Greetings,
Considering what happened both good and bad on November 8, the California Democratic Party's 300+ member Executive Board meeting in San Diego on Friday, Nov. 18 – Sunday, November 20 is going to be quite the event. The Brownie Mary Democrats will be there to participate with a display table and a meeting and you are cordially invited to attend.
We will be holding a General Membership meeting as required by our bylaws at the CaDEM Executive Board meeting on Saturday, November 19 at 7:30 p.m. The exact location of the meeting is to be determined. Details on the BMD-CA meeting, staffing our display table and so on is provided below.
With passage of Prop. 64 in California, legalization initiatives in Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada and medical marijuana initiatives in Arkansas, Florida, Montana and North Dakota, the momentum is definitely accelerating towards ending marijuana prohibition. It is a fragile momentum that must be carefully guarded and strengthened. The Brownie Mary Democrats can be in the vanguard of providing the leadership and political acumen for continuing the incredible progress that has been made over the last four years.
The ascension of Donald Trump to the presidency is troubling and problematic. Although he made several statements during the election supporting the rights of states to allow for marijuana legalization and the development of state regulations and licensing procedures for its distribution, his flip-flopping on issues is well-known. Most worrisome is the tapping of NJ Gov. Chris Christie and former NY Mayor Rudolph Giuliani for strategic advice and possible appointment as Attorney General as they are well-known for their long-standing opposition to medical and adult use marijuana.
Even more disturbing is his cuddling up with and glowing endorsement of the National Fraternal Order of Police, the nation’s largest police labor organization. Police have been the main opponents to marijuana law reform as marijuana prohibition and the War on Drugs represents a substantial amount of discretionary money for police and they don’t want to lose their $50 billion a year golden goose. There should be significant concern that they will use their newfound influence to convince Trump and his administration to enforce federal law and crack down on states that have permitted the medical and adult-use of marijuana.
It is also imperative that we do not make the same mistakes we made when Prop. 215 was passed in 2015. Rather than descend on our state legislators demanding implementation legislation, medical marijuana advocates did essentially nothing. Our passivity has come at a terrible cost with patients and providers arrested, distribution and cultivation made difficult or banned outright and prices for marijuana remaining exorbitantly high.
BMD-CA and the Brownie Mary Democratic Clubs need to join with other marijuana organizations and the truly impressive list of endorses of Prop. 64 to uniformly and successfully pressure our legislators to pass implementing legislation that furthers the goals, intentions and spirit of Prop. 64. We must enshrine in state law the rights of all adults and medical marijuana patients to have safe, reliable, local and affordable access to marijuana.
The BMD-CA meeting will address these issues plus bylaw changes, the revised resolution we introduced relating to Section 280e of the IRS code that will be voted on at the Eboard meeting, our role in the national, state and local Democratic Party, the role of marijuana in the Democratic Party, supporting the election of Democrats to office especially those favorable to marijuana and drug law reform and more.
The CaDEM Eboard meeting takes place Friday, Nov. 18 through Sunday, Nov. 20 at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay, 1441 Quivira Rd., San Diego, CA 92109. To review the Eboard agenda and obtain more information about the Nov. 18 - 20 Eboard meeting CLICK HERE. If you would like to attend the meeting, I have a limited number of free observer passes for members to attend the Eboard meeting, so please let me know if you would like one.
I have one room available on Saturday, Nov. 19 at the motel some of us are staying at. It is located in Old Town San Diego, about 7 minutes from the Eboard meeting. The cost is $52. Contact me ASAP if you want to stay there.
Below is the tentative agenda for the BMD-CA meeting on Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. As mentioned above, the exact location of the meeting is not yet known, but the location will be sent out in a future email newsletter and the location information can also be obtained at our display table at the Eboard meeting. The display table will be in operation on Friday, Nov. 18 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 19 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Sunday, Nov. 20 from 9 a.m. to Noon. We could use some volunteers to staff the table, so please let me know if you will be coming and would like to help out.
Below is the tentative agenda for the BMD-CA meeting. If anyone would like to have additional topics considered, please let me know by emailing me at [email protected] or calling 760-799-2055.
Brownie Mary Democrats of California
Meeting November 19, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.
AGENDA
- Call to order
- Minutes
- Treasurer report
- Resolution on sec. 280E
- Prop. 64 – what’s going to happen, implementing legislation, where do we go next, how to protect it, how to make it better, how to reconcile the split in marijuana advocates, working with the Democratic party, analysis of local regulations and how to get local communities to allow access and implementation of AUMA
- Trump administration - protecting the gains we have made on medical marijuana and adult use marijuana from an assault by the feds, what programs need to be established, forming alliances with other Democratic organizations and other progressive groups, rallies – protests - demonstrations
- Guest speaker - TBA
- Update on BMD-CA in CaDEM– where do we stand, where do we want to go, coalitions with other Democrats to rebuild the party, working with elected Democrats on local, state and national level,
- By law changes regarding having teleconference meetings and votes by mail
- Fundraisers
- Increasing Membership & Attracting New Members
- Other business
- Adjournment
Lastly - The Democratic Party is undergoing a transformation from the disaster that befell the party in the 2016 elections. How that transformation occurs and what form it takes is up to us. Many feel that we need to take the party in a far more progressive direction and that it is time to get rid of the old guard, their ties to Wall St. and war mongering ways. The party needs fresh and bold ideas on immigration, law reform, climate change, income inequality and so much more – i.e. the Bernie Sanders revolution that almost happened.
Progressives are now attempting to take control of the Democratic Party from the old war horses and its starting with a plea by Bernie Sanders to elect Keith Ellison chair of the National Democratic Party. Ellison is supported by Senators Charles Schumer, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders and is co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and founded the Congressional Consumer Justice Caucus.
Senator Sanders is urging everyone to sign the petition to have Ellison elected as chair of the DNC. It already has over quarter million signatures. If you want to add yours, CLICK HERE.
We can still use some additional funding, so if you have not made a donation to help pay for our expenses at the Eboard meeting you can do so now - just CLICK HERE.
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