6 replies to this topic

[Bud Garret]

Just curious if any compassion clubs have invited any legislators to attend a meeting?

[Malamute]

Actually, the Dickinson County Compassion Club just had our representative Ed Mcbroom, the author of HB 4853, at our meeting on Thursday.

[Bud Garret]

Thanks Mal I was just thinkin if they came to a meeting they MIGHT have a little better understanding of what this is all about. I mean it was plain as day from watchin the hearings some of them dont have a clue.

[Celliach]

The meeting was actually awesome. I was surprised when he agreed to come to the CC meeting to begin with, but it turned out he was holding a regular visitation session at the library right before us. Only a half dozen or so people came to see him during his two hour session and then we had about 30 members come to the meeting, so that was kind of a victory right off the bat.

He had publicly said he didn't believe in the medical benefits of cannabis in the past and he told us his view had softened in that regard during the process of the judiciary committee hearings. He now believes that it helps people. His biggest concern is keeping it away from children. (Big surprise! *sigh*)

One of our members, an older woman who is visibly very ill, told her personal story to him and erupted into tears. It was a very moving, genuine moment. I think everyone in the room was emotionally moved by it, including the congressman.

He brought his own copies of all four of the bills which impressed me really. It just showed me he had gotten prepared specifically for us and he was very well versed in all four bills. We were able to discuss problems we had with some of the wording, having to transport medicine in the trunk, for example. Instead of paying us lip service, he told us where he agreed with us and where he didn't. He was very honest throughout the meeting. He even made a joke about where he was supposed to carry MMJ if he was riding one of his horses. He took a lot of notes, writing them into the appropriate places on the copies of the bills he had brought with him, and genuinely seeming as though he wanted to help us.

He seemed impressed with the club, and I'm sure we left a good impression. I don't think he was prepared for a well-organized group of people that were mostly older than he was. Our president gave an oral presentation of his visit to a couple of dispensaries that was very well written and thought out. On top of that it was pretty funny and had us all laughing, including McBroom.

I'd be happy to answer anyone's questions about the meeting that I didn't already cover.

[Croppled1]

The meeting was actually awesome. I was surprised when he agreed to come to the CC meeting to begin with, but it turned out he was holding a regular visitation session at the library right before us. Only a half dozen or so people came to see him during his two hour session and then we had about 30 members come to the meeting, so that was kind of a victory right off the bat.

He had publicly said he didn't believe in the medical benefits of cannabis in the past and he told us his view had softened in that regard during the process of the judiciary committee hearings. He now believes that it helps people. His biggest concern is keeping it away from children. (Big surprise! *sigh*)

One of our members, an older woman who is visibly very ill, told her personal story to him and erupted into tears. It was a very moving, genuine moment. I think everyone in the room was emotionally moved by it, including the congressman.

He brought his own copies of all four of the bills which impressed me really. It just showed me he had gotten prepared specifically for us and he was very well versed in all four bills. We were able to discuss problems we had with some of the wording, having to transport medicine in the trunk, for example. Instead of paying us lip service, he told us where he agreed with us and where he didn't. He was very honest throughout the meeting. He even made a joke about where he was supposed to carry MMJ if he was riding one of his horses. He took a lot of notes, writing them into the appropriate places on the copies of the bills he had brought with him, and genuinely seeming as though he wanted to help us.

He seemed impressed with the club, and I'm sure we left a good impression. I don't think he was prepared for a well-organized group of people that were mostly older than he was. Our president gave an oral presentation of his visit to a couple of dispensaries that was very well written and thought out. On top of that it was pretty funny and had us all laughing, including McBroom.

I'd be happy to answer anyone's questions about the meeting that I didn't already cover.

The general public and even legislators are often blinded by prejudice as we are effected by recreational behaviors ourselves more often then not . They think were all twenty years old wanting to get high . The truth is were much older then they envision and there are twenty year olds much sicker who suffer tremendously yet have allot to experience yet like all of us . We want our time here to count for as much as possible and to see cannabis treated like any other over the counter safe non toxic substance . Because it is non toxic dosing can be left up the patient . When it gets to high one just naturally lowers use . People on high doses should consider strongly monitoring BP and Beats per minute if they have any previous issues with either and everyone should check out the free machines at their local pharmacies once in a while regardless . Thank you for sharing this . Though unrelated I hope members will be on the lookout and will keep others informed when the Health o Rama type events with inexpensive blood panels/ cancer screening are held this year in different areas of the State too .

There are a few of us who have been dependent or are and the detox system here is terrible , needs improvement , and people face even more dangerous prejudice and discrimination and greed from providers with lack if insurance support . NO programs are making progress when the bad ones can't have patients leave due to forced participation or lack of choices and the State controls the drug supply . Pain management Doctors just give out supplies but don't work to maintain patient comfort and often abandon dependent patients at the first glimpse of problems , their own worries etc . some of whom have withdrawal symptoms that are so severe they can have permanent damage if weaned to fast or put in cold turkey . Nobody cares and synthetic substitutes are not accepted by all individuals systems where they have them but many of the newer drugs we have no concept or idea of what some go through .

Another area of predjudice and discrimination is involved in the detoxification of patients . It should be a crime to pull adjunctive care from pain patients for program participation . The Doctors definitely should be held responsible if any injury occurs from it . I have seen strokes and seizures in patients before even in a hospital doing this . Shame on them . Compound lower doses slowly weaning if necessary with other medications to assist comfort including cannabis and work at the level of minimal patient discomfort they can individually tolerate and absent medical need recidivism with drop dramatically but it takes time much more then given now with allot of love not tough love anger .

Edited by Croppled1, 15 April 2012 - 08:23 AM.

[Celliach]

It helps when you can meet these people in person and put a "human face" on the situation. There was a lot of things McBroom and I/we disagreed on, but we were very polite with each other and I came away with a certain amount of respect for the guy as I'm pretty sure he did with us.

Honestly, I wanted to be mad at him, but he was so nice and willing to talk and work with us, that it was impossible to be angry with him. We really helped build a bridge for future work with him.

[restlesslegs]

Awesome!

The meeting was actually awesome. I was surprised when he agreed to come to the CC meeting to begin with, but it turned out he was holding a regular visitation session at the library right before us. Only a half dozen or so people came to see him during his two hour session and then we had about 30 members come to the meeting, so that was kind of a victory right off the bat.

He had publicly said he didn't believe in the medical benefits of cannabis in the past and he told us his view had softened in that regard during the process of the judiciary committee hearings. He now believes that it helps people. His biggest concern is keeping it away from children. (Big surprise! *sigh*)

One of our members, an older woman who is visibly very ill, told her personal story to him and erupted into tears. It was a very moving, genuine moment. I think everyone in the room was emotionally moved by it, including the congressman.

He brought his own copies of all four of the bills which impressed me really. It just showed me he had gotten prepared specifically for us and he was very well versed in all four bills. We were able to discuss problems we had with some of the wording, having to transport medicine in the trunk, for example. Instead of paying us lip service, he told us where he agreed with us and where he didn't. He was very honest throughout the meeting. He even made a joke about where he was supposed to carry MMJ if he was riding one of his horses. He took a lot of notes, writing them into the appropriate places on the copies of the bills he had brought with him, and genuinely seeming as though he wanted to help us.

He seemed impressed with the club, and I'm sure we left a good impression. I don't think he was prepared for a well-organized group of people that were mostly older than he was. Our president gave an oral presentation of his visit to a couple of dispensaries that was very well written and thought out. On top of that it was pretty funny and had us all laughing, including McBroom.

I'd be happy to answer anyone's questions about the meeting that I didn't already cover.