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OUR
MISSION:
Musicians for Medical Marijuana is dedicated to
raising public awareness of the challenges facing
medical cannabis patients, their caregivers, and physicians. We are working to provide accurate, timely
information about medical cannabis, and to facilitate access to physicians, lawyers, and medical cannabis
providers' associations.
Our benefit concerts provide an opportunity to
educate and entertain concert-goers. More importantly,
they provide a venue for building a support network for those who benefit from this natural medicine.
Musicians for Medical Marijuana will continue to facilitate access to information and professional help.
We will be there to
give patients and their loved ones the support they need to stay healthy and safe.
HISTORY:
Musicians for Medical Marijuana was initially
conceived by medical cannabis patient and musician, Bill Barth, following
his visit to California in 1999. Bill lived in the Netherlands, where access to safe
and affordable medical cannabis is taken for granted. He was disturbed to find that patients were still
struggling to get their medication -- and sometimes facing criminal penalties, even after voters passed
Proposition 215. Having spent a lifetime playing the blues music of the Mississippi Delta, Bill knew many
musicians relied on cannabis to treat their illnesses. He conceived
an organization that would use the power of great music and the popularity of famous
performers to spread the word about medical cannabis.
In February of 2000, Bill teamed up with William
“Buzzy” Linhart, author of Bette Middler’s Friends, and local activist Don Duncan to found Musicians for
Medical Marijuana. Together, they sought out the help of Producer Alan Goodman. The organization began
hosting benefit concerts in San Francisco in May 2000. Sadly, Bill Barth passed away before he could see a
single one of our benefit shows.
WHAT WE'RE
DOING:
Since May 2000, Musicians for Medical Marijuana has hosted
eight benefit concerts with such
notable performers as Steve Kimock, Harvey Mandel, Vince Welnick, Terry Haggerty, and Country Joe McDonald.
In addition to our own
all-star band, the Cannabis Healers, we have also hosted SunFur, Jemimah Puddleduck, Big Brother and the Holding Company,
Cosmic Mercy,
members of the Dave Nelson Band, Fact or Fiction, Taos Hum, Shelly Doty X-Tet,
Sound Tribe Sector 9, Lost At Last, Dark Star Orchestra and more. Check our Gigs page for more information on past and
future shows.
These benefit shows have given us an opportunity
to meet and talk to thousands of patients and
concerned community members. We have distributed over ten thousand pieces of educational
literature entitled: Hemp for Health, Your Rights Under Proposition 215, and How to Use Medical Marijuana
which have helped countless patients. Our own publication, Talking to Your Doctor About Medical Marijuana, is designed to
help patients discuss their medical use with their personal physician. We also offer sample physician’s
statements and copies of Proposition 215 for doctors. We have a new brochure: What the
Supreme Court Ruling Means for You and are currently working on another
one: How to Protect Your Garden.
At every show, special guest speakers keep the
crowd up to date on the latest developments. They also
let patients know what they can do to get personally involved with our work. We help members participate in
rallies, political meetings, and other events all over California. A doctor and lawyer are always on hand to
answer patients' questions.
After talking with patients at our shows, we
realized that many people were unable to obtain a
recommendation for legal medical cannabis use. To solve this problem, we helped establish Bay Area
Health Services (BAHS), a reputable and professional referral service for patients in need of a legal
medical recommendation. We are proud to say that BAHS adheres to the highest possible legal and medical
standards. We are confident that patients who use this service will be fully protected under the law.
For detailed information on BAHS check the Rx Info
Page. To date, Musicians for Medical Marijuana has sponsored
twelve patients to receive recommendations.
We have teamed up with WALSTIB Productions
to fill the role of Creative Director for Musicians for Medical
Marijuana. WALSTIB Productions handles
the merchandising as well as the design, maintenance and promotion our website,
www.m4mmj.org. This is the place to look for the
latest information on upcoming events and performers. It is also a place
for patients to find resources and information. Our On-Line Store and Membership pages
give supporters an opportunity to join Musicians for Medical Marijuana
and buy exclusive merchandise created for us by some of the most
talented artists out there today.
This summer promises to be an exciting time.
Musicians for Medical Marijuana will be assisting the
Alliance of Berkeley Patients in its fight to repeal unreasonable restrictions on medical cannabis patients
adopted by the Berkeley City Council. We co-hosted a special Patients
Congress and demonstration in May. Musicians for Medical Marijuana
also participated
in the 5th Annual 420 Hemp Festival on April 20th, and the Cannabis Freedom Day on May 5th.
Besides all of this, we also plan to bring you
some very big bands and even larger shows. You won’t
want to miss anything! We sincerely hope to see you at all of our events this year.
FINANCES:
Musicians for Medical Marijuana is supported
entirely by your contributions. Most of our performers
and personnel donate their time. A large portion of our income comes from ticket sales. We also receive revenue from
individual donations, paid memberships, and merchandise sales.
Last year’s expenses helped us pursue our goals
of educating the public and facilitating access to
doctors. The monies raised and spent continue to be an investment in our future. Musicians for Medical
Marijuana has established a reputation for great music and professional productions. This will serve
us well in the years to come.
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