I have stated many times that a marijuana reform victory in Missouri would be a marijuana reform victory for the entire nation. Many states have reformed marijuana laws in parts of the country where such a move is more expected (Northeast, West Coast). However, if Missouri were to legalize medical marijuana, it would send a message to the rest of the country that reform is here to stay, and that reform is possible in every state.
There are a lot of very, very hardworking activists in Missouri that have been fighting for reform for a long time. One of those activists is Amber Iris Langston. I have had the wonderful opportunity of getting to know here better while fighting alongside her in the reform trenches, and got to finally meet her face to face in November. She has a lot of passion, is extremely talented, and wants nothing more than to bring safe access to medical marijuana in Missouri. Below is a fundraising letter that she wrote that I want to pass along. Whether you are a national funder, a first time contributor, believe in compassion, and/or just want to help reform outdated, harmful marijuana laws, please consider making a donation to the Missouri campaign. Below is the fundraising letter I’m talking about, and if you have any questions for Amber, e-mail her at [email protected] :
Dear Cannabis Community,
In November 2016, Missouri has the opportunity to become the second largest medical cannabis market in the country and to give our patient population much-needed access to their life-saving medicine. New Approach Missouri – a campaign committee which is an outgrowth of the 501(c)4 organization Show-Me Cannabis – is currently collecting the 165,000+ valid signatures needed for a robust constitutional amendment initiative petition which would allow for home cultivation and mandate dispensary licensing throughout the state.
On the plus side, the language has been written by and for the people of Missouri. On the downside, the effort doesn’t favor any particular millionaires, so there’s no one specific to bankroll the process. We rely on everyday people to donate $35, $50, $100, $500 or $1000.
We have done a tremendous job bringing together a coalition and raising money from in-state supporters. Polling shows support at 70% on the proposed measure according to political news source Missouri Scout.
But if we don’t raise another $500k in the next few weeks, Missouri and its patients are out of luck, and probably for a couple of years.
Missouri represents the middle of the middle of the United States and is considered a political bellwether by many. Indeed, my choice to move back home to fight this fight was largely influenced by my experiences abroad when I was working on international drug policy for Students for Sensible Drug Policy. I saw firsthand how policies around the world would only change when the United States changed. So I went straight back to my roots. I left California and moved back home to the Show-Me State.
I could make a lot of money if I left Missouri to work in Colorado or Oregon or California. But I need to get this done first, and I need your help to do it.
Thank you for helping patients in Missouri and for helping patients around the world. We can only get this done together – and that means you!
In solidarity,
Amber Iris Langston
Deputy Director, Show-Me Cannabis
