Saturday, November 20, 2010

WHO HAS THE POWER? ~ A Continuation of MMJ Stakeholders' Meeting Tropical Brainstorm


This being a continuation of a list of ideas volunteered by participants at the Massachusetts Medical Marijuana Stakeholders' Meeting in Boston on November 13th, that lucky day that the movement took another step forward.

The question put forward was, "Who has the power to change the medical marijuana law?"

Reps on the state level
Senators & Congresspeople on the Federal level in DC
The Gov (signs bills into law)

Lobbyists
Selectpersons at the town level

DeLeo (speaker of the house)
Voters
Donors
Special Interests
Law Enforcement
Advocates
Volunteers
Medical Community
Media
Economics Drive this issue in part
State Agencies
Universities

Ballot Measure
Republicans (?) created it to subvert State leg. driven change

Ballot measures are won by money (!)
(because $$ buys advertising)

More expensive to pass ballot measure (than what?)

Dr Karen Munkacy  specializes in anaesthesiology and pain management. She's licensed to practice in Massachusetts and California, where she recommends medicinal marijuana for patients, having become convinced of its efficacy after reading current medical literature on the subject. She expressed regret to the Stakeholders' group that she cannot legally prescribe it in Massachusetts, and that even a written recommendation from an MD still does not legally protect her patients here if they dare to use it, because of politics, not lack of proof that it is medicine.

Someone recommended the book, The Other Brain to me
For some reason when I jotted the title, I also wrote NIMH, will have to google

Back to the Brainstorm- Who Holds Power?

Voters
Donors
Party Leaders (can make MMJ a plank on the party platform?)
Interest groups
Polls
Expert Witnesses
Media
Families
Friends
Personal Experiences
Colleagues
calls
letters
teach ins
forums
 WRITE LETTERS to EDITORS

Citizen Lobbyists develop ongoing, personal relationships with their reps
Visit their offices,Dress like them (heehee!)
Consistent message Prepared
 represent an Educated Constituent Base

ASK: Are you willing...

Goal: sign onto and sponsor med mar bill

ASA on Youtube, has citizen lobbyist workshops on video

Petitions
Campaign Events

Plank on Party Platforms
Delegates Introduce Idea to
Panel discussions
Tabling Conventions
Party Events
Hearings

Civil Disobedience

Coalition of MDs & patients to start up infrastructure

Escalation of Tactics

Resources
Ordering Priorities

Identify:
Opponents
Fence Sitters

advocates>>> allies>>> champions

127 people facing federal prosecution right now for mmj

Media
Earned media-- event that brings press
state house events bring media
social media internet (flashmob?)

Actions
Fundraisers
Press Conference
Community Events
Editorial Board meetings- invite newspaper editors
TV stations
Media Outlets
Press Releases educate & inform

There's more!

... to be continued

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