Today’s press conference in Boston is not the only way that advocates for medical marijuana and medical cannabis are trying to inspire action among the upper echelon of state politicians. On Friday, September 13th, 2014, Niki Smokes, legally Nicole Snow, approached the Governor of her state after a press conference where he had endorsed another candidate. She hand delivered a letter to him at around 3:00 pm that she had written on behalf of herself and other medical marijuana patients across the state.
The letter, which follows, is short and direct, as was Snow’s approach to the Governor. She simply asked him to please read her letter because it was important. She then asked if he would read it, and he answered, “I will.”
“Dear Governor Deval Patrick,
My name is Nichole Snow and I am a Medical Cannabis Patient of MA. I am writing this letter to ask on behalf of myself and the collected interest of the Medical Cannabis Patients of Massachusetts, “Why have you not responded to our request to encourage the MA Department of Public Health to expand the caregiver system?”
The Caregiver Ratio allows only one caregiver to care for one patient at a time. This ratio is effectively leaving out patients that need medical cannabis the most, while forcing caregivers to choose between one patient or the other. This restriction is not only apathetic, it is doing exactly the opposite of what the law intended to do, which was to increase safe access to patients.
Please help us to motivate the DPH to fix the caregiver system by allowing caregivers to cultivate for up to 5 patients. This would allow for safe access to patients while we await the dispensary openings.
Sincerely yours,
Nichole Snow”
With mounting political pressure and an election looming, advocates and activists remain optimistic that action may be taken to remedy some of the more serious issues with the Massachusetts medical marijuana program (particularly the caregiver restrictions). If the Governor actually followed through and read her letter, he may be increasingly open to supporting immediate medical marijuana reform in the state.
For previous Ladybud Magazine articles about Massachusetts and the state medical cannabis program, click here.