Below are some of the projects the CDC has undertaken since our founding 2 years ago. Also see the Accounting page.
Strategic Goal: Supporting Prosecuted Patients
Traveled to medical cannabis court hearings and trials throughout Washington State to bear witness and provide moral support.
Created the Washington State Potline, a toll-free medical marijuana hotline where one may obtain legal info, attorney listings, and report marijuana arrests in Washington State. cdc.coop/potline
Placed newspaper ads attacking county prosecutors who intentionally focus on medical marijuana prosecutions. cdc.coop/tucker_ad and cdc.coop/hauge_ad
Strategic Goal: Defending and Expanding RCW 69.51A
Hired veteran lobbyist Lonnie Johns-Brown to work for passage of SB 5798 to expand our medical marijuana law to include naturopathic doctors, phsyicians' assistants, and nurse practitioners. Worked with bill sponsor and 36th District Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles to successfully pass the bill, which was signed into law by Governor Gregoire. cdc.coop/lobby
Filed a 1700-page public disclosure request with the Department of Corrections to determine how their parolee medical marijuana policy came about. The documents have shed light on a specific medical marijuana case where it appears DOC violated the law and attempted to cover it up. cdc.coop/doc
Filed public disclosure requests with the state Department of Health for records of medical marijuana related investigations of doctors, after hearing about cases in which law enforcement agencies were using the DOH complaint process to harass doctors. cdc.coop/doh_investigations
Created a public awareness campaign surrounding the Department of Health hearings to define what constitutes a "60-day supply" under our medical marijuana law. cdc.coop/doh
Filed a petition with the Washington State Medical Quality Assurance Commission to add a "qualifying condition" to our medical marijuana law. cdc.coop/mqac
Sent a letter to every county sheriff, prosecutor and public defenders' office in the state informing them about the new Department of Health medical marijuana regulations, and reminding them about the overwhelming public support for medical marijuana. cdc.coop/prosecutor_mailing
Strategic Goal: Cannabis Education and Awareness
Compiled and printed our Courtroom Observation Companion, the quintessential guide to medical marijuana in Washington State.
Created the Cannabis Resource Center in Seattle's South Park neighborhood -- now in Sodo -- a public space dedicated to cannabis activism, which houses our offices. cdc.coop/crc
Started a Cannabis College Night, offering weekly classes on marijuana law, medical cannabis cultivation, and the like. cdc.coop/college
Joined the Adopt-A-Highway program, cleaning up our very own signed section of the Maple Valley Highway, SR-169. cdc.coop/adoptahighway
Opened a cafe to serve food to the under-served community of South Park, and to encourage the general public to visit our cannabis activist community center. cdc.coop/cafe
Printed and distributed thousands of free buttons and stickers with the message "stop arresting medical marijuana patients." Created and sold t-shirts with slogans in support of medical cannabis. cdc.coop/art
Strategic Goal: Standing Up For Cannabis
Organized and fundraised the 2010 Seattle Marijuana Liberation March.
Created posters seeking the identity of the confidential informant in the Joe Hyer case, in which the Olympia city councilmember was set up for a pot bust by another recently ousted councilmember and political mentor, possibly to pay off a drunk driving charge or as a simple act of revenge. cdc.coop/hyer_case
Set up a "freedom to travel" defense fund for Phil Mocek, a CDC member arrested at the Albuquerque Airport while returning from a drug policy conference for failing to show identification to federal TSA agents, and for recording with prior permission. cdc.coop/tsa_arrest
This Tuesday is Seattle Night Out Against Crime. Every year, the Seattle Police Department encourages the humble citizens of Seattle to shut down their street and throw a block party. (Whose streets? Our streets.) The CDC is participating in the events, and will be hosting a BBQ on Occidental Ave behind our building -- a main thoroughfare for game day pedestrian traffic.
The Mariners take on Texas at home that evening, so consider heading down early, taking public transit, and/or parking a few blocks away. We'll have a handful of grills, an assortment of seating, a few hundred hot dogs, and a tofu dog or two.
What: Seattle Night Out Against Crime BBQ - sponsored by CDC and SPD
When: Tuesday, August 3, 2010, from 6 p.m.
Where: Occidental Ave, behind the Cannabis Resource Center, 1714 1st Ave S in Sodo
Feel free, but not obligated, to bring additional grilling items, fruits, veggies, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks to share with the CDC crew and random passers by.
Cannabis Defense Coalition meets the first Monday of the month. Our next public meeting is Monday, August 2nd, and will be held at the new Cannabis Resource Center, 1714 1st Ave S. in Seattle, just two blocks south of Safeco field. (There is no game that night, so parking should be fine.) The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. and is open to the public.
* What: Cannabis Defense Coalition August Session
* When: Monday, August 2, 2010, at 7:00 p.m.
* Where: Cannabis Resource Center, 1714 1st Ave S in Seattle
* Map: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1714+1st+Ave+S+98134
This month's agenda will focus heavily our new Sodo location, site plans, permitting and build out.
July 21, 2010 -- Dr. Michele Sexton is a clinical researcher at the UW Department of Pharmacology, working in the Laboratory of Brain Immunology run by Dr. Nephi Stella. The Stella Lab is currently researching the cannabinoid signaling system in the brain, and specifically whether agents acting through CB2 receptors can boost the brain’s immune system against brain tumors and/or temper the autoimmune response associated with multiple sclerosis. It is, in short, amazing research, happening right in our own back yard. See:
Dr. Sexton has proposed a community cannabinoid testing project, which would allow Washington State patients and providers to test medicinal cannabis for cannabinoid content -- THC, CBD, CBN, etc. After recent visits to similar testing sites in California and Montana, Dr. Sexton believes we can have this project up and running for around $3,500. With that we could purchase the methodology, the "standards," and everything necessary to create testing samples. Cost per test would likely be between $100-200 and would require one gram of sample material.
Can you imagine being able to test your medicinal cannabis for constituent cannabinoid content? Medical marijuana has been a reality in our state for 12 years, and we have never had real access to scientific cannabis testing. Different strains of cannabis differently affect different people and different conditions. Some folks explain this as simply as "the sativa strains give you more of a heady high, and the indica strains give you more of a body high." In reality it has to do largely with the varying levels of cannabinoids in the plant at hand. And there is no home testing kit for that, so pretty much Washington State patients *can never know*.
This would change that situation, take us out of the unknown and down the path of knowing. And the cost to make that dream a reality is $3,500. The CDC has pledged to fundraise $1,500 of that, but we're hoping we can do better. Please consider taking one or more of the following actions:
1. "Chip in" below with a paypal donation.
2. Send money to CDC, Box 45622, Seattle, WA 98145.
3. Drop by the new Cannabis Resource Center, 1714 1st Ave S. and donate in person.
4. Send a pledge to info@cdc.coop -- e.g. "I'm good for $100 on this project."
5. We are trying to gauge community interest. Let us know if you or anyone you know would be interested in using this service, how often, how many samples, etc. Email info@cdc.coop.
Such thoughtful, cost effective projects need real support. The cannabis community is well service by small tithing to projects like this. Small contributions compounded can generate great return.
Project balance sheet Updated August 12, 2010
These are the pledges and contributions received for this project:
Date
Amount
Status
Name
7/21
$50.00
Pledge
Lisa via email
7/24
$10.00
Collected
Chip-in donation
7/30
$50.00
Pledge
David in person
8/1
$500.00
Pledge
Seattle Compassion on Wheels
8/9
$100.00
Collected
Chip-in donation
8/9
$500.00
Pledge
Purple Cross
8/9
$50.00
Pledge
Essence in person
8/12
$100.00
Collected
Green Hope Patient Network chip-in
8/21
$10.00
Collected
Donation at Hempfest booth
Current project balance is $1470.00- $3500.00 = -$2030.00.
The estimated volunteer labor contributed to this project is 10 hours.
July 16, 2010 -- Last Friday, the Washington State Medical Quality Assurance Commission approved a petition to add "chronic renal failure with hemodialysis" to the list of conditions for which marijuana may be recommended in our state. The commission rejected a petition to add Alzheimer's and a petition to add neuropathic pain.
The Commission noted that medical marijuana use is currently grounds for kidney transplant denial in our state. One commission member suggested our state's medical marijuana transplant denial policy could change in the future. Until then, the commission suggests that nefrologists and kidney patients be fully informed about this potential to "affect future treatment options,"
The petition submitted by the Cannabis Defense Coalition for neuropathic pain was denied. The reason for denials seems to be one or more of the following:
1. The term "neuropathic pain" is broad and somewhat ambiguous
2. Many neuropathic pain patients are already covered by the "intractable pain unrelieved by standard treatments or medications" clause.
3. The commission doesn't support the use of medical marijuana as a "first line" treatment for neuropathic pain patients.
If we wish to appeal the decision, we must file suit in in superior court. We believe in the veracity of our petition, that cannabis is effective in the treatment of neuropathic pain, and that scientific studies back this up. We intend to appeal the decision, and are working to find an administrative appeals lawyer to take the case. We expect this to cost many thousands of dollars. Financial support for this project is most appreciated.
July 1, 2010 -- It's official: We have a new home at 1714 1st Ave. South in Seattle's SODO district. We are going to need help from all our able-bodied members and friends to complete our move.
On Thursday, June 17, 2010 we present Hashish. In this class you will learn how to make bubble hash, this hands on class will cover all aspects of hashish production. This class is open to patients and providers only, please bring your dr's note.
What: Hashish
When: Thursday, June 17, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Cannabis Resource Center, 8456 Dallas Ave S in South Park
Every Thursday night is Cannabis College Night at the Cannabis Resource Center. All classes are $20, with a $10 discount for CDC members, unless otherwise noted. For more information you can visit http://cdc.coop/college
The proprietor of the Green Buddha Patient Network, who took over several web sites earlier this month -- including the web sites for two "competing" medical marijuana dispensaries, and the head of the I-1068 campaign who used to be her employer -- has issued a statement threatening to inform law enforcement authorities about the locations of several medical marijuana grows associated with her competition.
Date: Sun, 23 May 2010 15:08:33 -0700
From: Salaried Growers <salariedgrowers@gmail.com>
To: becky@hempfest.org, rx13guy@hotmail.com, ben@inwa.net
Subject: tick tick tick"tick, tick, tick" Dale plays a dangerous game sending threatening text messages when so many of his salaried growers could be at risk...
Dale plays a dangerous game calling and threatening others patient co-ops, scaring staff with bomb threats and sending threatening text messages "tick tick tick" when so many of his salaried growers could be at risk...
This is the only time you will get this message,
any more threats to ANY of the competing patient co-ops -
any more bomb threats or tick tick tick text messages to ANY of the competing co-ops -
will result in the publication of at least four of the Dunshee House/Compassion salaried growers' homes,
as well informing the authorities as to the plants to be found there...
ONE more such threatening message sent in any form will lead to this result.
Note in the comments section of these Seattle Weekly articles that Muraco Kyashna-tocha has begun repeatedly commenting under "third party" pseudonyms. Kyashna-tocha is well-known throughout the medical marijuana community for this type of erratic behavior.
The web site seattlegreencross.org was altered, apparantly by Ms. Kyashna-tocha in her ongoing electronic retaliation campaign against Compassion In Action after a Green Buddha patient reported to her that his landlord mother was left with $2,200 in unpaid utility bills in a rental deal gone sour.
The web site, maintained by the Green Cross Patient Co-op, used to answer the question "How do I find a marijuana friendly doctor?" with information on educating one's doctor. It now reads:
How can one find a "marijuana-friendly" doctor?
cannacare.org 206-319-0600
Their is no list of "medicinal marijuana" doctors maintained. The protections of the Medical Marijuana Act are meant to be applied to the relationship a patient already has with their current physician. The best place for a patient to start is to have an honest discussion with their own doctor. If that doesn't work try the cannacare.org web site. Resources and reports about MMJ in Washington State: cannacare.org
Reading into Ms. Kyashna-tocha's often confusing action and prolific, cryptic writing, she seems to be rallying against medical marijuana authorization clinics which operate in conjunction with medical marijuana dispensaries. On the www.douglashiatt.com web site, she added an auto-playing, profanity-laced message left on CannaCare's voicemail by Dale Rogers, who she describes as:
"head of Dunshee House/Compassion - where you get authorized AND your meds all within the same organization."
More as this story continues to unfold.
May 3 - Site updated with angry voicemail
Monday night, Kyashna-tocha updated the DouglasHiatt.com site to automatically play a profanity-laced voicemail left by Compassion In Action head Dale Rogers which accuses Kyashna-tocha of working for Steve Sarich's CannaCare on the CannaCare voicemail. The site reads:
"From Dale Rogers head of the Dunshee House/Compassion - where you get authorized AND your meds all within the same organization"
Kyashna-tocha goes on to make a claim that she is the rightful owner of DouglasHiatt.com:
"Contrary to the confusion - this domain has NEVER been owned by the attorney Douglas Hiatt (same as whitehouse.net ain't owned by the White House). Douglas Hiatt once had an email address associated with this domain but that imparts NO ownership (does your gmail account mean you own a bit of google?) and this domain no longer hosts any email."
The domain is still for sale for $4000, money that will be repaid to a Green Buddha patient Kyashna-tocha felt was slighted by a Compassion In Action patient in what appears to be a co-beneficial rental situation turned landlord-tenant dispute.
May 2 - Douglas Hiatt's web site hacked
Seattle, WA -- The owner of a Seattle medical marijuana dispensary has launched a cyber-attack against the sponsor of a statewide marijuana legalization initiative.
Muraco Kyashna-tocha, proprietor of the Green Buddha patient network, deleted the web site for Compassion In Action, another local dispensary. Kyashna-tocha runs a web hosting company and started hosting the site while she worked as legal assistant to the organization's long-time attorney, Douglas Hiatt. Last week the group found its email non-working, its popular discussion list deleted, and its web site redirected to a third local marijuana provider, CannaCare.
Mr. Hiatt contacted his former assistant last week in hopes of resolving the issue between the two dispensaries. In response, Ms. Kyashna-tocha launched an attack on her former employer's web site, DouglasHiatt.com. Having originally registered the domain name on her employer's behalf, Kyashna-tocha still had the login details for Mr. Hiatt's domain name. Over the weekend, the Green Buddha owner took over Mr. Hiatt's domain, moving his web hosting from a third party to her web hosting company, redirecting his email, and replacing his web site with a $4,000 ransom demand. In alluding to her ransom reasoning, Kyashna-tocha wrote:
"ALL proceeds will go to pay for the damage ($2k approx) and unpaid utility bills ($2.2k approx) for that West Seattle house rented by the Dunshee folks ..."
That statement has now been replaced with a page stating the site has "a new owner," that it is still available for $4000, and ends with:
"Respectful medical marijuana patients DO NOT trash rental properties and they pay their utility bills!"
From what we can gather, this has something to do with a Green Buddha patient claiming that a Compassion In Action patient attempted to rent a house from them, and some months into the agreement, the relationship soured. When the Green Buddha matriarch received word of this, she decided to take action against her cross-town rival -- and their attorney.
Mr. Hiatt is the primary sponsor of statewide Initiative 1068 which would legalize marijuana if enacted by voters. He also represents numerous medical marijuana patients and dispensaries throughout Washington State. He expressed concern that the state and federal courts send him notices through email, and now that the Green Buddha has redirected his email, he is no longer receiving these notices.
The Cannabis Defense Coalition adopted a section of Highway 169 in Maple Valley, Washington. On September 3, 2009, the Department of Transportation installed our sign, and we had our first clean-up on September 27, 2009.
Our next adopt-a-highway cleanup and BBQ is Sunday, April 18, 2010. We meet locally at high noon (clean up our stretch of the Maple Valley High Way, then head back for an afternoon BBQ.
