Cypress Hill SmokeOut Festival And Medical Marijuana Expo 2012
Six extra strength marijuana brownies eaten, roughly seven grams smoked, over 900 miles driven, and TWB is now strategically placed to attend tomorrow’s 2012 Cypress Hill SmokeOut Festival and medical marijuana expo at the NOS Events Center in San Bernadino, California. Ninjasmoker and I just arrived at our hotel and I feel like a little kid on Christmas Eve. The doors don’t open until noon, which is giving me anxiety, but the event goes til 2AM, so that makes up for it!
My favorite part of these types of events are panels. Here is the line up tomorrow, which is fantastic. I hope to see some TWB readers there:
EXPERT PANEL DISCUSSIONS
The Cypress Hill Smokeout Festival 2012 has invited some the most influential and dedicated cannabis advocates and patients to discuss cannabis as medicine as well as the devastating effects of prohibition. These educational and informative conversations can be watched live on Breal.TV.
Cannabis as Medicine
Young medical cannabis patients and their parents come together to tell incredible stories of how cannabis is saving their lives. Joining them will be a Cannabis Expert, a Patient Consultant, a Medical Cannabis Doctor, and the President of a Cannabis Testing Laboratory.
Coordinator / Facilitator:
Sarah Diesel — Sarah D Magazine (sarahdmagazine.com)
Moderator:
William Britt — Association of Patient Advocates
Panelists:
Joey Perez — 13 year old patient (uf4a.org)
Mieko Perez — Joey’s Mother (uf4a.org)
Chaz Moore — 15 year old patient (iambillsmith.com)
Shan Moore — Chaz’s Father (iambillsmith.com)
Dr. Aury Lor Holtzman — Medical Cannabis Doctor (mybuddrh.com)
Jeff Raber, Ph.D. — The Werc Shop (thewercshop.com)
Aaron Justis — Buds and Roses (budsandrosesla.com)
Does Prohibition Work?
With elections approaching and cannabis being in the media limelight more and more each day, it’s imperative we represent ourselves as professional Cannabis Advocates. Cannabis Experts discuss the devastating effects of prohibition and how it is doing more harm than good.
Coordinator / Facilitator:
Sarah Diesel — Sarah D Magazine (sarahdmagazine.com)
Moderator:
Lanny Swerdlow — Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project (MAPP) (marijuananews.org)
Panelists:
Shannon Boomer — Vice Chairman (Libertarian Party of Southern California)
Diane Goldstein — Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) (leap.cc)
Don Duncan — Americans for Safe Access (ASA) (safeaccessnow.org)
Debby Goldsberry — United Cannabis Collective
Smokeout 2012 Panelists Bios
Sarah Diesel
Sarah Diesel has been a medical cannabis patient since 2003 and a committed cannabis advocate/activist in Los Angeles since 2005. She was a Medical Cannabis Collective Manager and Patient Consultant (Bud-tender) from 2005-2009. In 2008 she was asked to join the Oaksterdam University LA Staff. In between facilitating weekend seminars and instructing the Patient Relations 101 and Civics 101 classes, she produced the 2010 “Pin Ups for Patients” Calendar as a fundraiser for The Greater Los Angeles Collectives Alliance (GLACA), Americans for Safe Access (ASA), and ovarian/breast cancer research foundations. She also volunteered as the Secretary of GLACA for five years. July 2010 SKUNK magazine featured her as one the ‘100 Most Influential Women in Weed’ while putting her on the cover and divulging everything about her cannabis career. January 2010-December 2011 she was a Published Columnist for Culture Magazine answering questions about love, life and the pursuit of alternative medicine. Since December, she has been writing for The 420 Times about cannabis advocacy and a calendar of events, court support, meetings and more. Sarah has been on the cover of Culture Magazine and Skunk Magazine as well as featured in HIGH TIMES, LA Times, New York Times, West Coast Cannabis, Rosebud Magazine and an array of other media.
For more about Sarah Diesel, visit Sarah D Magazine, a lifestyle magazine for cannabis connoisseurs that gives a whole new meaning to High Society and brings a more sophisticated perspective on the once taboo plant.
Lanny Swerdlow, RN
Born: Feb. 13, 1946
Graduate: Los Angeles High School – 1963
California State College at Los Angeles — BS Zoology – 1969
College of the Desert — RN certification – 2006
Dec. 1999 – Started Inland Empire based Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project (MAPP) medical marijuana patient support group and law reform organization.
Jan. 2008 — Opened THCF Medical Clinic in Riverside — Provide qualified patients with medical marijuana physician recommendations.
Present: Member of the Board of Directors of the Inland Empire Patients Health and Wellness Center in Riverside – a unique medical marijuana collective that operates as a farmer’s market.
Print Media:
Articles and opeds published in Desert Sun, Riverside Press Enterprise, San Bernardino Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, West Coat Leaf
Columnist — Culture Magazine — “So Cal’s Medical Marijuana Lifestyle Magazine” published by the Inland Empire Weekly in Riverside.
Broadcast Media:
TV show Marijuana Compassion and Common Sense — The TV Show and companion radio show — Marijuana Compassion and Common Sense — The Radio Show.
TV show cablecast in Coachella Valley, High Desert and Riverside/Norco.
Radio show broadcast on KCAA 1050 AM in the western portions of the Inland Empire every Monday at 6 p.m. Also simulcast at www.kcaaradio.com. It is the only radio show about marijuana in the world that is regularly broadcast over the air.
Diane Goldstein
Diane Goldstein is a 21- year veteran of law enforcement and retired as a Lieutenant from the Redondo Beach Police Department, (CA). She is a speaker for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, as well as on the executive committee of the 2012 Ballot Initiative Regulate Marijuana Like Wine. During her career she worked and managed a variety of tactical and investigative unit’s including the department’s Gang Enforcement Team (GET), The Special Investigations Unit (SIU), South Bay Platoon and the Crisis Negotiations Team (CNT). In 1996, as a member of the GET Team, she and other officers received the Herman Goldstein Excellence in Problem Solving Team Award by the Police Executive Research Foundation for their work combating gang crime in the city. She additionally taught in-service courses for the South Bay Reserve Academy, testified in front of the California Council on Criminal Justice at the request of former Governor Pete Wilson, and is recognized as a subject matter expert and trainer in the area of crisis negotiations and critical incident management.
Don Duncan
Don Duncan has served on the Board of Directors of American for Safe Access(ASA) since he co-founded it in 2002. As California Director, he is coordinating the grassroots campaign to fully implement the state’s medical cannabis laws and build a broader and more powerful coalition for medical cannabis in California. He is a leading consultant in the field of medical cannabis and helps new collective operators understand the legal nature of their organizations and lay out strategies for compliance.
Debby Goldsberry
Debby Goldsberry has 25 years experience as an anti-prohibition activist, and is dedicated to ending the 100-year “Marijuana Wars.” She is High Times Freedom Fighter of the Year for 2011-12 and a columnist in High Times Medical Marijuana Magazine. She co-founded the Berkeley Patients Group (BPG) medical cannabis collective, which she directed for 11 years, Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the Medical Cannabis Safety Council (MCSC), and Cannabis Action Network (CAN). She is a former board member of Marijuana Policy Project, and was given NORML’s Paula Sabine Award for Woman in Leadership. Currently, Ms. Goldsberry is Ambassador at Steep Hill Lab, the industries most experienced medical cannabis testing lab, and is a business development specialist at Liana Limited Canna-Business Solutions.
Boomer Shannon
Boomer Shannon was born and raised in the Inland Empire. He knew at a young age he would be an outspoken advocate for freedom and personal liberties. His political evolution has taken him from street activism to working with some of the biggest names in the legalization movement such as Steve Kubby, Ed Rosenthal, and Richard Lee, etc. He is the Libertarian Party of California’s Southern Vice Chairman and was an organizer on Richard Lee’s Prop. 19 campaign in 2010. He now works for the Regulate Marijuana Like Wine campaign as a Southern State Field Coordinator. He has also assisted Steve Collett’s campaign for Congress as well as supported the wider Ron Paul campaign. Boomer’s experience with coalition building has been in and out of the two party system, but especial to many organizations fighting against the injustices of prohibition in determination to break the back of the drug war.
William Britt
William Britt
Professional Experience:
Founder/Director, Association of Patient Advocates, Long Beach, CA., 1998-present
Founded and managed the non-profit APA organization to assist disabled and chronically ill patients in gaining access to healthcare information and social services. The APA works with healthcare providers to advocate for patient rights, to improve services and to include the patient in healthcare policy decisions.
Cannabis Expert:
William Britt has over Fourteen years of experience working with Medical Cannabis Patients who were arrested and charged with possession/cultivation/sales of cannabis. He has testified as a cannabis expert over 80 times, and has attended over 500 court proceedings throughout Southern California. He is working to assist defense attorneys by reviewing cannabis evidence, providing reports with weights, photos, estimates of plant yields etc. and testifying on issues such as cultivation crop yields, methods of distribution, and patterns of use by medical and non-medical users.
Mieko Hester-Perez
Mieko Hester-Perez, Executive Director & Founder of The Unconventional Foundation for Autism. With more than 1 in 110 children being affected by autism, it has become the fastest growing serious developmental disability in the United States. Currently, there is no medical detection or cure for autism; however, there are pharmaceutical and therapeutic treatments that have proven to be effective in improving the condition. Among the safest and most remarkable treatments, but highly controversial, is the use of medical cannabis. One courageous California mother is now sharing with the world her autistic son’s triumphant and life-saving journey. www.uf4a.org
Chaz Moore
My name is Chaz Moore. I am a typical 17 year old kid who has lived somewhat of a normal life. I have 2 loving parents and a little sister. When I was in my freshman year of high school living the dream, then things change. I had a wonderful loving girlfriend. No, I wasn’t the greatest student. I probably had a D average but at least I was passing. I was into sports and band and loved life. Then something changed I started have seizure like spasms from my throat the whole way through chest and my abs. I was no longer a normal kid! No one had answers. All the doctors knew what to do is to shoot me up with Valium, Morphine, Ativan, and any other medicine they could think of to use to make it stop. I can say I don’t remember a lot of being 15. They finally figured out at one world renounced hospital that I had something called Myoclonus Diaphragmatic Flutter. I went through close to a hundred medications that only made me feel horrible. I did no longer love life. I wasn’t a normal high school student anymore. We figured out that from January 2010 to November 2010 I was in the hospital emergency room/doctors visits 117 times with almost 6 weeks of extended stays in the hospital. With the love and support of my family and the suggestion from my wonderful neurologist we decided to try medical marijauan. I am now back to loving life, living as close to a normal life as much as possible and not in the hospital almost every day. Since starting medical marijuana I have not been to the emergency room once for my attacks. I now go to normal doctor visits only. I am now a C to B average student who does online school because they won’t accept my medicine in public school.
Shan Moore
My name is Shan Moore. Chaz is my son who has a rare disorder called Myoclonus Diaphragmatic Flutter. 2010 was a hard year when this started. Watching your child go through something you can’t fix is a gut wrenching feeling. You want to put yourself in their place and let them continue to live their life. With the support of my wife, Janice, daughter Bree and the rest of our family we fought for answers to fix him. His neurologist suggested medical marijuana. Watching them shoot him up full of highly addictive drugs was terrifying. The thought of an overdose and the prescription drugs were slowly killing him was terrifying. At the time the thought of medical marijuana was also scary. After months of research we decided to try it. What a difference it has made in our lives. This is his rescue medication. At this point it is his only medication. We no longer fear him becoming addicted to the pharmaceutical medicine. After all of our research we are not in fear of him being addicted to marijuana either. After 10 months of not knowing anything for sure except his quality of life was not acceptable for a 15 year old who was extremely active in sports, band, skateboarding, hanging out with friends and living life to the fullest. Medical marijuana has given him most of his normal lifestyle back. His wish is to be back in public high school getting his education and social Life back. Now we work hard to educate others and support other patients to keep their safe access to their medication.
Aury Lor Holtzman, M.D
Aury Lor Holtzman, M.D. was licensed to practice medicine in 1987 and opened his own office in Huntington Beach as a general practitioner soon after. He developed a special interest and sensitivity toward patients suffering from depression and substance abuse. Dr. Holtzman applied for and received a special license from the DEA allowing him to treat/detox patients addicted to prescription and various illicit drugs. Dr. Holtzman expanded and enhanced his training in this field by accepting positions all over California, where because of his bilingual ability he was able to treat poor, underprivileged and nearly forgotten patients. Years of probing research, evaluations and his goal of selecting the correct drug therapy for each individual has been a challenge, resulting in his expertise. Dr. Holtzman is one of the few physicians that is well-known as a medical marijuana expert. For that reason, his advice has been sought by attorneys in court cases regarding the use of medical marijuana. He has been asked to train over a dozen other physicians interested in treating their patients with cannabis. Dr. Holtzman’s knowledge and desire to help has enabled him to effectively evaluate over 15,000 patients for medical marijuana. After hundreds of hours of research and experience, Dr. Holtzman has been able to comfortably and effectively incorporate Medical Marijuana into his Medical Practice, which has made him the number one recommended medical marijuana doctor in southern California.
Jeffrey C. Raber, Ph.D
Jeffrey C. Raber, Ph.D. earned his doctoral degree in Organic Chemistry from the University of Southern California in 2002 after previously earning his B.S. in Biochemistry from Lebanon Valley College. Dr. Raber’s past experience in medicinal chemistry and fine chemical synthesis lends to a unique perspective and skill set capable of delivering a variety of services and scientific consulting expertise. Dr. Raber’s critical review of cannabinoid receptors made him realize the tremendous potential therapeutic impacts to be gained through their modulations and ultimately compelled him to create an organization, The Werc Shop, whose goals are to further everyone’s understanding of sustainable cannabis medications while helping to ensure the public health and safety of all patients and providers through safety screening and product labeling.
Aaron Justis
Aaron Justis has been an advocate for the rights of medical cannabis patients since he first learned the truth of the benefits of the cannabis plant. Early in his career he founded J-Wear Clothing Co., a hemp and organic cotton clothing line that focused mainly on t-shirts with activism statements and facts. Since then he has volunteered much of his time and resources advocating for patient rights. Aaron serves as a board member at Buds and Roses Collective in Studio City, and among other duties he is the head of veganic cannabis production and purchasing. Aaron also works closely with The Unconventional Foundation for Autism. His goal is to provide the safest and most effective medicine for all patients. He is currently working with a lab to develop new test for medical cannabis that should specifically benefit the patients at uf4a, and beyond.
