How Radicals Saved The Medical Marijuana Movement
There is an attempt these days to rewrite the history of Medical Marijuana to peddle the notion that it was the Moderates who authored and passed Prop. 215, California’s historic voter initiative to legalize the medical use of marijuana.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. Back in 1995-96, while the initiative was being written, medical marijuana proponents were split into two camps, the Moderates and the Radicals. Basically, the Moderates wanted the Prop. 215 initiative to only cover seriously ill patients and, if I recall correctly, actually described 215 as only providing an affirmative defense.
Dennis Peron, the founder of the medical marijuana movement opposed the Moderates and pointed out that by the time the courts and cops were done with implementing their version, “Patients would only be allowed to use marijuana the last half hour of their life.”
Despite intense negotiations, both sides would not budge. Then, the Moderates filed their version of 215, without telling us, which would have made their bogus, watered-down version, the law today. Of course, when the Radicals found out about this, we were determined not to be chained to a version of 215 we thought was too weak.
Fortunately, the Radicals went down to the Election Department and filed the final version, paying by money order, instead of a check, as the Moderates did. In doing so, the Radicals moved ahead of them and the Moderate version ended up on the garbage heap of history.
Now comes the lesson for us all. The very Moderates, who nearly succeeded in eviscerating Prop. 215, and the same folks who got the legislature to set a six plant limit for all Californian’s are now tripping over each other to claim credit for Peron’s achievements. Several high profile Moderates are forever boasting of having drafted 215, despite the fact that their version ended up in the crapper. One of the Moderates, who brazenly claims to be the author of Prop. 215, has become a TV regular, whenever someone is needed to bash Prop. 215 and medical marijuana.
Missed in all this is the real hero, Anna T. Boyce, RN, who was able to get the California Legislature to pass the first version of 215, twice, only to be vetoed by Governor Pete Wilson. Anna and I attended a ten-year celebration of Prop. 215, held in LA, by Americans for Safe Access. Nobody recognized Anna that night. Instead, we endured a tedious line of self-congratulatory wannabees claiming authorship of 215. On that glorious night of celebration, I could only feel shame for our movement, as I began to realize the insipid role that the Moderates have assumed and the quiet lies they perpetuate.
It is visionaries like Anna T. Boyce and radicals like Dennis Peron who have created a new world for us. Unfortunately, it is Moderates who have since bartered away our rights and stolen real victory for us — while they peddle their photoshopped, revisionist version of history instead.
July 13th, 2009 at 5:07 am
Good article!
Thank Steve Kubby,he sent me this! One thing I see, the war is never over, till it’s over and, we’ve just begun!!
Peace!
BE
July 13th, 2009 at 10:57 am
There is so much circle-jerking about who the “real authors” of Prop 215 is, it’s ridiculous.
Who cares? Seems the only people who are arguing about this are a part of “the movement.”
July 13th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
all I can say being from Ohio is if Cali would have done things right from day one,the rest of the states would have joined,but no Cali had to be special,funny you rarely hear of problems in the other 13 states,they all have grow laws,they let growers do there own thing,nuff said