Weed Refugee Rising

Weed Refugees
Weed Refugees in America are at an all time HIGH.

The Rise of Marijuana Refugees

By Mat Lee

Back in early 2014 there was a rash of articles online about something the media deemed medical marijuana refugees. These were normal everyday people who were put in the awkwardly awful position of having to relocate, for the sole purpose of living in a state that is gracious enough to allow them to treat their children with the medicine they need.

You see, as most of us already know, back in the day it became political agenda to make cannabis look as bad as possible. If you are a christian, weed became the devil. If you are allergic to peanuts, weed became Mr. Peanut. First to hate on and control Mexicans, then African Americans. We have come a long way since those dark times of ignorance.

In doing all of this population control, the government inadvertently put the kibosh on any and all medical marijuana type research. Unless of course, it was to show how awful and horrible the plant is. Controlling people by controlling their customs, as one article succinctly put it.

Fast forward to 2014 and we have whole families moving to Colorado to get their hands on the sweet CBD oil that has been known to help get a handle on seizures for certain kids with certain types of epilepsy. There is a group there called Realm of Caring that has 100 patients whose families have moved to Colorado from 43 states and even two countries.

My point of this article was a thought I had about how interesting it is to me that we, as people who have been given the choice of voting for the lesser of two evils over and over again, have created such ridiculously evil and disgusting laws that people have to actually uproot and move their whole lives in order to get a plant. Not just any plant mind you, a plant that shows great medical possibilities for those of us with fully functioning endocannabinoid systems. (In case you need it—here’s where you can find marijuana near you)

marijuana refugees
Marijuana refugees across the nation have moved to compassionate states

This affects me personally two fold. First, I recently got a new job. Of course, in order to work in the cannabis industry with a plant I have been in love with, and lied to about, my whole teen / adult life, I have to relocate to either Washington or Colorado.

I currently live in Montana, which completely messed up it’s medical marijuana system when a bunch of angry liars tried to repeal the state medical marijuana law. Rather than fully repealing it, they ended up gutting the existing one, cutting down the 30,000 or so patients to something more like 3,000.

In order to have a good secure job making an actual livable wage, with benefits, I’m moving to Washington. It’s sad there’s nothing in Montana doing what they are doing in Washington. It’s something I believe in, and something I believe can help the human race, both short term, and in the big picture. So much in fact I’m willing to move two states a way to work in the industry that is figuring this all out. This was never an option when I was in school. It was something that got you in trouble. Something you had to lie about.

Second, my girlfriend is an epileptic. It would be so helpful if we lived in a place she was able to find a nice strain of cannabis to control her seizures. She doesn’t have them near as bad as some of these children with Dravet Syndrome, but bad enough to where it’s a concern. Plus, if her seizures get worse, it would be really nice to live in a place that won’t put you in jail for trying to get better.

Not everyone needs or wants a strain of weed that puts your dick in the dirt. Sure I always do, but some people just need to have the soothing calming stuff. You can’t figure out the difference until you allow research and stop making people criminals where they wouldn’t be otherwise. States like Washington and Colorado are places that is finally starting to happen. I’m happy to be moving to one of them. At least until the rest of the country figures it out and does the right thing. For Stuff Stoner’s Like, I’m Mat Lee.



6 Responses to “Weed Refugee Rising”

  1. Bonnie Demos

    Thanks for your kind thoughts. I too am a marijuana refugee as well. My husband and I are semi retired, and lived in Wisconsin all of our lives. We moved to Michigan a year ago so I could legally manage chronic pain from DDD and fibro. Had been on script pain meds for over ten years and continued to get sicker. Our move has proven most helpful and healthful. I can finally live my life the way I wish again! We are active, healthy, happy, and starting a new venture. This spring we are beginning our natural log grown shitake mushroom farm. We are creating new jobs and revenue all while respecting the planet with producing healthy food thru agroforestry. It was a difficult journey, but it turned out really good for us.

  2. mat

    That is so cool, I’m glad that you were able to get to a state that doesn’t automatically create criminals out of good hard working every day citizens.

  3. Ted Patten

    Lame, dude.
    President Barack Obama has instructed the Justice Dept. to back off of pot prosecutions.
    Do you actually believe that a republican would be able to do this, or is it still just “evil”?
    If you don’t like the system that others have set up for you, please feel free to make some suggestions.
    Sorry about yr GF’s condition. Contact me if you have problems getting relief.

  4. Bonnie Demos

    The only thing that is lame are our current pot laws, which are open to interpretation. I am in a legal state, but the laws are very grey. We need reform and consistency to insure safe meds and safe access to patients.

  5. mat

    What’s so lame about it? Listen Ted, I firmly believe that between my friends and I, we could completely re structure the system, which of course would be no easy task, but all it takes is a mind that hasn’t been completely corrupted by power and not creating laws based on money and keeping the people creating the laws in power and rich. It’s not hard, it’s just been so broken for so long, and people have been brainwashed to be complacent for just as long, it’s an almost Sisyphean task to undertake.

    I do appreciate the comments and you reading my article though. Thank you all very much for the support.

  6. mat

    Also Bonnie, it doesn’t help that there is this hypocrisy between state and federal law that is always held over the heads of those making decisions at the state level. When I was covering the cannabis repeal stuff for Montana a while back, the main argument I kept hearing over and over again from the state is that they were afraid of losing federal funding. Until Cannabis is completely re legalized and de scheduled at the federal level, it’s always going to be wishy washy like this. It’s really very unfortunate.

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