Last night I took the Activism Class at Care Wellness Center. The class was taught by Greta Carter. This is what I learned.
*Rallies - Rallies are a great way to get involved. It’s important that we, as patients, are visible to the general public and to law makers. Remember to protest peacefully and that we are setting the example. Large signs with clear messages like “Patients Not Criminals” seem to work the best.
*Education – Educate yourself on your medicine first. Then you can begin talking to other people and educating them as well. If you know what you’re talking about, you will be a better witness.
*Appeal to the compassion of people – People are more likely to care if you give them a reason. Talking about your particular reason for using cannabis helps them see that it is medical and not that we are talking about “getting high”.
*The “elevator speech” is a short version of your story that can be told to anyone, anyplace, anytime, and in less than 2 or 3 minutes. Keep it clean, keep it short. People are more likely to listen if your speech is concise than if you ramble on. When you get yours right, talk to people!
*Respect – Activists speak of cannabis with respect. This is our medicine. It’s not “weed” or any other slang term. We are patients, not stoners. Using slang terms discredits the value of our stories and makes us look bad to the general public. We want to be positive.
*Finding a voice – I call this “coming out”. Come out to your family, your friends, whoever you think might give you their ear. Can you talk about it on your Facebook page? The point is to show who we are and that we are willing to stand up for our beliefs even though we know we can get arrested or harassed. That’s a really powerful message!
*Get on a phone tree list – Can you call people to gather a rally if one of us gets arrested or is otherwise harassed? What if there’s a court date that needs bodies? Can you call other people or can you be called? Can you show up with your sign for an hour or two when needed?
This is a short summary of the notes I was able to take. There was a lot of information and people asked a lot of questions.
An important issue we discussed in the Q & A part was about the upcoming vote for I502. A lot of us are “for” or “against” this initiative. I’ve been following I-502, and I’ve been on the fence about it. What Greta said that I found important were the following:
1. I-502 does not replace our current Medical Cannabis law. The medical laws will remain in place as-is for us patients.
2. I’m most concerned about the driving aspect of I-502. That whole 5 nanos is a scary thing! Greta asked me, “Well, how often do you get pulled over?” Um. Never. The answer is never. I never get pulled over. Okay, three years ago or more but I had a car full of screaming kids at the time. But…my point…
3. How scientific is the test the police are using? That is our defense. Until the state can provide an accurate test, that portion of our fear is baseless. They can’t use a test that is not completely scientifically proven.
That’s my summary. I know I barely touched the topics, and I welcome your comments and suggestions.
By the way, Greta was awesome! She handled some fairly touchy subjects with grace and courtesy. I wish I had that kind of fortitude. Good on ya, Greta, and thanks for a great opportunity!
http://www.thecarewellnesscenter.com/
Bookmarks