Critical Issue In Maine

Critical Issue in Maine

Many folks are not aware of what happened to our constitutional right to citizens initiative in the last legislative session. Some who are receiving this are aware and may find parts of this e-mail redundant. I'll apologize to those of you whose patience I may be trying. I am compelled to continue banging this drum as the assault that was perpetrated upon our right to self-govern must be corrected and this is time sensitive.

I put together the pieces below to attempt to illustrate what happened: the hypocrisy I just can't stand, the corruption that makes me sick, some supportive details to communicate where I am personally coming from, a couple of links to supporting facts, how what happened will directly effect many of our fellow citizens 5 weeks from now and an Action Item Invitation. It has been awhile since I have sent out such a long and detailed e-mail and I hope you take the time to read through and consider the content with deep seriousness.

This concerns the citizens initiated medical marijuana law passed in November 2009, LD 975. This marijuana topic is one of the more contentious ones. Folks have been given such limited information and much of the information they have been given has been created by the very government and corporations that control our drugs, energy and food. There are so many areas inside of this issue from an early history of corporatism in the United States, to facts about the plant itself, to the philosophy of natural rights, individual liberty and personal responsibility. I will do my level best to communicate the more salient points.

 One issue that concerns me deeply regarding Maine's marijuana law is that folks who pride themselves on being defenders of our constitutions and defenders of individual liberty knee jerk against these causes when it concerns … shhh...marijuana. This is one of the biggest hypocrisies in society and it is all do to more then 100 years of propaganda that included our government's complicity with DuPont and the Hearst Family's interests in cotton and petro-chemicals. Our government's Office of Strategic Service (OSS) which evolved into the CIA had Harry Anslinger begin the spinning of yarns for the public here in the United States, when he returned from over a decade abroad engaged in a similar agenda, and included tactics of bribing and threatening American Medical Association members. There is a long detailed treasonous history here that I won't completely go into because it diverts the attention away from what I feel is a more pressing issue within the marijuana topic specific to Maine. I will though recommend a book that has the history detailed in depth with half the book devoted to copies of newspaper clippings, congressional testimonies and other historical documents that are irrefutable: The Emperor Wears No Clothes.

 Personal background and interest

 I did not know any of the history until this last year, however, because half of my life has been spent using G-d's green earth to naturally treat my own ailments and raising my children up using everything from garlic to more well-known herbs like echinacea to chinese roots and mushrooms I have an acceptance of natural remedies and an experience of success with them. The combination of my personal experience along with an intense passion for individual liberty and personal responsibility, I do not have the same knee jerk reactions to marijuana that some have, even having been subjected to the propaganda before learning of the history.

 My husband has degenerative disc disease, arthritis of the spine and herniated discs. He was severely injured on the sub in the Navy which resulted in surgery on his spine and a regimen of pharmaceuticals. The VA to this day only offers him anti-depressants to treat his pain because, in his doctor's words, "we cannot fix your pain, but living in pain makes you depressed". At what point is he old enough to decide how to treat himself? There is a clear question of ethics here.

 Specific to Medical Marijuana

 In 1998 the Maine people passed Maine's Medical Marijuana Act. It allowed for people with certain debilitating conditions to legally use marijuana to naturally treat their conditions so long as a they had a doctor's recommendation. Anytime in the last ten years the legislature could have changed the law and they did not. For the last decade in Maine people have been legally able to treat themselves naturally using marijuana for a very limited list of ailments.

 As research has expanded, so has the insistence that people be able to have legal access to this plant. Our own United States government holds a patent for "cannabinoid compounds" which are the medicines within this plant and in the patent filings are findings of medicinal benefits of marijuana to substantiate the patent.

    * United States Patent: ~ Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants ~ http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6630507/description.html

    Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and HIV dementia.

Virginia Commonwealth University also has a patent:

    * ~ Cardiovascular uses of cannabinoid compounds ~ http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5939429/description.html

    Hemorrhagic shock and in other conditions associated with excessive vasoconstriction, such as hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, cirrhosis of the liver, or certain forms of angina pectoris can be treated by using agonists of CB1 receptors as well as other cannabinoid receptors. In addition, it has been determined that in septic shock and cirrhosis of the liver when hypotension is due to activation of macrophages by bacterial endotoxin, the use of a drug that selectively blocks CB1 receptors or other cannabinoid receptors may be of therapeutic value by preventing or attenuating the endotoxin-induced hypotension.

Our bodies also have something identified as a "cannabinoid receptor system" that science is just scraping the surface of.  Please see: http://pharmrev.aspetjournals.org/content/54/2/161.abstract

 So, even though the Chinese have been using the plant for over a thousand years, even though tribal people's have been using the plant for over a thousand years, even though our own founding fathers used the plant, patents have been filed and science is discovering our bodies are made to be able to receive the benefits of this plant, the propaganda of lies perpetrated upon the population and the masses who do not know any better continue perpetuating the deception.

 G-d does not make mistakes. Genesis 1:29 "All seed bearing herbs shall be for your use"

 
THE CRITICAL ISSUE IN MAINE

 The right to self-govern is embodied in Maine’s Constitution in the right to citizens initiative in Article IV, Part Third, Sec.18.

 In April 2009 the citizen initiated new medical marijuana bill was before the legislature as required by our Maine Constitution. The legislature chose to not address it at all. They offered no alternatives to it and it moved to referendum with no competing bills.

 This citizens initiative, which was Question 5 on the November 2009 ballot, expanded the list of conditions for allowable use, included a provision for dispensaries and offered a new voluntary registration with the DHHS aimed at increasing security for patients if they chose it. The intent of the initiative was to expand access and increase the security for medical marijuana patients.

 59% of voters approved the measure. 13 out of 16 counties approved the measure.

 Baldacci formed a Taskforce charged with coming up with suggestions on implementing the new law the people passed. The Taskforce members were to represent various interests of which one of them was supposed to be a “supporter of the direct initiative“, Dan Walker. Dan Walker is a lobbyist for the pharmaceutical companies employed by the law firm, Preti-Flaherty. He is now a Board Member of the Northeast Patients Group which is a branch off of California's Berkeley Patients Group who now owns and operates 4 of the 6 dispensaries awarded in this state.

 The People's Law was for the patients. There were no patients on this taskforce.

 The governor is not allowed to veto a citizens initiated law. Instead, Baldacci took the suggestions from this corrupted taskforce and crafted an amendment to the people's law, LD 1811. This amendment did a number of things. The more egregious changes include changing the registration from voluntary to mandatory, adding a fee of $100 a year for the registration, requiring patients to sign a release giving the DHHS full access to their private medical files and subjecting patients to unwarranted searches and seizures.

 This is heinous.

And certainly not what 59% of the people voted for.

 If these provisions were part of the citizens initiative on the ballot I do not believe it would have passed. I, my husband, the caregiver networks, the osteopaths, naturopaths and phd’s who supported it, and the patients themselves would not have voted for this. We would have collectively campaigned against it. Again, the initiative was for the patients.

Baldacci's amendment is completely in contradiction to the original intent of the people‘s law, effectively nullifying our citizens’ initiative. If the legislature gets away with this here what other citizens initiatives may they then tamper with?

 People are so blinded by the word “marijuana” they do not see the most grievous assault on our right to self-govern; on our right in our Maine Constitution to that process of the citizens initiative. The Citizens Initiative must be held sacred.

 RE: January 1st,  fellow citizens become criminals

 The Affirmative Defense lives inside of the Doctors recommendation. For over a decade the doctor’s recommendation was the legal defense for patients who use medical marijuana. On January 1st, 2011 if a patient is not registered with the state they will be subject to prosecution, treated like criminals, with part of the punishment of not being registered a revoking of the right of that patient to use what his doctor has recommended.

 It is OK for the government to interfere with doctor and patient? It is OK for the DHHS, an unelected bureaucracy, to assume authority over the right of an individual to treat themselves following their doctors recommendation? This is a most horrid and dangerous precedent to be set, for it will become precedence if it is allowed to stand.

 There are growers and caregivers all over the state who have been legally growing and providing marijuana to patients with doctors recommendations for over a decade. None of the medical marijuana patients we know feel anything less then absolutely vulnerable. They are presently living in a state of terror as the days go by quickly bringing January 1st closer when they will have to choose between the pharmaceuticals or giving up their right to treat themselves naturally, giving up their right to be free from home invasion and giving up their right to privacy of their medical histories, lest they become criminals.

 This is so wrong. These people have every right to be free from such actions. This assault is ever more lethal considered in the context of the trespassing of the citizen initiative. The wrongful nullifying of the citizens initiative has resulted in making criminals of our fellow citizens.

 We have a responsibility to not only defend ourselves against such assaults but too also defend our fellow citizens. To not advocate for rightful treatment of our brethren, to not advocate for justice from our legislators, to not demand that constitutional rights be upheld because we don't like marijuana is just plain unacceptable. To do nothing makes one complicit in the trespass.

Repeal of Baldacci's Amendment must happen. However something more immediate must be put in place to prevent the enforcement of the assaults before the repeal is accomplished. The AG has within its power to instruct law enforcement to not pursue medical marijuana patients until this issue as been addressed. Something must be done. January 1st is coming quickly. I am asking you to get involved here. There is a specific Action Item to support the citizens initiative.

ACTION ITEM

In our Maine Constitution in Article 1, Section 15 is the Right of petition which points to our right to instruct our representatives.

“The people have a right at all times in an orderly and peaceable
manner to assemble to consult upon the common good,
to give instructions to their representatives, and to request,
of either department of the government by petition or remonstrance,
redress of their wrongs and grievances”

Attached is an “Order of Instruction”. On December 1st our elected representatives will be sworn in. Following our representatives taking their oaths of office we will be hand delivering, face to face, these "Orders of Instruction".

Governor Baldacci and the last legislature usurped our citizens initiative.

Will you please join us in instructing our newly sworn in representatives to right the wrong that was done? The citizens initiative MUST be kept sacred.

We will be gathering in Augusta at our State House on December 1st, at 10 am. If you cannot make it to Augusta, please consider handing off your "Order of Instruction" to someone who can or mailing it directly to your 2 representatives.

We cannot choose when our constitutional rights should be upheld or which rights to uphold. All the rights for all the citizens. Period.

I hope to see you there.

In Liberty,
Cynthia
"The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress."
~ Frederick Douglass, 1857

"My hope? That courage is contagious"
- Cynthia Rosen




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Order of Instruction as stated in the Maine Constitution Article 1, Sect. 15


Dear____________________________________,     
 

On November 3rd 2009, 59% of Maine voters passed the citizens initiated new Medical Marijuana Act, LD 975. Governor Baldacci nullified the citizens initiative through initiating a bill to amend the people‘s law. LD 1811, the governor’s initiated bill was passed by the legislature in 2010.

LD 1811 amended the people’s law to include mandatory registration, a fee of $100 a year for the registration which also requires patients to sign a release giving the DHHS full access to their private medical files and subjects patients to unwarranted searches and seizures.

The Affirmative Defense lives inside of the Doctors recommendation. Since 1998 when the citizens passed Maine’s first Medical Marijuana Act a doctor’s recommendation was the legal defense for patients who use medical marijuana.

January 1st , 2011 if a patient is not registered with the state they will be subject to prosecution, treated like criminals, with part of the punishment of not being registered a revoking of the right of that patient to use what his doctor has recommended.

~ Whereas the citizens initiated LD 975, Medical Marijuana Act was passed by the people,

~ And whereas the people’s law was usurped by LD 1811

~ And whereas the Maine Constitution guarantees the right of the people to instruct their representatives as is stated in Article 1 Declaration of Rights, Section 15. Right of petition

“The people have a right at all times in an orderly and peaceable manner to assemble to consult upon the common good, to give instructions to their representatives, and to request, of either department of the government by petition or remonstrance, redress of their wrongs and grievances”

I hereby instruct you, my representative:

~to immediately initiate and fully support a moratorium on the implementing and enforcement of LD 1811 and

~to initiate and support the repeal of LD 1811 in accordance of the people’s right to citizens initiative.


Thank you,

Simply Copy, print, sign and send to your State Representative.  Each should be found in your local newspaper or do a search on Google.