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