Open Letter to Medical Marijuana Community of San Diego

Due to recent events it is necessary to note this article was originally written in early December, with final revisions before Christmas and only a paragraph order change since then. It was my intent to post this at new years. This is NOT any kind of retaliation for anything.

My blog http://dannabissd.blogspot.com/2009/11/impassioned-plea-for-help.htm
from 11-1-2009 hinted at cooperative effort but I had no idea that the challenge would be within the movement.

Please read this!



Open Letter to Medical Marijuana Community of San Diego, leadership, and organizers.

My name is Dan Murphy, but my name is not important.

I have been to meetings, rallies, and trials. But what I have done is not important.

What I have seen and heard is what is important.

Riddle me this, who wins when we fight each other? Who Loses?

Please tell me I am not the only one that sees this!

The infighting in the Medical Marijuana movement is too prevalent to be coincidental. San Diego is no exception.

I am calling out the leadership, organizers, and membership of the Medical Marijuana movement in San Diego to drop the juvenile rivalry or the movement, and your agendas will fail here.

Is this what you want?

I believe we as activists have only one choice; we need to drop the schoolyard bickering and keep in mind who is laughing while we tear ourselves apart from within. We need to open our eyes to who the true enemy is and focus all our energy and resources on them.

What is the alternative?

I know you all have the intelligence and drive. It seems like you have the extra time as well. If you cannot come up with ideas how to become more cooperative and focused then I have some for you.

We need an organized, friendly, all inclusive rally. Not against anyone, but supporting everyone’s rights to choose their own medical path.

Show your leadership by organizing a rally that doesn’t have your name all over it. One that is open to all groups. One that is not simply a donation/membership drive.

Who is going to step up?

My mission statement “I am willing to adopt common goals to overcome common adversaries and achieve common interests.” should be the basis for all movement related activities. Instead the movement is clouded by too much ego.

I do not want to lead this movement; I cannot afford to lead this movement.

Are you going to ignore me, attack the message, or attack the messenger?

You can choose to ignore this message. But will your membership? If you want to refocus your efforts toward mutual cooperation then SPEAK UP!

You can attack the message. If you truly believe that mutual cooperation is counter to the goals of the movement then say so. I am sure your membership would want to know and understand this.

You can attack the messenger. I am a nobody, an observer. I have already lost my career, as a convicted grower my options are quite limited. My reputation in the MMJ community is minimal at best. Any public attack would only server to increase my status.

But if it takes a “nobody” like me to bring this movement together in San Diego then I can be that “nobody”.

No, your best move at this point is to quietly refocus your energies toward the real enemies and when challenged to state that was your position all along. All the while minimizing the infighting to a point of irrelevance.

If you do not see the rivalry and infighting then bless you. You are focused. Remind others of your vision.

All I ask is for every one of us to pick our battles, define our enemy, and align with others that share that same adversary.

Perhaps you can join me, Above The Fray.


Sincerely and from the bottom of my heart.

Dan Murphy, a concerned cannabis activist


See also:
Who is Dan Murphy

Why I am a Target

Why we are Targets

Why I am a target – Why we are all targets.


I am a business owner, a father and husband. I am active in my community. I believe in the will of the people and respect for each other’s rights. I also believe in medical marijuana and this makes me a target.

I think that the war on drugs is a monstrous waste of taxpayer money that creates bureaucracies that depend on greater numbers of arrests and incarcerations to secure their ever increasing need for funding on a local, state and federal level. I am not afraid to say so, and this makes me a target.

I think that when government abuses the power that we the people bestowed it then it is our duty to rise up a demand change. This too makes me a target.

I think that it is atrocious that America has more prisoners per capita than China.

But I am not just standing up for my own rights. Every time anyone stands up for their rights they also stand up for all of us.

Is your hot button issue school funding? Roads and signals? Fire and Flood preparedness? Rape kit DNA tests?

I think that police, local and state governments, for profit prisons, and all their support organizations stand to lose funding, political influence and jobs when the tolerance mandated by law 13v years ago becomes commonplace. This makes me, all of us, really big targets.

Think off all the issues that affect your daily life. Issues that your local representatives tell you there is no funding for. Now think of all the wasted revenue used to circumvent current state law. Investigations, arrests, trials, incarcerations, law suits, lawyers fees. All this is our tax money, should be used to make San Diego better. This should make you rather angry, but be careful, or you too be become a target.



See Also:
Who is Dan Murphy?

Open Letter to Medical Marijuana Community of San Diego

Who is Dan Murphy?

Who is Dan Murphy?

Nobody really. Before the 09-09-09 raids I was not involved in the Medical Marijuana movement or community.

Before the CNOA protest I would not have considered myself an activist.

I have no idea who to rally behind, other than to support the victims. Nathan, James, Eugene, Donna, and others. For you see, in 2004 I was in the same position they are in now.

I lost my medicine, my freedom, my rights (vote, probable cause), my career, and my daughter!

I went through hell and back. I know the monster that they face.

I have learned many lessons from my experience in Corporate America as well as my years under the thumb of the legal system.

I see a lot of passion from the victims and those they surround themselves with. I am inspired.

I also see a lack of focus and clear definable goals.

As a nobody my perceptions are nothing special but they are telling since this is what the world outside the movement sees.

Yet I am an optimist. I see the MMJ movement in San Diego for what it can be. But we will not win the struggle here without the unified support of MMJ leadership and organizers.

Since I am not a big player in the MMJ movement I cannot expect to influence much. My hope is that by preaching mutual cooperation I can give a voice to the silent majority of supporters that want real change!

I have submitted an open letter to the MMJ community in hopes of strengthening the Movement in San Diego.

Please do not let this fall on deaf ears.

I maintain my position. I am willing, no, more than happy to have all interested parties join me Above the Fray.

See also:
Why I am a Target

Open Letter to the Medical Marijuana Community in San Diego

Not one F-ing Penny!

Self-governance and self-regulation are necessary to keep the government from one penny of revenue over the Cannabis prohibition issue. We have been terrorized by the the governement for 26,357 days since the passage of the marijuana stamp act in 1937.

How much $$$ has been wasted by this insane prohibition that was based on lies?

It took 21,586 days to turn the tide in California, prop 215 passes...

How many legal battles? How many good-hearted citizens had to give up their time and efforts - efforts that could have been used toward doing something positive, simply to fight back the insanity of prohibition and keep themselves free? But it happened. California says compassion is the craze! Patients are free from govenment persecution and caregivers are allowed to help sick people!

NOT.

Another 4772 days passes. Caregivers are on trial as drug dealers or have pled out to gang/drug crimes , which increases law enforcement conviction statistics and funding. Billions, if not trillions, spent on all levels of government to fight the Cannabis movement still. And the results? I don't have to tell you.

Lobbying efforts from drug companies, law enforcement and for profit prisons have fought every effort made to end Cannabis prohibition.

Millions of our brothers and sisters are incarcerated for self medicating and/or speaking out about the true benefits of Cannabis. Court ordered therapy, taking your kids away if you speak out or fight the system.
Meanwhile the drug cartels are making additional billions off of the black-market Cannabis trade.

Stop the insanity! Not one F-ing penny!


When did America stop being Of the People, By the People, and For the People?

We are at war. We may not want to be at war, but was is upon us nonetheless.

We will not win by funding the other side! NO to sin taxes. NO to health taxes. NO to any and every way the government tries to get their hands on Cannabis revenue. Let the people stimulate the economy by spending our money our way. We have seen your way and we say NO!

We cannot allow the enemies of Cannabis to have access to one more F-ing penny.

Starve the beast!

DannabisSD.blogspot.com

The Gateway Drug

After going through reams of research on the drug war and I can now see why the government classifies Cannabis as a "gateway drug". Before you decide to flame me just hear me out.

According to the government cannabis is a class one narcotic. Just like heroin, meth ampheteimne, crack and cocaine. No benefits, dangerous, deadly ...

Yet millions have first hand experience that Cannabis has no negative effects, and tens of millions have seen someone in their social circles use Cannabis without negative effects.

So if Cannabis is a Class 1 drug, but everyone uses it without negative effects (other than legal reprecussions) then maybe heroin is not so bad, and after all it is so cheap and available since the war on drugs has created such a black market enviroment. Or crack, it does not matter that it is funding black ops for the CIA , its everywhere and the government says it is as bad for you as Cannabis. Why not?

So I now see how cannabis is the "gateway drug" as long as it is illegal and misrepresented by police, political, pharmaceutical, tobacco and alcohol interests. Class 1 drug? How much proof do you need to see it has benefits and should not be class 1!

I see it being the "gateway drug" to pour billions of anti terrorism homeland security funds into local municipalities, fill our private for-profit prisons with non violent american citizens stripped of their rights to vote, a city (state, country) of intimidated citizens afraid to stand up for their friends and families.

It is also the gateway to change. How many peoples first experience that the government is lying to them is their experimentation with cannabis. How many people have had their eyes opened to a whole world of possibilities outside of their preconceived notions of reality.

I write this with my eyes wide open. I cannot sit idly by and watch my brothers and sisters rights trampled on. I must do something but I cannot do it alone.

Dannabis

An impassioned plea for help.

As the people of California have spoken, so shall the California government act Aren’t they supposed to represent us, their constituents? We as supporters of cannabis usage (medicinally or recreationally) have been oppressed, lied to and incarcerated for the sole purpose of feeding a union controlled police state and to ensure the profits of privately held prisons. All with the approval of the pharmaceutical industry which certainly does not need a competition for their products that has no lethal side effects and has patenting issues, let alone that it can be produced in your back yard.

It is obvious that the amount of police investigative prowess needed to Google "medical marijuana San Diego" to find dispensaries to attack, is easier than going after real criminal and drug dealers. Not to mention the potential risk to the officers is virtually nil raiding a dispensary. So why do real police work? Why? Because the people of the state of California have spoken and we want compassionate use laws respected. Because the President of the United States and the Attorney General have stated, both verbally and in writing that the intent of the federal government is to respect the decision of the states regarding medical marijuana.

The laws and guidelines are intentionally left vague so the police can operate in this gray area, fill our jails with non violent users of a plant that has been used medicinally, recreationally, and spiritually for over 5000 years.

Do I really expect Bonnie Dumanis and the San Diego police state to listen to me, to us? No. Sadly the power and influence from the corporate powers that be have total control of the political landscape. Regardless of the common sense, the will of the people, the spirit of the compassionate use laws and guidelines, appeals court decisions, statements from the AG or the POTUS, Bonnie or whomever replaces her will continue to propagate the police state. Driven by law enforcement, medical and pharmaceutical lobbyists the incarceration machine continues unabated.

But what makes me sadder is all the apathy from people that know in their hearts and in their heads that what is happening is WRONG! People that are afraid to speak up, let alone be counted.

To them I saw there is still something that can be done. Not everyone is willing or able to put their reputation on the line for what they believe in, but you can support those that do. Find a person in your personal circle that believes in the movement and let them know you support them. People that support the movement are working for industries and companies that can benefit from the movement but are not willing to risk their reputation in the current political climate. Some can show up for protests in surgical masks, representing the faceless MILLIONS of supporters. If you live near a dispensary or collective then contact them and ask about community outreach. Learn about the people running and using these compassion clinics. The movement needs to represent all aspects of the marijuana advocate. I want to bus in the senior citizens that formed a collective in Leisure World.

Where is the ACLU? Where are the patients’ are rights organizations? Where are the families and relatives of those that have been persecuted? Where are the doctors and lawyers that believe in what is right? Where is the local leadership? City and local representatives should realize that the majority of California citizens are against the raids and believe it is contrary to the laws they voted for.

I conclude by asking you to find a way to support our movement, one that you are comfortable with. We are all creative individuals and are far more resourceful than we give ourselves credit.

DannabisSD
Carlsbad Ca