Tag Archives: solidarity

Medical Marijuana Dispensaries No Longer Able to Accept Visa, MasterCard as of July 1

Via MMJ Business Daily:

The main national company handling payment processing services for the medical marijuana industry will no longer accept Visa and MasterCard transactions from dispensaries, according to information obtained by MMJ Business Daily.

Electronic Merchant Systems (EMS) – which provides merchant accounts for medical marijuana companies via a partnership with Chesapeake Bank in Virginia – informed its MMJ customers of the decision in an email (see full text at the end of this post). The new policy is effective July 1.

The change covers both credit and debit cards, though the email says dispensary clients can still accept MMJ transactions conducted with Discover cards. EMS plans to send out another letter on Wednesday informing medical marijuana merchants to batch and settle all Visa and MasterCard transactions by June 30. EMS and Chesapeake Bank did not immediately return messages left by MMJ Business Daily. Read more…

 

After a year we still miss Jack Herer

jack

A year later we still miss the virtual leader of the cannabis legalization effort, RIP Jack Herer.

On April 15, 2010 at 11:17am Jack Herer, the author of ‘The Emperor Wears No Clothes’ and the leader of the marijuana legalization effort passed away in Eugene Or. A day which many webmasters of marijuana activist websites faded their background color to black. Jack was a tireless teacher to those willing to listen of the beneficial uses of hemp and marijuana. Again and again, in fiery speeches to eager activists Jack would relay the same message. ““There is nothing better for the human *&$%^ race than to have marijuana morning, noon, and night”. Jack traveled many roads hitting as many as 200 events a year, all through the 80’s and 90’s.

His infamous bus tours spawned an army of cannabis crusaders willing to fight the oppression of cannabis use brought on by the prohibition of marijuana.  He let it be known to others there’s no shame in using marijuana and provided generations with information about the cannabis plant.  His schedule shows his dedication to freeing the plant from the clutches of tyranny.  A fight for truth and justice which Jack thought he could show the benefits of hemp and cannabis and soon get the plant re-legalized actually was a quest that lasted a lifetime. “Hemp can save the planet’ Jack would yell at activist rallies and the crowd bought into the message.  And the crowds would bring the message back to town and city council meetings as did Jack, and they won many ordinances and initiatives. Jack proposed many hemp and marijuana legalization bills, a fortitude of the devotion he showed through his entire life.

Men like Jack Herer lead the way, and brought us so close to cannabis freedom, but there is still much work to do. Many more people to educate, just as Jack would have done. We must continue in his image, never forgetting the foundation he courageous efforts built. We must always keep this flame burning. Thank you jack Herer.

weGrow Store Compassionate Use Activist Overview

Mike Sugarman and well known bay area newscaster

Medical marijuana has been decriminalized in 15 states, here at weGrow Store we want to inform every person in the US that medical marijuana exists. It’s a real thing, helping real patients. We want to approach doubters with facts about medical marijuana. Facts like the medium age of a medical marijuana patient in California is over 40 years old. It’s not just young people getting a doctor’s recommendation simply to get high. We want people to know that raids on dispensaries have dropped 40% under the current administration. A senator in Colorado has authored a bill to make marijuana legal on the federal level. We want to remind medical marijuana patients that medical marijuana stands to get legalized on it’s own grounds, just as recreational use does, on it’s own grounds. Stick to the task at hand and advocate the legalization of medical marijuana in  a regulated fashion. As our industry matures we’ll see useful regulations being set up.

Trucks broadcasting about medical marijuana from wegrow

In recent federal court proceedings against Dr. Molly Fry the jurors were excluded from the jury if they knew anything about California’s medical marijuana laws. Dr. Fry has since been found guilty of cultivation of around 40 plants, which normally falls into the under 99 plant limit threshold that would exclude federal prosecution. In this case they aggregated previous year’s crops, which over the course of 3 years put her over the 99 plant limit. Molly started her 5 year sentence last month, to the angst of most activists.

Mike Sugarman and well known bay area newscaster

That’s just part of the reason we approached the media about getting the word out. For those that have never heard of medical marijuana it’s a normalization of a business that helped feed this country and beautified neighborhoods across the nation. For medical marijuana patients it brings them together in a festive venue where community gatherings become a fun chance to mingle with the like minded.

Another spanish language station picking up the wegrow grand opening

And it’s not just in the US. Coverage across the globe from Mexico, Japan, UK, France and other countries puts our patient message out globally. With recent events like what’s going on in Montana there’s never been a better reason to build on our common interest and devote ourselves into medical marijuana patient solidarity.

Media at the original iGrow Store in Oakland