By Gail Powell / Special to the OB Rag
The Occupy movement has some people thinking that the anti-Wall Street political group has co-opted the medical marijuana issue. Where once the closing of dispensaries would have incited the wrath of medical marijuana activists; now many of those same people are off doing their Occupy thing. That is not to say that the issues of the people supporting the utilization of medical marijuana is dead: it is not.
And I do not wish to make it seem that political protesters are dilettantes who jump from one exciting activity to another. But the federal pressure on the clinics that has come down from the Obama administration is a part of the bigger picture of injustice from the national level filtering malice upon the local level. The harassing of the pot clinics are but a symptom of a large national problem that the Occupy protesters have their hands full addressing–that is corruption of political officials who are not responsive to the individual citizen but to big corporations or politically influential factions.
So, as the California State Supreme Court has recently decided to take up the issue of what Prop. 215 was all about–our state legally able to utilize medicinal marijuana with a prescription–let us take comfort that help may be on the way, hopefully. Yes, the dispensary situation is dire right now but hang on!
Many Occupy activists, most especially San Diego’s own Amarillo 13 freedom fighters, have shown us the heart and soul that exists in these righteous forebears of justice and good works. I suggest that if there has been any co-opting of the marijuana issue into the Occupy movement, that it occurred naturally. Rather than focus in on one thing that is bumming people out, such as the persecutions of the dispensaries, be heartened that there exists the Occupy movement, which is working on everyone’s behalf. If activists continue to move forward on getting the Occupy word out so that citizens and voters become enlightened, a natural result of that will be to show how it is in the best interests of the public to allow those with a medical need, to utilize medical marijuana.
Stay strong, brother and sisters! We are all united in a desire to make our country more responsive to the issues at hand.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
It does make some good points but it also leaves out points that a lot of the Medical Cannabis patients aren’t joining OWS but joining Ron Paul’s Revolution in order to end the fed and protect state’s rights.
The reason that I’m a Ron Paul Revolutionist and not an OWS is because the OWS in Santa Barbara claimed that their OWS protest was a “Medical Marijuana” movement and it was a total lie. When I went to join, I saw a tiny sign saying something about medical marijuana when everything else was everything BUT medical marijuana.
So I have to disagree with the author, just because you’re in favor of Medical Cannabis doesn’t mean that you’re going to jump on the OWS band wagon. There are others that represent us just as well.
The thing is that the Ron Paul revolution doesn’t have to lie to attract people to their movement. The sound of freedom brings alll classes, races, and poor and rich alike! I’ve never seen such unity as the Revolution!
Also, I’m a proud supporter of medical marijuana but will never be an OWS protestor. I actually like my government and I love how people can get involved. I only wish that the OWS would run for city offices, water boards, and such instead of just protesting. It’s what I loved about the tea party is they actually got something done.
They got something done but it was all bad. They want to cut Soc. Sec., Medicare, education funding, funding for the EPA, etc.
I for one like clean air, clean water, educating ALL OUR KIDS (not just rich kids or rich white kids). I would like Health Care to
be recognized as a HUMAN RIGHT, which it is. I don’t want kids to go to bed hungry or without a roof over their heads because we don’t hold banks and corporations accountable. No, I don’t like the Tea Party or any of Ron Paul ideas except for getting out of wars.
But I do like Occupy San Diego!
Hey Mert, thanks for your thoughts. The thing is, however, is that the “Ron Paul revolution” is really not a revolution at all, but the opposite – his movement wants to take us back in the 19th century; obviously he stances on the wars and on drugs draws a lot of people, but he’s clearly anti-women and not really into a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society.
See, what I love about Ron Paul is his libertarian view on society. He doesn’t look at a society and label them as rich, poor, black, white, Mexican, yellow, blue, but looks at each individual as a person and inside his merits.
I’ve been seeing people’s reactions to Ron Paul and it’s simply amazing what people say when they feel threatened.
I have never seen him talk anything about being anti woman or anti multi ethnic society. Basically, you’re claiming he’s a racist without any proof.
If he was racist, he would support the drug war and the wars overseas because it affects minorities relativity much more. Being born in Turkey, if he was racist, I wouldn’t support him.
I’m not using this to pit against you but out of clear curiosity, do you even own a passport? Enlighten me on what you know about Turkey or Turkish culture if you claim to be so into other ethnicities. It’s not fair to claim to be mutli ethnic but don’t know anything about Mustafa Kemal Ataturk but I’m sure that you know Cesear Chavez. Yes, Cesear Chavez made more of an important person in history then Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
The EPA. Yes, the EPA that is cracking down Medical Marijuana patients along with the DEA. The EPA is a joke, it doesn’t care about environmental issues but is a politically powerhouse with powers to oppress people. Get rid of it. We don’t need it. So you can’t support Medical Marijuana and support the EPA.
Let’s talk about the Department of Education. Another thing Ron Paul wants to get rid of. I’m going to college right now and I filled out my FAFSA. I have an EFC = 0 which means I shouldn’t put 1 cent into my education since I’m so poor. I’m in the EOPS program too so I should get priority registration, book money, and extra help.
I’ve been selected randomly (yea right) for a “review” and they inform it can take up to 8 weeks. Well, a semester is 14 weeks. So when I get the money that is “mine” and that I qualify for and it’s there to help me, the semester is more the half way through. This is because too many students are enrolling and they don’t like that so they are doing everything in their power to make students drop out and not get their education, more importantly, the poor ones that can’t afford to go to school.
I tried to contact the Department of Education and I got were no ring answering machines and nobody getting back to my voicemail. There is no appeal process or anything a person can do to investigate this.
As I investigated further, I found out all they had to do is change my BOGW from type C to B or A. That can be done with a push of a button. It doesn’t take 8 weeks to do that. I’ve even volunteered to help them out if they are “so busy” as they are trying to claim.
I’m an environmentalist and I believe in the good of the people. I don’t think we need government baby sitting us. I think that the human race is inherently good instead of evil which I’m starting to think that most OWS have a Calvinistic view on life because they assume if people can, they will be evil because they are inherently evil.
What I do see Ron Paul saying is that maybe we got attacked on 9-11 because of blowback of our actions overseas. That sounds like a very ethnically aware person to me. Whenever I see coverage of Muslims by the OWS, I see them only talking about the “Saudi” muslims or the syrian Muslims or the Muslims that are oppressed. They never talk about a Turkish Muslim because we are the only all Muslim country to be a democratic country that is also friendly to the west, intelligent, and compassionate. Of course, they would ignore this, because it goes against everything they preach because we’re a well off democratic all Muslim society that does not believe in covering our women, beheading people, and jihad jihad.
I’ve had the chance to live in two culture with different values. I’m very lucky for that. I’m strict Kemalist and believe that if you want something, work hard for it, then you should be rewarded.
You want cheap health care, get the government out of it.
You like health and all that but you hate on DR RON PAUL which has the best plans on what to do with health care because he is a dr.
All I hear from you guys is that I want everything handed to me on a silver platter and don’t want to work hard for anything. If you want something, work hard at it.
You all have NO EXCUSE. My family came to the USA with $500 in our pockets and didn’t speak a word of English. My father worked hard doing side jobs, painting people’s houses, and deleviring newspapers at night while my mother worked cleaning houses and such all day while taking care of two kids. My father went to junior college to learn English and eventually, we built and started our own business. We moved up the social ladder and now live as business owners employing others.
We’re a corporation to. We became incorporated. So I guess we’re “Evil” according to you guys.
If a Turkish family can come to this country, work hard, and live the American dream… YOU ALL HAVE NO EXCUSE. You’re in the situation you’re in because you choose to be. If you want to take real action, like I said… run for something.
It’s just like Frank Zappa said back in the day… “When you turn 18, register to vote, and go run for something”.
I’m sorry this was a little wrong but I had to communicate all this.
I do appreciate that you guys are being nice and we can have a discussion rather then heightened tensions. Please, when you talk about Ron Paul, research first then speak because if you say something that I know is not true about Ron Paul, I’ll call you out on it.
Sorry this was a little long. not wrong.
That’s real interesting that a small part of the occupiers would support pot stores considering how hard most dispensary owners are trying to become part of the 1%. Greedy f**ks.
I would like to get your email address some important information that must be answered in a timely fashion
Dr. Pamela Moorehead