How Dare You!

That’s right, I said HOW DARE YOU! How dare you judge us from behind your gloss finished, solid wood desk, in your cushy leather button-tufted chair. Sitting comfortably in your overly ornate office that “we the taxpayers” afforded you. Yes you! OUR Senators and Representatives that oppose a FULLY comprehensive medical cannabis bill. One that would provide relief to so many.

We live with unrelenting pain, nausea, vomiting, spasms, seizures, wasting, diabetes and more. We watch our children, parents, siblings and other loved ones going through things every day that we wouldn’t wish on our worst enemies. We are people and we deserve more! You try to make the world believe that the most vulnerable among us are fighting for cannabis only to satiate a desire to get high. When you look at the highly addictive and intoxicating drugs that are currently being prescribed, cannabis should be the least of your worries. The time has long passed for you to do the right thing.

You want to play God with people’s lives? You want to play doctor? This has gone on long enough! We have prayed for your hearts to find compassion. We have pleaded to you for our loved ones and ourselves. What will it take? Someone dying? Someone in your own family or circle of friends being stricken with a life threatening or terminal condition? Will that get your attention? What then? Will you pass a bill that only helps them? Or will you do what so many across the state are being forced to do right now and become a criminal to save them? I have to wonder how you sleep at night. We have been scolded, like children, when we ask you “what would you do if this was someone in YOUR family?”

“Leave my family out of this!” you say as you scowl at us. How fortunate you are. How blessed you are that you CAN leave your family out of this. However, WE are not so fortunate, we are not so blessed.

We count our blessings in tiny increments. I got out of bed today. I kept an entire meal down. I was able to take my child out without her having a seizure in the middle of Target. I got through a cup of coffee without the tremors forcing a piping hot spill in my lap. My mother remembered my face today.

Why can’t we have more good minutes, hours and days? I cannot wrap my head around it no matter how I try. Watching your fellow man suffer. Allowing antiquated propaganda and misinformation to rule you. Allowing drug cartels to not only thrive but to dictate whether good people can have a chance at a quality of life.

On May 12th,  SB3 passed the Senate with overwhelming support. We couldn’t have felt more elated. We were finally being heard. We were finally being shown the compassion that we so desperately prayed for. We swelled with pride looking down on the Senate floor that day at the forty men and women who cared enough to vote YES!

Our jubilation quickly turned to a feeling of uncertainty as we were dealt another crushing blow on May 14th. SB3 was sent to the House Health Committee. This is where all cannabis-related bills go to die. Was this done intentionally? Was there just too much hope on the part of the advocates? Perhaps it was felt we needed knocked down a peg or two. We have fought so hard already. We are tired of having to fight with those who are supposed to do the will of the people.

So, we will put on our combat boots every day, lace them up and forge on. This is a battle we cannot afford to lose. When will enough be enough? When will you finally see that the people you are denying could just as easily be you, your spouse, your baby, your parent, your best friend? When will you support a fully comprehensive medical cannabis program in Pennsylvania? WHEN WILL YOU HELP US?

~Dana Ulrich