The Alabama Medical Marijuana Coalition (AMMJC) is working towards bringing medical marijuana to America’s Deep South by hosting a series of picnic-meetings across the state.

The Group’s second event was held Saturday and close to 70 people turned up, including Rep K.L. Brown (R-Jackonsville) who assured those present there’s a “good possibility” he will sponsor a Medical Marijuana bill in the Alabama legislature next year.

Brown believes some legislators will never get past the word marijuana and the stigma attached to it; he attended the picnic with the express aim of learning about the issue and the AMMJC. And he does have some personal experience of the problem, having witnessed how medical marijuana relieved his sister’s pain and nausea when she was dying from breast cancer back in 1987. Thinking back to that painful time in his life, Brown remembered, “marijuana tablets were very helpful to her there, especially at the end.”

It’s personal stories such as his own that Brown feels pave the way to success for any future bill. He counselled the AMMJC to tell the personal stories; to share intimate memories of loved ones battles against pain and nausea and being helped by medical marijuana. It’s in these shared experiences, he feels, that will give the bill a chance of success in Montgomery.

Speaking of the AMMJC’s journey thus far he said, “They were the hardest working guys in Montgomery last year, and I think they made a lot of headway. If we can go at it with the same energy as the past year, maybe we can have some success this time.”

In response, AMMJC Co-President, Ron Crumpton, said, “We worked with Represantative Brown during the last session… He is great at what he does because he seems so mild mannered, yet he is surprisingly tenacious. He just calmly beats you over the head with reason and facts until you have almost no choice but to agree with him.”

Crumpton went on to say there are two things essential to getting the medical marijuana bill to pass in a Legislature state: you have to build relationships with legislators and you have to conquer the stigma associated with weed.

The relationships, he said, were forged during the last session. This session will be about dealing with the public and professional’s perception of marijuana. Do that and the Bill will pass, Crumpton said.

Help bring Medical Marijuana to Alabama

The picnic-meetings are scheduled to continue, and they’re fun as well as a practical way to gather support. To find out more find AMMJC at their own website or request to join the Facebook group.

Another way of helping is to write letters to:

• Editors of local newspapers
  
• Representatives in the Alabama Legislature
  
• Senators in the Alabama Legislature
  

Share