Taking Action in general  

What do we hope to accomplish ... how? Why? Some of their immediate objectives are to inform & educate about the therapeutic benefits as well as the true costs of the War. For examples, Check out -    Initiative 9 -- Oregon Cannabis Tax Act (OCTA)    Initiative 24 -- Oregon Marijuana Policy Intiative (OMPI)

  Taking the Intiative(s!)  

Support Your Local Initiative, or Do It Yourself! Our movement is at a turning point where we decide whether we make a bold step forward this year or merely tread water and wait for a future election cycle to manifest our dreams. Do we decide our fate or do we let brain-dead, cannabis-ignorant, bought-by-someone-else legislators decide the future for us. Petitioning is what will determine which path we take so I wanted to talk a little about the process and hopefully inspire some action. Qualifying and winning the marijuana initiatives this year is still possible. It will take an uprising where hundreds of people decide to take action. We need people to stop standing at the beach, watching the waves and the few brave swimmers and start diving in. Once you make the plunge, the water feels alright. In 1984 Jack Herer showed up at my door in Portland with several friends. He wasn't there to preach about how Hemp can save the planet, although that was on his mind too. He was there to petition. Most people don't realize that Jack was a great petitioner and recognized petitioning as THE core activity that was going to legalize marijuana. Not talking, not writing (we all know he did that too) but petitioning, where you move from complaining to your friends about how unjust marijuana prohibition is to asking strangers if they would like to help end it. Jack, with experience in sales had learned the skills it took to be an efficient petitioner: Courage - you have to get past the silly fear of rejection. It doesn't matter if every person you ask agrees to sign, it only matters that you ask everyone - enough will say yes. Diligence - asking all the questions to make sure the signature is valid: "Excuse me madam, are you registered to vote in Oregon?... Will you help me end marijuana prohibition by signing this initiative petition so Oregonians can vote on it this fall?... Please use the address where you registered.You haven't already signed have you - because signing twice really hurts us." Stamina - you just have to put in the time. The signatures are there, you just have to be there long enough to ask enough people. Jack knew to never give up. As the July deadline neared back in the 80s, Jack would take people out late at night. Even after the shopping centers were closed and no one was at the parks, we would drive around and hit 7-11s and Plaid Pantrys getting a signature here, a few signatures there. That late night petitioning provided just the extra boost that we needed to get enough signatures to qualify. Lindsey Bradshaw also taught me much about petitioning and politics. "90% of politics is being there" he used to say and I learn how true it is every year. Lindsey got over 13,000 signatures during one of our campaigns, a record that stood until Billy Kyle Locasio got over 20,000 for Measure 74. Billy is a professional, one of the best ever, but Lindsey did it for free, for the love of marijuana, truth, justice and freedom. And he did it at a time when some people were so hostile their answers were not just a "NO" but almost a threat to hurt you. Another friend I met on the ganja trail was Louie Montano. Like Jack, I met him because he showed up at my house willing to help. Louie decided he would petition every day. In fact he decided he wouldn't come home until he got at least 100 signatures every day. He did that for almost three months. A few times he didn't show up til after midnight. But he got the signatures and we got on the ballot. Jack and Lindsey are gone. It is sad that they won't be here to enjoy our victory. I hope we honor their memory by being inspired by their work and doing what it takes to save the marijuana initiatives. WE CAN QUALIFY. WE CAN GET A CHANCE TO END MARIJUANA PROHIBITION. RISE UP. BE A PART OF OUR VICTORY. This is what you can do: 1) Start communicating with your friends, family and neighbors. Explain that the fate of two marijuana initiatives is in the hands of the people and if enough people collect signatures Oregon will have the most dramatic debate and vote on marijuana ever. Find some friends to agree to go petitioning with you. 2) Download petition sheets, mount them on a clipboard (a piece of cardboard and two rubber bands works fine) 3) Carry your petitions with you until July 5. Ask EVERYONE to sign. Carry lots of pens - they disappear. 4) Spend a day where you focus on petitioning. Go to the park, hit the line waiting for a show, find a place where people are passing by and ask them to sign. 5) Plan on petitioning on July 4. Thousands of people are out celebrating and waiting for fireworks. Celebrate our freedom and liberty by petitioning. 6) Come to a Unity Rally being organized for Thursday (more details to follow) 7) Come to a Unity Fundraiser being organized for Saturday or Sunday (more details to follow) 8) Light up the internet - blog on face book, or just get out your phone book and activate your friends. There are around 200 people here on dpfor. If we each get 100 signatures, that alone will put the marijuana initiatives within range. If a bunch of us can motivate a few of our friends, we can magnify our numbers. The paid crews are going to keep at it until the deadline but they need the boost of a real uprising of effective political action from us, the volunteers that must be the heart and soul of this movement. Imagine Oregon in 2013. Imagine no one is arrested for marijuana. Now let's make it happen! John Sajo Volunteer petitioner   SOME TIPs on Registering Voters and Petitioning REGISTERING VOTERS. People signing Petitions must be registered to vote. You can register as often as you want. When in doubt, register again. A person can register and vote if over 18 (at time of election) and resident of state. Note! FELONs can register and vote in Oregon even while on probation or parole. The only exception is when in jail or prison. If someone has their hands full, you can fill out the Voters Registration form for them EXCEPT for the Name and Date. Make sure the person registering Signs and Dates the form. Once they have registered, it is best that they wait ten days and then sign. Some people have tried forward-dating their signature on the petition, while others have tried backdating the form - these are not good methods. They can take a petition with them and mail it back (get their friends to sign, too) or you can let them no where to catch up with us again. They should also find location information through all our media. PETITIONERs. When generating copies or printing off the website, make sure the paper is correct weight (20lb, 24/60lb or 70lb) and that copies are legible. The petition side should be clear, aligned and full size. The cover page side should be legible, aligned in the middle. They should be on one sheet, each on one side. The top of the cover page should line up with the left-hand side of the petition when you flip the page over. NOTE: Oregon election laws require petitioners to carry a complete copy of the text of the initiative they are representing. Copies of the Initiative text are available from the same place signature gatherers can get Petition sheets. Make sure you have a copy of the text with you. Contact your local Organization or Activist for a copy. Make sure they are registered. Make sure they sign only once per election cycle. If someone has their hands full, you can fill out the Voters Registration form for them EXCEPT for the Signature and Date. Make sure the person registering Signs and Dates the petition. Voters in Oregon should not sign using a P.O. Box. It makes it harder to confirm, when necessary. Explain to signers and try to get them to write down the same address where they are registered to vote -- their current address -- and if necessary, to fill out a voter registration card (which you should have with you) if they have changed addresses since last registering. THE "FRED MEYER" SITUATION. There was a case decided where it was ruled that a store could tell petitioners where to go (!) IF IN DOUBT, GO AHEAD and try. They can’t arrest you without warning. Select your spot and start petitioning. Be polite and unobtrusive as possible. Don’t argue or pursue and NEVER shout. If approached my management, try to address concerns, find parameters and work out solutions. If all else, just find another spot. You can’t gather signatures while in jail or otherwise uselessly debating with the ignorant!

  Organizations and Activists  

_____________________________________________ Contacts - for more political action PORTLAND: Voter Power Portland, Oregon, 97205. Phone: 503.224-3051, email: office@voterpower.org, or visit: www.voterpower.org SALEM: Medical Cannabis Resource Center (503-363-4588) * info@mercycenters.org www.MercyCenters.org EUGENE: Eugene Compassion Center PH# 541.484.6558 * FAX# 541.484.0891 http://www.compassioncenter.net

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