Medical Marijuana
During the 1970’s and 1980’s the Federal Government provided medical cannabis to a very limited group of patients who demonstrated exceptional need for the herb. The AIDS epidemic resulted in the program being deluged with applications for access to marijuana, causing President George HW Bush to close the program to all new applicants. This act resulted in a spirited campaign in the San Francisco area to solve this large need for safe access to medical grade cannabis. A few individuals gained national attention for their bold acts of civil disobedience in defiance of Federal and State drug laws to get medicine to sick and dying HIV/AIDS patients.
“Brownie Mary” Rathburn was arrested-twice-for openly bringing marijuana brownies to the World AIDS Conference. Dennis Peron actually began publicly distributing medical cannabis out of a small building in San Francisco, eventually moving into a three-story mega-center and providing to more than 25,000 patients across the State.
When these individuals began lobbying local governments to institute policies not to arrest and prosecute seriously ill patients, they were met with firm resistance and were told regularly “You have to change the law.” Adopting the challenge as a campaign slogan, the small but very motivated group launched a statewide campaign to do just that, change the law. From the moment Prop 215 made the ballot it ignited a firestorm of controversy, causing everyone from the CA Attorney General to then-President Bill Clinton to actively campaign against its passage.
Despite a large campaign to stop the ballot initiative, it passed with an overwhelming majority of 56%, not receiving less than 50% in any single county. Within ten years, 13 states, multiple municipalities, and even Washington DC would pass laws to protect medical cannabis patients,