As HF2384 continues to stall in the Ways and Means Committee, Iowa's most medically complex patients suffer. They have already waited three years to see that compassion that Iowans are known for.
I have written each Iowa House Representative no less than four times and I have called every single one of them. Yet, I can count the number of responses I have gotten on my fingers. Certain members simply don't care about your story if you aren't in their district and certain members refuse to meet with us at all or they claim they don't want to base their vote on "emotion". Yet, when they are given facts and documented proof of cannabis as medicine, they say they "don't understand the science". It is not our legislator's place to decide if our Neurologist's recommendation of medical cannabis for our medically complex child is appropriate. That choice should be left up to the specialist and the patient's family. Legislators should not be "playing doctor" with our lives at the State House. Yet, they cut the Medical Advisory Team out of HF2384. The Governor states that he's willing to work with the Legislators on expanding a medical cannabis bill, yet the very same week his Office of Drug Control Policy shows the entire House a 54 page slideshow showing the horrors of "smoking marijuana", edibles, vapes and the "substantial increases in THC content" in marijuana that would cause concern for public safety. I'm not convinced at this point that the opposition have even read the bill. HF2384 is for OIL only and it caps the THC limit at just 3% so there is no "recreational" value with what would be dispensed here in Iowa and it would REQUIRE the approval of not only a physician but the Iowa Department of Health as well. According to the Office of Drug Control Policy, the number one question given to our legislators is this: “Is it good for Iowa kids?” As a parent of a child who is now 9 months seizure free on cannabis oil, I would have to say YES. Call the Iowa House of Republicans BEFORE 9amMany people ask the families at the Capitol, how they can help us. We need people to take action by e-mailing their House Representative TONIGHT or by CALLING THE HOUSE SWITCHBOARD preferably before 9am TOMORROW (April 6, 2016). However, feel free to continue to call and e-mail your Representatives. It is currently stalled in the Ways and Means Committee.
This is the time to make ONE phone call. Call the Iowa House Switchboard tomorrow and Thursday. 515-281-3221, and ask for your Representative. Don't know who your Representative is? No Problem. You can find that out by clicking here. You can say: "My name is ___________ and I am asking for a full Medical Cannabis program in Iowa to help the sick and suffering who are out of options. This will effect my vote in November." OR You can say: "Please support a comprehensive medical cannabis bill in your caucus today. It is time to end the needless suffering and join the 23 other states who have provided this relieve to their residents. Its time to listen to the 4 of 5 Iowans who want this bill and want it this session. You have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of your constituents today. Please do the right thing. Its time to move this forward" Be kind and polite. We are running out of time this session, but we have heros in the Iowa Legislature who WANT to make this happen for us. Phone calls apply to everyone! Thank you for your help! Everyone likes to tout that America is the Home of the Brave and the Land of the Free. Sadly, I've learned an incredibly difficult lesson after having a medically complex child that those words are untrue at best. When we look to our Legislators and share the hardships our family and most importantly, my son has had to endure, we hope that those in a leadership role will stand up and take notice, listen and make changes for those who elected them to be our voice in Legislature. When we hear people talk of freedom and how lucky we are, they know nothing of the fight that families like mine face. My family is not free. My son is not free. We are not able to give him a medicine that is a PLANT because Big Pharma rules our country with an iron fist. For the families that battle this fight out at the Capitols in every single state across this nation there are huge chain hospitals and pharmaceutical giants that pay politicians big bucks to side with them vs the families living desperately within their own state. Iowa is no different. We are fighting tooth and nail and telling our stories only to be told the lawmakers "don't want to base their vote on emotion". So, we take them facts and research to prove that cannabis as medicine is nothing new and that there are plenty of research documents to support that. But alas, facts do not sway them either. Instead, they listen to anti-drug propagandists who get their information from places like the American Epilepsy Society who would MUCH RATHER have your child suffer the dire consequences of pharmaceutical drugs than allow them the use of a single plant. Why do you think that is? Could it possibly be because of the MONEY INVOLVED? Hmmm... the MILLIONS OF DOLLARS spent at supporting an "Annual Meeting" by BIG PHARMA screams a mighty loud YES. So how is it that our lawmakers can claim they care about our medically complex Iowans? Many refuse to listen to our stories, many encourage us to break state and federal law anyway (because if it were their child - that's what they would do) and many refuse to meet with us or hear our stories at all. Some even have the audacity to tell parents of sick children that they aren't doing enough for thier child and that the need to relocate to another state. Ironic that the people that CAN make the change and have the power to do so, won't stand up and do the right thing.
I have called every single House Republican only to get a handful of return calls. I have written every single House Member numerous and have only gotten a handful of responses. Many of the ones who respond don't care about my story because I'm not a constituent, yet they sit on committees where their votes count for Iowa as a STATE, so how they have that disconnect of humanity is beyond me. Many of them tell me that cannabis needs more research or ask how we know if it's safe. So, I sent them the lab reports of my son's cannabis oil along with his medical records from Mayo and I don't hear back. Real Life Proof and Living Examples of Positive Change are still NOT ENOUGH. This isn't about quality of life here in Iowa. This is about money and who has the most to pay off the people in order to tell them what to think. Instead of listening to facts and proof that WORLD REKNOWN HOSPITALS support cannabis as medicine, they listen to propagandists spewing tired old 1980's anti-drug propaganda. Meanwhile, the prescription drug problem in our country is at an all time high but everyone still wants to push more big pharma? My son deserves a quality of life from an ORGANIC PLANT made by a person who cares about my son's life and NOT made by a giant corporation who can donate $100,000 to have a third party speak for them. This all makes me SICK. |
About MeHello! My name is Erin. I am Abram's mom, a tireless advocate for UBE2A Deficiency Syndrome and a fierce proponent for medical cannabis. MOST POPULAR BlOG ENTRYJOIN US
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