Mile High NORML: Colorado MMJ Patients/Caregivers URGENT CALL TO ACTION: House Bill 1284
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2010
Colorado MMJ Patients/Caregivers URGENT CALL TO ACTION: House Bill 1284
The Law Office of Robert J. Corry
Lauren C. Davis, co-counsel
600 17th St. Suite 2800 Denver, CO 80202
(303) 634-2253 fax: (888) 319-1805
February 23, 2010
Dear Patients, Caregivers, and Supporters,
We are asking you to take action NOW to protect your rights under Amendment 20. The House Judiciary Committee will be considering House Bill 1284 at 1:30 p.m. on March 4 in the Old Supreme Court Chambers of the Capitol.
1) Mark the date on your calendars
2) Get the word out
3) Pack the room
But you cannot wait until then to make your voices heard. Lawmakers, lobbyists for large dispensaries and law enforcement are already in the back rooms making deals. You need to contact your local State Representatives IMMEDIATELY to arrange face to face meetings.
Meet with your elected officials directly or their staffs, but you must act NOW. You, the patients and caregivers, are best suited to explain how and why the bloated regulatory system being proposed will harm patients and destroy your caregiving plans.
This scary proposal:
- creates a bloated, multi-million dollar state licensing authority that will wipe you out of existence
- imposes a year-long statewide moratorium on new dispensaries and grow operations
- prohibits people convicted of any felony or drug misdemeanor, including simple possession of a joint, from being a caregiver
- allows local governments to ban medical marijuana facilities altogether
- re-imposes a Five Patient per caregiver limit
- obliterates your constitutional right against self incrimination
- violates your First Amendment rights
- provides that you can lose your medical marijuana license if any of your employees or agents violates any of the voluminous regulations or the law
- provides that patients can lose their licenses if their caregivers violate the law
- requires you to notify the State every time you hire or fire an employee, partnerâ?¦.
And these are just some of the horrors.
Caregivers need to educate lawmakers on why they cannot do it all. You successfully convinced the Board of Health why the mere provision of medical marijuana for a patient IS a significant responsibility. Now you need to get out there and convince your elected officials.
Caregivers who grow need to educate lawmakers about the difficulties of growing medical marijuana - the issues of strain nutrition, lighting, watering, pests, plant disease, etc.; why you need to be allowed to work with other caregivers to best help your patients (or if you ever want to go on vacation again); the hours and money involved, etc.
Caregivers that own dispensaries/ retail outlets must educate your lawmakers on the business aspects of caregiving and why you should be allowed to run your operation without government strangulation. Your business model will be wiped out of existence under this plan (all but those modeled on Harborside et.al. will be).
Patients â?? only you can help your lawmakers understand your plight. Why you donâ??t want the government to interfere in your selection of a caregiver; why you may want a caregiver who has a conviction for cultivation in his past; why you should not lose your medical marijuana rights if your caregiver violates the law.
Time is of the essence in this fight. This bill must be stopped. We will be sending out another email with additional talking points in the next few days.
But schedule your meetings NOW.
To find contact information for your representatives, go to
Colorado.gov: The Official State Web Portal: Legislative Branch Click on the search function that uses your zip code.
Forward this email, provide hard copies to your patients, and get the word out. You need to contact your State Representatives to convince them to VOTE NO on HB 1284 before it is too late. Remember, in our democracy, your elected officials work for YOU.
Gratefully Yours,
Lauren C. Davis
Robert J. Corry
Attorneys at Law
