AUDIENCES STATEWIDE HEAR MEDICAL MARIJUANA VIDEO/DISCUSSION

 

Fayetteville, AR:  Fifty-five people gathered at concurrent public meetings in Mountain View and Jonesboro, last Saturday, November 9, and in Hot Springs Sunday Nov 10, to watch a video and debate issues related to the medical use of marijuana.

 

The three separate meetings mark the halfway point in a series of meetings coordinated by the Drug Policy Education Group (DPEG) Inc. in a statewide outreach effort to educate on the issue of critical medical need. Discussion at the meetings inevitably spreads into far reaching yet related issues of drug policy, such as the deadly sociological side-effects of prohibition policies and resulting illicit, underworld markets; reputable scientific findings about drug addiction, marijuana, alcohol, and prescription medication; and the process by which matters of public interest become law.

 

In Hot Springs, Mara Leveritt, author of the newly released examination of the public corruption  and prohibition policies tangled up with three boys' murder in West Memphis,"Devil's Knot," and a member of DPEG's Advisory Board, said: "The meeting went well. We had about 30 people. One old frail woman came with her walker. It was a tremendous effort for her to be there. The video was well received, followed by a good discussion."

 

The DPEG-produced video, titled "Illegal Healthcare: Medical Marijuana and Arkansas," focuses on testimony from Arkansas patients and includes statements by a physician and ministers.

 

Randy Childers, a member of DPEG's board of directors, chaired the meeting at the Mountain View Public Library, which lasted for two hours and was, according to Childers, filled with "lots of good conversation with a well-educated crowd."

 

According to Pat Egan, another DPEG board member, the Jonesboro meeting "had 10 in attendance. Most appeared in their 20's, but several were older. One in particular asked if I knew a doctor who was helping people get marijuana. She said without help her health problems were likely to soon make her bedfast. I told her there is no way until we fix the law. I told her that we could use her testimonial about her experiences as a medical marijuana user."

 

Meetings have been conducted in Fayetteville, Little Rock, Sherwood, Warren, Arkadelphia, and Conway in addition to those held Nov 9-10.  In addition, presentations have been made before various civic organizations and interest groups including Kiwanis, Rotary, NAACP, retirement communities, churches, college classes, and others.

 

The remaining public meetings scheduled are 2 pm Sat Nov 16 at the public library in Mountain Home and 2 pm Sat Nov 23 at the Elk Street Church in Eureka Springs. Meetings not yet scheduled by planned will be in Pine Bluff and Bella Vista, among others.

 

For more information about Drug Policy Education Group, Inc. visit www.dpeg.org. For more information about the medical use of marijuana, visit www.ardpark.org

 

 

Denele Campbell, Executive Director
Drug Policy Education Group, Inc.
541 West Meadow, Fayetteville AR 72701
479-839-2475 * www.dpeg.org * dpeg@mindspring.com
Working in Arkansas to Reduce the Harm Caused by Drugs and by Failed Drug Policies