How One Pennsyl-tucky Hick Representative can legally Kill Children

How One Pennsyl-tucky Hick Representative can legally Kill Children

   ^. 

Example 1: A Fucktard, Who has probably never been to a PA forest in his life, who lives for stomping on the hopes of desperate parents, and probably has cum on his Bible more times than on his wife

                                                  So…

                                You couldn’t just let the kids have some peace.

                You had to be difficult over a monetary reward of a VISIBLE $22,000 from GW Pharmaceuticals.

You control the Board that SB3 has been assigned to in the House, and you don’t have to put it up for dick-diddly squat. Because you’re the Chair. You hold the chips. And, you’ve been adamantly stubborn about cannabis in every way, and will continue to be so, because you’re paid to do so. You, sir, are a shill. There is nothing about you that I could appeal to for sympathy for this cause and there is no reprieve in this honest, yet brutal account of who you really are, made public, for all of PA to see.

                There are not going to be paragraphs in this piece that tip-toe towards civil persuasion. If the evidence and testimony and research thus far have not yet convinced you that cannabis legitimately has a medicinal property to it, then you are obviously beset against cannabis ever being legal, regardless of how good and applicable it may be.

                There aren’t words that carry the broken-hearted heat of hate that we, the people in need of medical cannabis feel towards you. You carry the Federal rhetoric on your shoulder as though it were a golden cross that weighs a feather – because it is. You have no trouble. You have no want. All you have is everything, but you can’t afford others anything. Matt Baker is the same infection of human personality as Nixon, only as concentrated in ignorance and arrogance as our shatter is compared to the trim available in Nixon’s day. Matt Baker embodies all of the worst that Tea Partiers feel about Obama while also entirely pissing off liberals for everything he does.

                If an appropriate fate could befall Matt Baker, he would be plagued with cancer and cancerous legions, suffer like a leper, and be refused the cure that 88% of all population around him has embraced.

                That would not happen with us, though.

                The cannabis community is strong. The cannabis community is compassionate. The cannabis community values life before money, and children before the interests of one SPOILED, OLD, JERK. The cannabis community has banded together. They serve each other, even when the government won’t permit it. They share each other’s’ hardship and they have a common vision. That vision may not have hit critical mass yet, but it will soon.

                It will soon, and I will revel on the day when I can drive up to your house, Matt Baker, stand in the very public road out front of your house with 100’s of my friends and closest, and smoke joints, bongs, bowls, rigs, blunts while others are eating canna-cookies, cannabis extracts and cannabis oils and others still are working with hemp, making products, BEING USEFUL. Something you abhorrently refuse to acknowledge that cannabis users can do. BEING USEFUL.

                I’m telling you. Not asking. Not pleading. Not arguing or debating. I’m TELLING you, Matt Baker. When you kill this bill, you kill children. You kill veterans. You kill a piece of Pennsylvania, and we will not forgive you. This is not a matter that you should stand in the way of; you’ve seen States topple like dominoes towards legalization of medical and recreational and you know that you’re practically standing “on the corner of the Amtrak line”, if you’d take a current reference, (but you represent no-where’s-ville, PA, so you’re probably TOTALLY removed of all happenings in the REST of the State).

                Again. I am not writing this to appeal to your “good” side, Matt. I don’t know you, I don’t want to know you, and I believe that your mere presence around me is quite off-putting. I’m writing this because I see right through your smug, asinine grins. I know that you can’t wait to make your place in history as Pennsylvania’s next Harry J. Anslinger. Because of that, I am simply writing this open letter to you, to say one thing:

Fuck you.

PICTURE - Matt Baker Giving Zero Fucks for PA Patients

PA Medical Marijuana: It "Cann'tabis"

As it looks, the PA medical cannabis bill is getting strangled in red tape. Revisions have been introduced, but no clear outline is in place for more qualifying conditions based on science aside from the creation of a medical cannabis board, which in and of itself is going to delay access to medicine for at least two years, even if SB3 and its respective House bill pass, and get by Governor Wolf, who has already indicated his support for a medical bill.

What's unfortunate, is as seen in the picture above, smoking and vaporization have been excluded as medical delivery mediums, straight out of the gate. This sentence stands boldly, early in the SB3 as a clear, "No, F*** you." from the far right-leaning PA politicians, as few and disliked as they are.

In all seriousness, there have been paraphrasing of medical cannabis meetings where ignorant politicians propose that mixing decarboxylated cannabis with mashed potatoes would be fine, whereas processing cannabis into butter and creating edibles should be illegal.

Because, you know. After all, it's all about the m***erf***ing kids, isn't it?! It's always about the kids, until the sick and in-need kids are paraded in front of your hearings, pleading for an effective program because they have little time left. Politicians shake their heads, shake their hands, bow in silence and refuse to act in compassion. Well, we were all kids at one point, and to think that you're denying medicine to someone as bright, innocent and full of potential as you when you were a child should be a crime.

Stigma concerning this plant that has been seeded in racism and government sponsored propaganda against the counter-culture movements associated with jazz and cannabis has literally ruled our policy since the late days of alcohol prohibition. Prohibition has never been an effective tool against use of a substance, nor has it been fiscally responsible for the State. The fact that we are still caught in this stalemate between the public will for change, against the obstinate "Representatives" of our voice who do nothing, if not the opposite, of what we're clamoring about!

Matt Baker - R-PA: Opponent of Medical Cannabis in PA

If we continue to let the minority, elitist individuals who are privileged enough to get paid $10's of $1,000's of dollars by Pharmaceutical company's lobbyists ANY say in the development of cannabis legislation that has an impact on Pennsylvanian lives, we are going to go the way of New Jersey: stuck in a poorly laid out State program with strict and unreasonable regulations that inhibit patient access for years after a MMJ law passes.

When this doomed piece of legislation goes through and inevitably fails because it does not describe any delivery means of this medicine, aka: there is no dispensary infrastructure described, any right-winged politicians that get in control of PA in the future are going to attack its failures as a reason that it should be shut down. All this legislation describes are fees and costs associated with licensure and the strict adherences that must be made if actually operating a dispensary. It does not protect itself through establishing a system of checks and balances within the new MMJ industry, nor does it effectively allow for the qualifying conditions that science shows can be treated or cured with cannabis.

While we tout the progress of being able to get a medical bill through in a State where a conservative jerk ruled ignorantly just years prior, we need to be wary of letting things slip by just on their perceived value.

90% of the population may support MMJ in PA, but of that 90%, how many are going to READ SB3 or other legislation before it passes and voice out? Not 90% of them, I'd wager. That would be great, but the numbers just don't work. Those that are most actively involved may, but the bell curve majority will only celebrate in private revelry when the announcement is made that PA has legalized Medical Marijuana. Little will they know how limited a program it is, especially when taking into account the vast popularity of medical cannabis across the population here.

While we fight and fight to make a difference and be heard, it seems that politicians can't get anything right because regardless of testimony and true urgent need, there are still those that believe they are "righteous crusaders", protecting the future generations of children from a "gateway drug".

If you believe that kind of psycho-babble bullshit, I personally hate you and I hope we never meet.
Cannabis is medicine and I know first hand, so stop making decisions that affect others' lives, when you quite obviously know so little about the science of cannabis-based medicine, politicians.

If we pass a CBD only or limited MMJ bill, we are coming in meekly on the right side of history. We're limping onto the winning side's battle, late and warily. Pennsylvanians aren't limp or weak - we proudly have polled in strong favor of cannabis, so far as establishing a majority in favor of recreational cannabis! We should forge a strong, medically-based, patient access friendly program NOW and show New Jersey, New York, Maryland and Delaware (all medical States ahead of PA) how to effectively implement the Peoples' will!

Public Enemy #420: NJWeedman - “Boned” by Over-Reaching Judge

Public Enemy #420: NJWeedman - “Boned” by

Over-Reaching Judge

Written by,

            Jason Mueller

Contact Judge Call:

(609)-518-2716

Tell him to grant Weedman

Clemency! 

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past ten years, it’s been definitively proven that cannabis has anti-tumor properties; not only does the application of THC have the ability to slow cancerous cell growth, it has actually been shown to shrink tumors with steady application. THC causes apoptosis (programmed cellular death) in cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. Studies on this phenomenon have been conducted all over the world, and the studies date back as far as the 1970’s. Given this fact, it would seem that NJWeedman’s bone cancer would be regressing and healing. For a while, that was the case.

Lately things were going well for the NJWeedman, (or at least better): he got a job writing a column for The Trentonian called “Passing the Joint”. Earlier this year he had surgery to remove a cancerous bone tumor that has been affecting his quality of life for years. NJWeedman was even recently invited to a filming on the Daily Show, which will air soon. In this episode they discuss the abuses of power that the police have been caught red-handed in lately across the country. Unfortunately, there are only ever two puffs of “good” before you have to pass.

            First Burlington County Superior Court Judge, Judge Call, has issued a new warrant for NJ Weedman’s arrest. CALL JUDGE CALL – 609-518-2716 – PLEASE ASK FOR CLEMENCY FOR ED FORCHION / NJ WEEDMAN.

        Secondly and heartbreakingly, on October 17^th 2014 NJWeedman was informed by the VA hospital in Philadelphia that a new cancerous growth had emerged, this time on his upper left femur. This new growth is in a very dangerous location, because it is in a weight bearing spot. This tumor, if left to grow, will weaken NJ’s femur, and because of the location, the bone is likely to break once weakened. In lieu of the new growth, NJWeedman’s Oncology specialist in Santa Monica, CA has scheduled him in for more tests and treatments. Forchion is now afraid to fly, as he was arrested at the airport before.

            Inadvertently, while NJWeedman battled with his first tumor back in 2001, he learned of the effects of cannabis’ anti-tumor properties firsthand.

            “I was a heavy [weed] smoker. I didn’t know this mass was there for a few years, but when I stopped smoking weed [due to my incarceration], it grew incredibly fast. The doctors were shocked. This thing had to have been there for a long time, but while I felt something, I didn’t react to it until veins popped out and the pain became excruciating while jailed for weed,” said NJWeedman.

            In regards to his experience dealing with his last tumor between 20 day stays in jail, ordered by Judge Delehey, (who said NJ “was playing his healthcare like a Stradivarius”). It was a bizarre comment: in addition to the insulting claim that NJ was using his healthcare to dodge the system during the May 2012 trial, Prosecutor Luciano called NJ a Charlatan after Weedman presented his medical condition as a defense against a marijuana possession charge!

             NJWeedman has been part of an experimental protocol, given free treatment available through the Santa Monica Oncology Center since 2011. While the treatments had appeared to be working for his previous tumor, an arrest warrant that was executed at the Philadelphia airport, on (JAN 30^th, 2013) the day that NJWeedman was scheduled to leave for a monthly treatment in California. This arrest wound up ruining a lot of progress made in reducing the size of his tumor; he was incarcerated for two months without care. Until he agreed to plead guilty to a contrived probation violation, NJ Weedman was being extorted by being left in jail without proper medical attention. This is when Judge Delehey made his infamous “Stradivarius” comment. Once NJ was successfully forced to plead guilty, Judge Delehey allowed Forchion to be released to continue his monthly treatments. Notwithstanding, NJ was ordered to return to court on Sept 10^th, 2013.

 Unexpectedly, at that Sept 10^th,2013 hearing, Judge Delehey ordered that NJ had to serve 6 more months, 20 days at a time with 10 days release to travel for his experimental treatment in California.

            On April 30^th, 2014, NJWeedman successfully underwent surgery to remove his tumor. Yet, the damage was done to his bone. On May 25^th “Memorial Day”, NJ’s right femur broke as he carried a duffel bag full of clothes into his home. Since then, NJ has been healing, almost entirely without incident. Until, of course, this new growth was found at the VA.

            NJWeedman believes that had he not been serving a sentence of 20 days in jail with 10 days out, his last tumor may have more steadily decreased in size. NJWeedman had this to say in regards to his experimental treatment:

            “I was getting the experimental high dosage of a bone hardener called Denosumab, which was developed as a treatment for those with osteoporosis, but which over the course of the past decade has also come to be regarded as helpful for other bone conditions such as legions, tumors, sarcomas, etc. In tests done on women with osteoporosis who also had bone growths, around 90% exhibited shrinkage of the mass or outright disappearance. The mass stopped growing, but the drug wasn’t developed for that application. So in order for them to market it for that, they had to have a new study to get it licensed to treat people with these conditions.

I happen to have one of those conditions so when I was asked too I volunteered to be a genuine pig for this drug protocol. I think it was working but, I also think I was helped at least as much by marijuana as by the Denosumab. When I had to stop smoking marijuana because of jail, I still got Denosumab.”

JUDGE CALL ISSUES NEW WARRANT

NJWEEDMAN: A MAN WHO BOASTS THAT HE DOESN’T HAVE A SCARY BONE IN HIM, ADMITS HE’S SCARED OF BEING PUT BACK IN THE BURLINGTON COUNTY JAIL – FOR HIS HEALTH.

            Like déjà vu all over again, the New Jersey court system has rained burden on NJWeedman’s life again, again during an extreme health crisis. Judge Call, another Burlington County Judge like Judge Delehey, had apparently sent NJWeedman a summons to appear in court concerning some back-due money owed in a domestic split. Given the constant battles with the court system that NJWeedman has endured, plus the fact that he has only held a legitimate job for a matter of months as a Columnist, NJWeedman doesn’t have any money except the small stipend afforded to him through Social Security. In a classless, despicable move, Judge Call ordered that NJ NJWeedman’s Social Security be seized to go towards repayment of his debt! Despite the fact that NJWeedman is a suffering cancer patient, despite the fact that he is a veteran of the armed forces and despite the fact that he has little, if any other income, Judge Call is illegally attempting to strip him of his Social Security benefits. (READ JUDGE CALL’s ORDER HERE:  http://www.njweedman.com/judgecall.pdf)

            Judge Call was pretty slimy - he acknowledged that he can’t take Forchion’s social security money, so he called the soon-coming check a “windfall” instead. This is a clash of definitions: SSI is by definition, a need-based, minimal, and acquired right. A windfall is an unexpected and significant financial gain. Judge Call’s mandate is absurd and should be appealed. Luckily for Forchion, the judge can’t garnish Social Security payments. Rather, he has ordered NJ to relinquish them “voluntarily.” While it is “contempt of court” to ignore the order, his SSI money is still safe.

42 U.S.C. 659, which is section 459 of the Social Security Act, details which federal programs can be garnished by a court. Not among them is SSI, aka: Title XVI benefits.  Title II benefits, which includes Social Security disability, retirement and widow’s benefits are listed, but Title XVI benefits are not able to be garnished. This is because Title XVI benefits are defined as “needs-based” for people with limited income and resources.

QUOTE FROM LAWYER: As you know, if you have any other money coming in, your Title XVI benefits would be proportionally reduced. That is because your “need” is deemed to be diminished. Your lump-sum payment [SSI] is designed, and broken into multiple payments, so that you can pay off debts accrued during your waiting period, and to procure housing. Those receiving SSI are allowed to have a home and a car which are not counted as “available assets", both of which require down payments and/or security deposits.

The judge simply has no authority to order your SSI be taken. He lacks the legal authority by statute, and he lacks a basis to order child support as SSI payments are paid on the basis of need, and the judge cannot leave you with less than you need to survive.

This decision of Judge Call’s came after NJ apparently “failed” to report to court for a Sept 3^rd, 2014 hearing on this matter of overdue payment. Forchion says he never got the notice. What the New Jersey Judicial System would try hiding from the public, is the fact that Judge Call sent the court summons to NJWeedman’s former address in California, knowing full well that he is currently residing in New Jersey. Naturally, NJWeedman never got the summons. This allowed Judge Call to make a rash decision to put a warrant out for NJWeedman’s arrest. Once again, a Burlington County Judge is playing their authority like heartless tyrants against Mr. Ed Forchion, aka: NJWeedman. Once again, a beloved fighter for freedom and common sense in legislation is between a rock of legal red tape and a hard place called cancer.

            Now NJWeedman is under order to turn himself in to the county jail for arrest, according to Judge Call’s decision. He’s stuck fighting a new cancerous growth, and just like clockwork, the judicial system is once again trying to make his life a nightmare. In hopes that his story will inspire action against injustice, NJ prepared this statement:

“Judge Call is trying to screw my healthcare up again like Judge Delehey did last year. I can’t get stuck in a county jail right now. I’m in the process of getting this new tumor evaluated. I can’t scientifically prove it, but I want to tell my anecdotal story. Last year (2013) Judge Delehey put me in jail; I was supposed to get Denosumab every month. For two months February and March, I didn’t get Denosumab and I didn’t get any THC in me. When I was out for four months March-Sept, an MRI in June showed no growth. There was no change. No growth, no movement, nothing changed. To me, that was proof that Denosumab was working, so I was happy.

I went on like that from 2011 to 2013. The mass was stable. No growth, no movement, so I thought there was no rush to get the surgery to remove it. The doctors and everyone knew that a certain percentage of these tumors that get removed through surgery end up growing back. At this point now, I’m already in that category. It’s all right though – I’m not playin’ ball anymore anyway! I’m nearly 50 years old. BUT I AM in a pissing contest with a Judge, though.

          So, in September (10^th), he [Judge Delehey] sticks me with this ‘20 days in, 10 days out’ sentence to supposedly ‘accommodate’ my cancer treatments – which was bull. There was one thing messed up here: every time I’d get out for 10 days, I’d get the Denosumab shot, but during the 20 days in jail, I had no marijuana. The truth is the Judge didn’t care about my daily intake of marijuana because he, like most of law enforcement, thinks of medical marijuana as a scam. To me, the marijuana was just as important as the Denosumab, but I was denied this natural medicine while in New Jersey’s jail.

This jailing resulted in me not having any marijuana in me for weeks at a time, for six months.  I had 2 MRI’s, one in November and one January, ’14. When I went to see the doctor in February, I was told the tumor was growing again.

 I immediately thought, ‘this is because I had no marijuana in jail.’ I can’t prove it. I do have all of the paperwork to verify that the tumor was stagnant, then suddenly grew after my jail sentence when I was forced to abstain from medical marijuana. That’s what pisses me off – the Prosecutor literally called me a “charlatan” over this and the Judge [Delehey] said I’m playing my health care like a Stradivarius.

Maybe if I were a bald-headed, cancer-ridden white dude, or a breast cancer victim they’d take my healthcare more seriously. Instead, I look like a big, angry black dude with dreads – neither [the Judge nor Prosecutor] had sympathy for me or compassion, even though the state of New Jersey passed the Compassionate Use Act in 2010.” Remember that the Compassionate Use Act’s goal was to protect medical marijuana patients from prosecution.

Ed “NJ Weedman” Forchion may be a myth and a legend, but he is also just a man. Given the consistent sting of legal action presented to him by Burlington County, NJWeedman is in need of a little help. He’s not asking for donations or pro bono defense lawyers, (though either would be graciously accepted). Instead, he’s asking for those who hear of his plight to share the word. NJWeedman wants the injustices of Burlington County Superior Court to go recorded, because too often, they don’t.

Too often, Burlington County Jail and Superior Court have been able to ruin lives of citizens and patients through vindictive abuse of power. Luckily, Ed doesn’t roll over and “take it” like many unfairly prosecuted men and women. Luckily, We the People can share his story and flood Judge Call with clemency requests, (his contact information is listed at the bottom of this article). Luckily, when activists stick together, change happens.

Contact Judge Call

DIRECTLY

(609)-518-2716

Tell the office that you disapprove of this treatment - demand clemency for Ed Forchion!

MMJ Bill SB1182 Passes PA Senate

After being delayed in the Appropriations Committee, SB1182 was finally brought to term and moved to the full Senate for a vote today, Sept. 24th. Originally, this bill included the ability for patients to grow up to six plants at home, and it clearly allowed for the smoking or vaporization of cannabis flower material or concentrates.

Well, that was until the Republicans got their hands on it.

Being able to grow six plants went WAY early. It was struck down and unchallenged. Though it certainly would have allowed access quicker than implementing a control board and dispensary system, growing plants legally still scares the bejeezus out of government shills that get lobby money to keep all drugs illegal, (police, big pharma... the lobby list goes on). So we as activists kind of bent over and took it up the tail pipe on being able to grow here in PA. (**Note - In Colorado, the legalization of cannabis came paired with the freedom to grow up to six plants**)

So here we were resting on our SB1182 - it was one pillar less strong out of the gate, but it was still strong. It had (and has) protections for patients in arenas previously untouched by States with MMJ laws: legally, employers can't fire you in PA for being a MMJ patient. You can't lose custody of your kids for being an MMJ patient according to this bill. While the stigma sticks that cannabis intoxicates an individual beyond the capacity to drive, it was pretty much expected that wording would exclude driving, flying and vehicle privileges while high. What we DIDN'T count on was the stated 10 Nanogram limit on THC in the body of the patient... It didn't stop getting worse there...

So a core group of 5-8 people, (and I use that term loosely) just HAD to amend SB1182 until it was satisfactorily "no fun" - amendments went in that literally bar patients from smoking or vaporizing their cannabis for medicinal purposes. Senator Smucker, out of Lancaster, led the charge against this bill with chiming morons, Pat Vance and Senator Mensch backing his blind attack. Smucker went so far as to actually propose ANOTHER amendment that would have limited SB1182 to CBD only - something ALL activists and Cosponsors were dead set against. Luckily, that amendment got utterly crushed, and the Senate did end up passing SB1182.

Enemy of the State of Pennsylvania (Or at least Enemy to the 85% Supporting Cannabis Law Reform)

Now it's a steady march to the House, where plenty of doubtful media outlets are staking money on this bill dying. With such fervent support from activists like Les Stark, who boldly declared on Facebook that this bill WILL be moving through the House to become law, it's hard to think about a future where this hard fought battle fizzles into a retreat on part of the MMJ warriors. Nonetheless, Gov. Corbett has vowed to veto any legislation that reaches him concerning cannabis. A super majority is needed in Congress to nullify Corbett's veto power, and what's impressive is that we just might have it. Either way, come elections in November, Corbett is largely predicted to lose to Tom Wolf, (currently trailing him in polls by nearly 30%). Tom Wolf is a forward-thinking Democrat with a mind to revise PA's archaic approach to cannabis law reform. In fact, the word "legalization" has actually come out of his mouth.

With these advances, it's clear that we're on the winning side of history. We just need to keep on pushing for legislation that takes us closer to a "Pro Full Legalization of Marijuana"  world!

NJ Weedman Going to Court Today to Fight Evesham Township

Ed Forchion, aka: NJ Weedman, has had a full plate regarding his involvement with the government over marijuana. Today, (6-27-13) he will appear in court to fight a search that was conducted under the pretense that the officer has, "never seen a person wearing a weed shirt that didn't have weed on them". He was pulled over in Evesham Township and he recorded video of the event that can be seen here:




Because of a small patch on his vest, NJ Weedman was searched, where upon the officer found a small amount of personally prescribed marijuana of Ed's. This led to an arrest and today is the day that Ed goes again before a Judge and begins a fight over the legitimacy of marijuana law.

After his arrest, Ed put out a Brief that questioned the legitimacy of criminal statutes when NJ law distinctly recognizes marijuana as a medicine. So far, several cases have been dismissed as a result of Ed's open-access Brief. This means that while these cases are not going to court to settle the question of whether the medical laws prevail, several young, innocent, non-violent smokers are free to continue about their days without worry of jail, court costs, fines and other nasty side effects of getting found guilty.

We'll be keeping up with Ed as things unfold. Since this was a very personal amount (grams), the likelihood of this being a precedent setting case is low. Nonetheless, if Ed gets this case dismissed or otherwise, he is pro full legalization of marijuana and he'll be continuing the good fight far into the future.

OPINION : Drug War is "Horrendous"

To what degree do we separate opinion and fact?

This is an opinion piece, though "Drug War is 'Horrendous'" sounds like a fact. I've seen stories of innocent people killed in bad raids. I've seen stories of children taken from their parents by the State over a bowl and a few grams of marijuana. This is not acceptable. This is not what justice and law was put here to do.

We've seen a time of police state establishment unlike any other: the Boston Bombing manhunt where iron-clad war vehicles rolled down suburban streets "cold-calling" houses and searching without warrant. Circumstance does not matter: we NEED to stop forfeiting our rights so easily!

Every time you file taxes, you are supporting the drug war. Every time you don't film a cop making an arrest, you are supporting the drug war. We need to wake up and put our collective foot down on the illegal branches of our government as well as the illegal use of surveillance that is so clearly occurring, (thanks Snowden).

NA Poe declared boldly in pre-trial that the fact that he wasn't being released that day was "horrendous" and right he was. Everything about the drug war is horrendous. We've made a horror show of our fringe communities like Kensington and North Philadelphia because we consistently refuse to address the drug problem in a real way.

Cops are content getting paid to be big boy security safety officers. Drug addicts are content getting drugs illegally. City services is content hauling away the corpses of the OD victims. Everything in the system seems so utterly unchangeable, even when talking about the lives of family... friends... loved ones...

Addiction is an illness, but like Mitch Hedberg said,

"Alcoholism is the only disease you can get in trouble for. Compare these two sentences; 'Dammit Mitch, you're an alcoholic.' and 'Dammit Mitch, you have lupus.' One does not sound like the other."

We can and must do better. Sign a petition. Join an event. Do SOMETHING. Just don't be another generation of quiet, closet-hidden hippies in fear of the law like we saw in the 60's. Plug a gun with something better than a flower. Let's get back to basics.