Medical Marijuana Group Serious About Signatures
Compassionate Care group trains volunteers
By Cody Davis
TFW Contributing Writer
(Photo: Cody Davis) Ryan Denham, the man in the tie and one of the founders of Arkansas for Compassionate Care, demonstrates for volunteers how to speak to people about signing the Arkansas Medical Marijuana petition.
When some people hear the term medical marijuana, they immediately think: “Dude, hell yeah! It would be so easy to get a license if medical marijuana were legal. I could grow my own plants and stuff, and it’s a great reason to buy that 4-foot bong I’ve had my eye on for the last few weeks.”
This is not the case whatsoever.
On Monday, June 20, I attended a meeting at the Omni Center held by Arkansans for Compassionate Care. It served as a training session for volunteers to help collect signatures in support of the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act. The measure would allow sick and dying patients legal access to medical marijuana with a doctor’s [recommendation].
The folks behind Arkansans for Compassionate Care are taking this issue very seriously and they have no intention of backing down until the act is passed. In early May the group started collecting signatures, canvassing at places such as post offices, college campuses, grocery stores, gas stations and any promising events. They must obtain 65,000 valid signatures by July 2012 in order for the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act to be put on the 2012 election ballot.
Sixteen other states (as well as the District of Columbia) have already legalized medical marijuana. It has been known to relieve suffering from a large number of diseases by helping stimulate appetite and ease uncontrollable weight loss, nausea, pain, tremors, seizures, etc. There is a very extensive medical history to marijuana, and I, along with the crew of Arkansans for Compassionate Care, ask that you do some independent research on this issue. You can find some great resources to kick start your research at www.arcompassion.org, as well listening to patient stories, reading the latest campaign news and attending upcoming Compassionate Care events.
