It is too bad that this mindset seems to be so rooted in our movement. Have you ever spoken to Sen. Delvin? Have you ever asked him his opinion? Have you ever gone over the facts and studies with him? Where are you getting your information from? Early last year I called Sen. Delvin as I live in Richland as he does and I set up a meeting where we could speak. To this meeting I brought the studies and the scientific facts to back up our claims and we went over these in detail. I spoke to him about what patients are being forced to go through and the discrimination we face on a daily basis. I repeated my story to him about how cannabis actually, literally saved my life and then told him that our wonderful city of Richland says, sure we can take our medicine here but we can't get it here. They said it's okay for us to go out of town in the same state to get our medicine but we can't get it here. After a number of meetings with Sen. Delvin he has seen the light and does truly understand the issue. Yes, he does come from a law enforcement background and has concerns due to this but he does understand what needs to be done and is not being unrealistic about it. What would be unrealistic is saying that everyone that has said something bad about cannabis in the past would be someone that no one could work with in the future. We all have the capability of analyzing facts and science and data and reforming our opinions based upon the new information. From our vantage point Sen. Delvin has done this in spades. He truly does understand the need for collectives, dispensaries, and group grows. He also understands the very real need for protection from arrest and loss of state-based benefits. He has committed to working with us to develop these two bills so that the patients of Washington state can have what all of the patients already have, safe, local, (fairly) reasonably priced medicine. Now, we all know politicians, but just because he's a politician does not mean he shouldn't have the benefit of the doubt until absolutely proven otherwise. He has committed to working with us in a realistic commonsense way and until he does something to prove otherwise we will work with him. It would seem senseless to do otherwise when working within the system needs to be exhausted before we move to a citizen initiative. We have explained to him that this is the last time the state will be asked to work with us as if they choose not to do so this time next year we take the decision from them. If we have to run a citizen initiative states lawmakers will have no power in the decisions being made. So we will proceed and if he is being genuine our bills will be pre-file this December and will be brought up for vote at the next session. If he is being disingenuous next year we take the decision from our politicians and give it to the people. Keep the faith all we will get there.
