Iowa Patients founder calls out legislature

Iowa Patients founder Jimmy Morrison shares statement from Maria Smallow,
then calls out the 4 legislators in attendance for failing the patients of Iowa.

12.2.2013
Iowa City, IA

Joe mentioned that my name is Jimmy Morrison. I have bipolar type ii disorder. I was actually mugged in Minneapolis trying to obtain my medicine. People like Maria aren’t able to find their medicine on the black market, and even younger people like me oftentimes cannot and are forced to meet with people we don’t know.

When I was mugged, I was held down by one person and the other person punched me repeatedly in the head. They tried to spend about $3,000 on my credit card, and they took my money. They took my shoes and my socks and my shirt. They threatened to shank me.

When I took off my shirt for them on command, I was able to step back and assess the situation and see that they, in fact, did not have a knife, and I was able to run.

But that’s what we’re forced to turn to in states that don’t have legal medical marijuana, and the reason for that is people like Governor Branstad, who has basically threatened to veto any legislation that passes, and people like the Iowa Board of Pharmacy. Even though they did recommend that we have medical marijuana in Iowa, they do have the legal authority to implement it themselves thanks to a bill from 1979, where the legislature gave them that authority.

So this is something where a select few have the power over me and the power over businesses of whether or not they can sell me the medicine, and over doctors and therapists and whether they can recommend medicine to patients.

Another story I would like to share with you is an interaction I had with a police officer. Unlike some of these other patients who are unable to get their medicine, I oftentimes am able to get my medicine and be a productive small business owner.

I ran into a police officer and he smelled marijuana on me. This is something that obviously if I was arrested, it would cause severe distress with my relationships, with my family, with my business contacts. This police officer, once talking to me and hearing my story and hearing the testimony that I had to give, he let me go.

So I think that while we actively fight to change these laws and try to get either Branstad to change his mind or get him out of office, I think we also need to realize that there are other ways that we can help people and one of those ways is education.

Police officers need to hear our stories, so that they can do a similar situation. Or if you can do jury duty or can educate someone who is about to do jury duty, talk to them, because they can say not guilty. They can refuse to enforce these laws that are hurting the people of Iowa. So with that, I thank you and I look forward to talking to you afterwards.

Written by Jimmy Morrison