What a P.A.C.T. Meeting!

– a patient support & empowerment group-

PATIENT ALLIANCE FOR CANNABIS THERAPEUTICS

@ Genuine Joe’s Coffeehouse – THU. DEC. 12TH – 4-7 P.M.

GREETING & INTRODUCTION

• HELLO and WELCOME to the first EMPOWERMENT meeting of the PATIENT ALLIANCE FOR CANNABIS THERAPEUTICS!

• I am your host Vincent Lopez Director of Patient Outreach for Texas NORML and creator & publisher of Austin’s Source for Medical Cannabis Awareness – The Austin420!

• Let me point out first, that I am very happy to be here this AFTERNOON as we have GATHERED here to ignite our spirits with EMPOWERMENT, COMPASSION, & LOVE!

• We have GATHERED here to invoke CHANGE, to give VOICE to the VOICELESS, and to end the PERSECUTION brought on by the ACT of UNJUST LAWS!

• As your host, I will not be UNWAVERING in speaking about what I feel I should SHARE with you, which is the PHILOSOPHIES, MANNERISMS, and DISCIPLINES that have been VITAL to my own QUALITY of LIFE and what has made me the SPIRITUAL WARRIOR I am today!

WHY WE ARE HERE?

• PACT has been created to ENCOURAGE and INVOKE patient interaction so that WE AS PATIENTS can unite, heal, and empower ourselves to ADEQUATELY address the Texas Legislature with the correct KNOWLEDGE, MANNER, DISCIPLINE, and ETIQUETTE required in bringing ACROSS the implementation of PROPER, SAFE, and ADEQUATE cannabis LEGISLATION in TEXAS!

• We are also here so that we can have a SACRED and SAFE-PLACE to open-up, confide, and share our experiences, trials, and successes and to basically get to know one another.

• While we do have CONCERNS regarding cannabis therapy from medicinal application to strain development to legal protection to legalization, what we all must REMEMBER and UNDERSTAND is that many patient CONCERNS and ISSUES go much further than what most would even begin to IMAGINE, much further than just the topic of MEDICAL CANNABIS.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME EMPOWERED?

• PACT is about EMPOWERMENT and what does it take to become EMPOWERED?

• To become EMPOWERED we must increase our CAPACITY to make CHOICES and to TRANSFORM those CHOICES into desired ACTIONS and OUTCOMES.

• Let’s remember COURAGE has two parts – the COURAGE to begin, to start, to launch forward with no GUARANTEES of SUCCESS; and the COURAGE to endure, to persist when you feel DISCOURAGED and want to GIVE UP.

• Empowerment is a PROCESS OF ACCEPTANCE that leads to KNOWLEDGE that leads to MANNER and SELF-DISCIPLINE; only then can we be ASSERTIVE in addressing the issues PROPERLY.

• There are MANY WAYS one can have an INFLUENCE over the Texas Legislature (emails, phone calls, etc.), but the most IMPACTFUL METHOD lies in the PATIENT TESTIMONIAL.

• A patient testimonial is FORTIFIED by IMPRESSIONS that CONFIRM the VALIDITY of one’s TRIAL, of one’s CONDITION; it’s an OPEN-WINDOW to the REALITIES WE ENDURE and the CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE.

• It is in the FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS of our LIVES that become the FIBER of our very own CHARACTER in these testimonials WHICH IS WHY one must never UNDERESTIMATE the power of a SINGLE-WORD for it can make the BIGGEST DIFFERENCE of all.

• Each word of what WE EXPRESS has its own POWER, TIME, and PLACE, therefore, we must be MINDFUL of what WE EXPRESS and the MANNER in which it’s EXPRESSED IN!

• The TESTIMONIAL is the VERY ESSENCE of character WOVEN from THREADS born of COUNTLESS CORRECT DECISIONS for the QUALITY of our own LIVES; it can bring the MEDICINAL BENEFITS of CANNABIS to LIGHT and the CRUELTY of its PROHIBITION.

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION

• With PACT, we are going to be stepping into many areas of discussion touching on subjects such as Patient Motivation & Empowerment, Fears of Consumption Disease & Disability, Patient Interaction & Advocacy, Patient Etiquette & Discipline, Public Speaking, Methods of Administration of Cannabis as Medicine, Patient/Caregiver/Parent Protection & Defense, Science of Cannabis Strain Development, Overcoming the Intimidation Factor of the Texas Legislature, and The Cannabis Closet Theory.

THE CANNABIS CLOSET THEORY

• In SPEAKING of the CANNABIS CLOSET THEORY, if there’s an ANSWER, then we shall not STAY SILENT!

• FEAR and INTIMIDATION can be OVERWHELMING when stepping out from the CANNABIS CLOSET; but NOTHING COMPARES to the WEIGHT one CARRIES by not COMING OUT, by not SAYING ANYTHING; by living LIFE in SECRET.

• We should not LIVE IN FEAR as FEAR is a SICKNESS of its OWN, that keeps us from SO MUCH, that INHIBITS US to what we don’t UNDERSTAND, that can BLIND US of our TRUE COURAGE.

• We should not LIVE IN SILENCE knowing we have an ANSWER; an ANSWER for our PAIN, an ANSWER for our SYMPTOMS and own PEACE OF MIND.

• DISEASE and DISABILITY is hard enough as it is, which is why, we must continue to REACH OUT to those who SUFFER, who’ve been NEGLECTED, ABUSED, and MISUNDERSTOOD, to those who are CONSCIOUSLY UNAWARE and HELD SILENT from the MEDICINAL TRUTH!

WHAT IS REQUIRED?

• When ADDRESSING the Texas Legislature there are many factors that can seem QUITE INTIMIDATING especially for FIRST-TIMERS who have never ADDRESSED a legislative committee.

• Therefore, a certain MANNER is required in HOW we CHOOSE to REPRESENT OURSELVES; a certain ETIQUETTE is required in HOW we CHOOSE to RESPOND and RETORT; a certain DISCIPLINE is required in HOW we CHOOSE to compose OURSELVES and our ACTIONS.

• It is EXTREMELY VITAL that we as CONSTITUENTS, that we as PATIENTS continue to make OUR VOICES HEARD, therefore the need to maintain our PACE and COMPOSURE is of the UTMOST IMPORTANCE and the only way to maintain that is through KNOWLEDGE, MANNER, and SELF-DISCIPLINE.

• We must EVOLVE OURSELVES to the LEVEL that is REQUIRED and STAY FOCUSED and INTENT to the SOLE-OBJECTIVE that not only FUELS our PURPOSE but also FUELS the TRUTH that WE all EMBODY.

• We must be AWARE and CONSCIOUS of the RIGHT we all have to EXPRESS OURSELVES to LEGISLATORS and LAWMAKERS for its indeed how the POLITICAL PROCESS works!

• NOTHING HAPPENS OVERNIGHT; this is a continual WORK-IN-PROGRESS, but know, OUR WORK is not FINISHED when something becomes law, IT’S JUST THE BEGINNING!

• It’s important that we ABANDON our FEARS, PROCRASTINATIONS, and ANXIETIES so that we can continue to DISCOVER the TRUTHS of our REALITY to say WHAT IS NECESSARY!

• How I EXPRESS my own truth to power MAY BE SPECIAL, but always keep in mind, that ALL OF YOU have THAT POWER TOO!

THE ART OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE

• I do not see us STRICTLY AS PATIENTS, but more as PATIENT WARRIORS caught on the BATTLEFIELD of this so-called WAR ON DRUGS; and as WARRIORS, our SPIRITUAL ESSENCE is a culmination of  PURE LOVE blended with COURAGE and DISCIPLINE, gaining victory over WHAT IS DESTRUCTIVE in one’s LIFE and becoming AN EMISSARY for what is GOOD and TRUE.

• SPIRITUAL WARFARE is not about brashly MARCHING FORWARD to conquer the world with OUR OWN AGENDA or about FORCING OUR WILL on anyone or anything.

• We need to THINK of the BIG PICTURE and how our ACTIONS OF TODAY can greatly AFFECT the OUTCOMES OF TOMORROW, and our FUTURE GENERATIONS to come!

• A warrior of the spirit, STANDS UP FOR and DEFENDS what is RIGHT, DEFENDS the INNOCENT, and lives for HONOR and JUSTICE.

• We HONOR those who PROTECT US, those who are willing to SACRIFICE THEMSELVES for our DEFENSE.

• We VALUE those who strive to live with INTEGRITY and HONOR and who practice the DISCIPLINE to do so.

• The ideal warrior is ASSERTIVE, ACTIVE, ENERGIZED, CLEAR-MINDED, STRATEGIC, and ALERT; a warrior uses both BODY and MIND in HARMONY and COOPERATION; a warrior is DISCIPLINED.

• We can CHANGE THE WORLD, but the way to do this is to BEGIN WITH OURSELVES; in fact, if we DO NOT begin with ourselves in CONQUERING our OWN DEMONS, and learning to TRULY LOVE our fellow HUMAN BEINGS, what we put into this world is TAINTED, HYPOCRITICAL, and COSMETIC IN NATURE.

• The GENUINE warrior – MASTERS THE SELF by overcoming PERSONAL DEMONS that AS YOU KNOW can come in many different forms.

• These ENEMIES to our own HEALTH and HAPPINESS attack, overrun, and rule over us if we do not learn to CONFRONT and SUBDUE them.

• Our TASK is to RECOGNIZE the FEARS, PROCRASTINATIONS, and ANXIETIES that hold us back and gain SELF-MASTERY over them.

• The DISCIPLINE of SELF-MASTERY starts with CLARIFYING the things that really MATTER TO US and seeing our NEGATIVE and DESTRUCTIVE IMPULSES for what they truly are and RECOGNIZING the DAMAGE they do, by doing this, one can find the FREEDOM and SELF-CONTROL to become FULLY-EMPOWERED.

• The payoff for practicing SELF-DISCIPLINE is IMMEDIATE; whenever you discipline yourself and force yourself to do the RIGHT THING, your self-esteem INCREASES, your self-image IMPROVES.

• The greater our SELF-DISCIPLINE, the greater our SELF-CONFIDENCE, the lower our FEARS and INTIMIDATION will be.

• The greatest test of SELF-DISCIPLINE is when you PERSIST in the FACE of ADVERSITY and drive yourself FORWARD to complete your task 100%; NO MATTER HOW YOU FEEL.

WHY THE DISCIPLINE?

• There is REASON to why I’ve INCORPORATED these DISCIPLINES into my life.

• In UNDERSTANDING my condition and its NON-DISCRIMINATE nature to PROGRESS and WORSEN, it is these DISCIPLINES that my MIND, SOUL, and SPIRIT simply require, especially when COPING with the EMOTIONAL and MENTAL aspects of DISEASE and DISABILITY.

• Sometimes even I TAKE A FALL, but in knowing that I have the MENTAL DISCIPLINE to avoid certain FRUSTRATIONS, certain FEARS and EMOTIONS, it’s makes it MUCH EASIER to get back on that BIKE AGAIN and keep MOVING FORWARD!

WHAT WE HOPE PACT CAN DO

• Now before I WRAP THIS UP and OPEN THE FLOOR, let me say that PACT welcomes any and all IDEAS (even the ideas we ourselves may not have thought of) that PERTAIN to what we’re doing so long as we don’t VEER too far OFF.

• While we want to make this FUN and INTERACTIVE, I also intend to be serious about ADDRESSING OUR ISSUES as patients and serious in getting OURSELVES READY for next LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

• We have 12 months to PREPARE and TRUST ME when I say that TIME will go QUICKER than WE KNOW IT!

• I’m hoping to bring in other SPEAKERS as well REGARDING topics such as public speaking, veteran and senior issues, cps issues, lobbying at the capitol, medicinal application and strain development, as well as give OURSELVES the OPPORTUNITY to STRENGTHEN and REHEARSE our own individual VIDEO or WRITTEN TESTIMONIALS as well as REHEARSE in how we RESPOND to QUESTIONS we may get ASKED come session time.

• PACT supports EACH INDIVIDUAL in fighting their individual BATTLES, in preserving HOPE, and in offering COMPANIONSHIP.

• Because of the PERSONAL NATURE of these battles, it is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to keep everything that is said in these sessions IN CONFIDENCE, and for each individual to RESERVE JUDGMENT on OTHERS.

• No one WINS every battle, but one can LEARN, GROW, FIND HEALING, and ACHIEVE LASTING VICTORY if given a SAFE-PLACE to share what’s going on inside EACH OF OURSELVES; it is my HOPE that this PATIENT SUPPORT AND EMPOWERMENT GROUP will be such a SAFE and SACRED SPACE.

• There are some GREAT THINGS to be ACCOMPLISHED and we’ll ACCOMPLISH them TOGETHER and the ONLY WAY to maintain that is by ORGANIZING and DISCIPLINING OURSELVES to the BIGGER PICTURE that extends BEYOND OURSELVES!

INTRODUCE YOURSELVES, TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHAT IDEAS, SKILLS YOU MAY WANT TO BRING TO THE TABLE! WHO WANTS TO GO FIRST?