I have been an active part of the medical cannabis movement for a number of years and have gotten to know many people from all over that have the common goal of making cannabis available safely and legally to patients everywhere.  Cultivators, manufacturers, dispensing collectives, activists, lawyers, leaders and members of advocacy groups, patients, and celebrities all seem on the surface to have mutual goals and wishes concerning cannabis.  Why is it that it is so difficult to achieve greater progress through unity?  Why is it that the different "tribes," as I like to call them cannot seem to find a way to put the differences aside and begin to work on projects more efficiently an effectively to achieve a higher level of success?

It has been almost twelve years since the passage of Prop. 215 and yet we still see minor bickering and petty quarrels inhibiting progress, as most organizations and individuals choose to march to the beat of their own drum.  There are many personal and unrelated differences that often interfere with the communication process and often we are less served as a community based on petty differences.  The every man for themselves attitude needs to begin to change, and there is a bit of progress in that direction; but definitely not enough.

We must find a way to achieve greater unity and begin to develop common strategies for success to combat the lies and misinformation that begin to eat away at the core value of the medical cannabis movement, which is patient safety.  Most of us are here to ensure that patients are treated safely by law enforcement, have access to clean and safe medicine, and avoid unnecessary and costly practices related to prohibition.

I ask you today to join me in an act of unity.  I am reaching out to some of the people I have had differences in philosophy in the past and opening lines of communication through compromise and giving.  I ask us all to be the bigger person and find not the faults of your adversaries within the movement, but the positive things they have to offer to the community.  Reach out and let the many people that make up this movement know that we appreciate them for their work and that we are all one, with common beliefs and goals.  Let your fellow members of the community know the respect you have for their efforts and offer to lend a hand when needed.  Be a kinder, gentler, and more understanding community and hopefully we can find methods of unity that will push our movement ahead to making safe access to cannabis as a medicine a true reality.