronic pain, terminal illness and mental distress. We deserve the right to be proactive in maintaining and building health through the most effective healthy plant grown in the world today. We deserve to have access to medicine that will effectively return to us our quality of life, without the fear of not being able to afford it.

      Healthcare is a human right and not a commercial commodity. So we travel from all over the state, to represent our peers and loved ones who are too ill to travel. We demand that the lawmakers keep the integrity of their words, and not alter the laws on our medicine.  Here are just a few that were able to share their thoughts. 

"I am here today because I am going to try to help the State educate the people about the difference between hemp and cannabis."

"I am not 100% certain of why we would need to roll the rules of medical cannabis, which is already a functioning system in Washington State into an unproven system that is nothing more than a theoretical model at this point. I am not sure how that meets the needs of the patients. "

"Save Medical Cannabis"

"I will not allow government to continue these illegal actions without a challenge being taken." 

"Cannabis is the ultimate populist issue. Nothing but lies have stripped us from this useful fiber, oil, fuel, food, and medicine product. It is time to reject the government lies and return the plant to the people. "