An Unexpected Surprise, and more Lobbying for Senate Bill 269

 Veterans gathered with Senator Menendez before we take the petition to the Governor and spread out to lobby for the day.

February 22, 2017  was Veterans Lobby Day at the Texas State Capitol. It started out with a huge surprise to me, followed by a press conference and the culmination of the first trip to the Govenors office with the 1,314 signatures from Texas veterans supporting a whole plant medical bill here in TX, SB269.  



I was given this award, much to my incredible surprise.  Here are some pics, and what they wrote.

And I got to be a team leader, so here are pics of my list and the offices we went to. We had excellent response from all the offices we went to.

Some pics from the press conference, going into the Governors office and pics from lobbying.

 Fellow veteran Jav carrying our petition

The Governors clerk receives our petition.

 Proud to be in the company of these amazing fellow

canna warriors.

Cliff Duvall... ground zero for Texas Veterans. 

The First of us to get involved publicly in the cannabis movement here in Texas.

That moment you walk out of the Govenors office and are surrounded by amazing fellow veterans! 

A video of the day
https://www.facebook.com/eric.espinoza.589/videos/10211926270694532/

Until next time....

Manya's triggering letter

Greeting Friends and Readers,

At the end of my last post I had planned to come back then and write about her. But it was more then I could handle at the time, so I have delayed it to now. Sick in bed with a nasty cold, and having had a good session with Crystal, it is time to move this out of me to share with ya'll.

Manya and I have been friends since we were 19 and based on NTTC Corry Station in Pensacola Fl. We were 'suite' mates. We shared a living room with 3 rooms with 3 ladies off of it in the enlisted barracks.  We saved each others lives several times over the decades.

As this blog has related, I finally came forward and have been getting treatment for the things that happened, but Manya hasn't.  She has only gotten more isolated from any sort of relationship,  I have been talking to her about stepping forward and getting treatment for her PTSD. She has lost all trust in humanity.  I can certainly understand why. After you read this letter, you will see into the pain of an untreated MST survivor.  Her own words can say more then I can.  She has been dealing with this alone (except for myself and 2 other friends). Now, she is finally contemplating coming forward and getting the help that she so desperately needs.

She has finally told her mother what happened. But she is still afraid of treatment. I continue to pray for her and talk with her weekly.  She writes me a couple of times a week and I generally call her back.  This letter triggered me terribly.  I needed a session with Crystal to deal with it, and to continue to help my friend. I asked her if I could post this letter here and she said yes as no one would ever know that it was her.  So, here it is..

WARNING, EXPLICIT, UNCENSORED, UNTREATED MST RAGE AHEAD
TRIGGER, EXPLICIT RAPE, BEATINGS

Heartbreaking. Her rage is deafening.
I love my friend, and I ask for prayers for her...

Over and out,
Myst

Texas Legislature back in Session

Hello Friends and Readers,

It has been a busy time since I last wrote. I went to the Veteran's March in Austin. We had a even bigger crowd then the year before!

The new year is over a month in, and we now have less then 4 months to try and change the laws here in Texas.  I have been busy in the off season though!  In December I was elected to be Deputy Director of Houston NORML, and I joined Montgomery Country NORML, and became the Veteran's Outreach Director there. It has keeps me busy going to meetings and preparing fellow citizens for this 
session,

The above graphic is from a article that came out in the Dallas Observer. It was on the cover!  The article was called "Onward Cannabis Soldiers" and interviews some of my veteran friends.

During the fall, Madesyn Mueller tracked me around to several events I was at, and also spoke with other members of the Texas cannabis moment. Her documentary about Operation Trapped is called The Texas Fight. Please take a few minutes to watch it. She did a super job!

Earlier this week I went to Austin for the Constituent Advocacy Day. Numbers of attendees is between 350-375. Last year was 300.  There are some excellent bills that have been introduced as well. Especially SB369, a full medical cannabis bill, that has PTSD and chronic pain as two of the qualifiers.

Here is some helpful info and links to news reports:

Alert! 

Our bills in the Senate have been referred to the following committees: 

Civil Penalties, SB 170 --> Criminal Justice (email the chairman and committee members here to ask for

a hearing).

Medical Cannabis, SB 269 --> Health and Human Services 

(email the chairman and committee members here to ask for a hearing).

BREAKING NEWS: Rep. Joe Moody, the author of HB 81 (Civil Penalties) has been appointed Chairman of the 

House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee! This is very good for us as it ensures that we will have a timely hearing 

by that committee. The bill has not yet been referred, but 
when it is, we'll send you a notification. For now,

 please email your legislators in support of this bill. (Once it's referred to committee, we can begin contacting 

committee members about supporting the bill.)

Attached you'll find a few photos from the event. If you have photos you'd like to share, please send

 them to me or post them in our Facebook event page.

Here are links to some of the news stories about the event: 

• Cannabis at the Capitol: Pot Supporters in Texas Rally for Responsible Marijuana Advocacy Day
• Pot advocates start another round at Capitol
• Hundreds of Texans try to convince lawmakers to recalibrate marijuana laws
• Texans head to Capitol for marijuana law reform

==========

I got to meet with Brian in Representative Metcalf's office, and Stephen in 
Senator Nicols office. Both gentlemen were very kind and understanding. 
I appreciated their taking notes.

It is always extremely difficult to tell my story to new people. It is.. triggering 
and emotionally charged. But I have to turn the negatives of the past in to a 
positive now.  I had a group of 'newbies' with me, who had never met nor 
talked with their legislator before.  I had lots of anxiety built up around 
meeting them and having to 'tell strange men my story'.

So I am greatly relived that first visit it over. BUT... I didn't get to meet with 
either of my actual legislators, so I have to go back and face the lions again, and
tell more strange men my story.  <sigh> It really is.. so.. hard. to have to 
remember what was done to me, what was taken from me.. and why.. and how. 
All of it. Cannabis allows me to participate in life. It was an exit drug from so 
many things. And now, it allows me to tell my story in a way to help others. But 
DAMN, it gets hard. I long for the day I can garden like I used to, and know that
my fellow citizens are able to use a botanical that eases pain, sorrow and give me
 the ability to talk and not be in constant pain from my shattered limbs without 
being a pharmaceutical zombie.

I did have a bed day yesterday as my shattered ankle was throbbing like crazy.. 
and I had set an appointment with Crystal my Vet Center therapist before I went 
to Austin. I knew I would need to decompress. As always, Crystal was very helpful.
She is very proud of the progress I am making. She can see that my work as a
cannabis activist here in Texas is both taxing and helping me externalize those
 But.. there is more..

it is Manya... 

But.. I will write about her in a bit in a separate posting. I have been in 
communication with her a lot since just before Christmas. Manya and I have 
been best friends since we were in the Navy together on Corry Station back in 1977. 
I am a survivor, but she is still a victim,

over 30 years later, and she has never gotten therapy. She needs it badly.

More about this soon.  

Pray for her, pray for Texas, pray for our great nation and pray for our world 

planet. Pray for

COMPASSION

Over and out,

Myst

Marching onwards... Lots of events coming up!

Greetings Friends and Readers,

It's been a few busy months. K and I finally go married on July 30th, after some 9 years together.  And building has finally started on our new home up in the Sam Houston forest.. yup, 8.36 acres. Will be perfect for growing once we get the laws changed!

I have really been enjoying my volunteer job as Houston NORML's Veteran Outreach Director. It's given me such a wonderful opportunity to meet and help and educate others, and be educated myself.  

We have a huge event called the Lone Star Rally that we will be at from Wed Nov2 thru Sun Nov 6th, with bug out the next day on the 7th.  I am making some shirts to wear at it.. this is my first ones:

I wrote about Ann Lee  a few months back, and now there is going to be a documentary about RAMP and there is a party about it next Thur I am going to:

OCT6

RAMP Documentary Premier

Thursday, October 6 at 6:30 PM

Theo's Restaurant· Buy Tickets

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Join us to the preimer of the RAMP documentary that tells the story of our organization and our founders Ann and Bob Lee. After the screening we will visit about RAMP's goals for the 2017 Texas legislative session. The event is free, but a $10 donation if welcomed to help continue our mission to reform marijuana laws in Texas.

link to the event; https://www.facebook.com/events/1088254897888522/

Then there is an MPP event here in Houston next Sat which myself and my friend Jeffery are going to. 

OCT8

Marijuana Policy Advocacy Training (Houston, Texas)

Saturday, October 8 at 9:30 AM

Trini Mendenhall Sosa Community Center· Buy Tickets

From Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy

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Professional or “business casual” attire only please.
Registration is FREE!

Constituent advocacy is one of the most critical tools we have as a grassroots movement. Legislators and other community members need to hear from Texans like you who want to see sensible marijuana policies instituted.

This training event is designed to help you become an effective advocate for marijuana law reform in Texas. This training event will offer you the tools you need to make effective arguments, dispel common myths, confidently communicate with your legislators, and positively affect policy during the upcoming legislative session.

Saturday, October 8, 2016
9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Trini Mendenhall Community Center
1414 Wirt Road
Houston, Texas 77055

FREE Registration: http://www.texasmarijuanapolicy.org/houston-training-registration/

Here is the facebook link https://www.facebook.com/events/1644170719231187/

And then on my birthday, Oct 15th there is the Texas Veteran's Conference in Austin we are going to. K has not been to Austin yet, and this will be his chance to see where I go and meet my canna activist friends. And be in the State Capitol as that is where the conference is.. and then there is a after party at a local cantina. 

OCT15

Veterans Conference 2016 - #VetConf2016

Saturday, October 15 at 10 AM

Legislative Conference Center - State Capitol

Joseph Knight and 31 other friends are going

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Texas NORML is proud to announce our 2016 Texas Veterans Conference! We will feature a wide variety of educators, advocates, medical professionals and veteran activists. This FREE conference will focus completely on medical marijuana and the mission to gain safe access to cannabis for patients. Veterans and patients are pushing the front line of reform in medical marijuana laws in Texas. Many people who are not Veterans also experience PTS, TBI, chronic pain and other health issues. Therefore, we welcome ALL patients to attend our Veteran Conference.

Our Agenda will be as follows:
*Veterans Panel - Veterans & Medical Cannabis*
Clif Deuvall, Kate Cochran Morgan, Jeremiah Looney

*Federal Bills, Initiatives & Laws*
Rob Kampia - Executive Director, Marijuana Policy Project

*Legislative Panel - The 2017 Texas Legislative Session & Overview of the Medical Marijuana Bill*
Heather Fazio of Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, Jax Finkel of Texas NORML, Randal Kuykendall - Lobbyist

*Legal Panel - Texas Marijuana Laws & Interactions with Law Enforcement*
Jamie Spencer, Jamie Balagia, Charles E. Feldmann

*Medical Panel - Medical Cannabis Information*
Dr. Scott Bier, Dr. Lang Coleman, Nishi Whiteley of Chronic Relief

*Engage in #OperationTrapped*

Plus, Dean and Alexis Bortell of Team Alexis will be our keynote speakers for this event. Dean is a disabled veteran whose family are medical marijuana refugees in Colorado. Dean moved his family to Colorado so his daughter, Alexis, could legally access medication that saved her life.

This event is FREE, family friendly and open to the public! Please use#VetConf2016 when posting about this conference.

PRE-REGISTRATION: In order to have the right amount of materials and snack for attendees, we ask that you please fill out this pre-registration form. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd5d2swZx8gxRmWCOh89FE1atC1aOvDUiwH8R2RY67MqhT5NQ/viewform?c=0&w=1

WHERE: The Texas State Capitol in the Legislative Conference Center, Austin, TX in the Capitol Extension, Room E2.002

PARKING: Visitor garage is 12th/San Jacinto. The North entrance is wheelchair assessable. There is also coin fed, metered parking around the Capitol Complex.

AFTER SOCIAL: We will be getting together from 3-6pm at Flamingo Cantina. After Social - Veteran Conference 2016 for event details.

Thank you to our sponsors who support Texas Veterans in their mission to gain safe access to cannabis for patients and their fight in the war to re-legalize cannabis!

PLATINUM SPONSORS:
420Dude - http://420dude.com/
Green Well - http://www.greenwelltx.com/

SILVER SPONSORS:
Spicewood Smoke Shoppe - https://mamagrind.com/

SILVER SPONSORS:
MJBussiness Attorney - www.militaryjusticeinternational.com
Barre Law Firm, PLLC
420 Science - http://420science.com/
NORML of Waco Inc - https://waconorml.org/

Learn how you can become a sponsor here - http://www.texasnorml.org/tx-norml-vet-conference-sponsorships/

And here is the info for the Lone Star Rally. We are looking for volunteers to come out and help us man the Houston NORML booth, and I the Operation Trapped table we'll have there... I hope to get 1000 bottles just at this event. I want to have a countdown board and get lots of buzz going about it. Some 300,000 people come to this event.. so I think getting 1000 veterans out of that with the help of volunteers should be easy! After all, how many bikers are veterans.. I just read an article that said 76% of bikers are veterans. Wow. Brotherhood. Houston NORML has gotten a beach house nearby for us to stay at for the duration.  I know I'll have to take some breaks from the sheer amount of people that show up. Our Executive Director told me to bring ear plugs.  Normally I'd stay far away from this many people.. for for The Cause.. I can do this. 0.o

Public · Meetup · Hosted by Southern Soul Rydahs RC

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No registration or fees required. http://www.lonestarrally.com/

As for my MST situation... this activism has been of huge help in regards to it. I have to talk about it.. and people listen.  That's really important. New people hear about it.. many have never heard of military sexual trauma.  

Just yesterday, I was at a lunch with an adult social group with friends and a new person joined us.  He asked about the brace I have to wear on my left hand now. 

He asked if it was from stopping a fall as he teaches classes on 'how to fall right'. " No".. I had to say, " It's from my Navy supervisors grabbing my thumb and using it to twist my arm behind my back and force me into submission and to control me. And the fucks on both bases did it the same. That essentially went on for four years. Lots of damage done. So now, as I have gotten older, all those twisted bones have developed sharp edges that saw on the tendons. The VA wants to cut them out and use tendons from my arm to build a 'new' sort of joint there. But I am not up to that at this point, I'd rather wear the brace which helps keep my thumb immobile. "

He stared at me, obviously aghast. I am sure he'd never had that answer before in the years he's been asking that question of people. I don't enjoy shocking people that way. Thank goodness the friends there with me mostly know my story and were nodding sportively. I told him about The Invisible War

http://invisiblewarmovie.com

 Four years ago I would have lied.. would not have been able to say the truth without hyperventilating and going into a withdrawal trance.  The VA had offered me 'immersion' therapy..where you talk about what happened for months till supposedly it doesn't affect you anymore.  Thank goodness Crystal didn't recommend it for me and suggested I be a cannabis activist instead!  Boy howdy has this been useful to me. And so much more effective then telling the same person the same story. Especially in our case, we MST survivors. I think a big part of our healing is MAKING OUR STORY COUNT!  And doing this, changing the law for other veterans, children, autistic and Asburgers folks, cancer patients , TBI, other PTSD folks.. the list goes on and on... is the best therapy for me for sure.  Today, I got to talk to another lady veteran ( Hi D!) 
about how much being a cannabis activist has helped me.  

While I have made lots of progress... I still have lots of issues that I have to work on. I hate that I have such up and  down days.. that K has to be watchful of my moods. I want him to have a smooth and peaceful life.  But he knew me before my breakdown.. how successful I was professionally.. that I was able to take him on trips.  Now.. I can't imagine how dealing with me feels to him. But he has married me, knowing how crazy and emotional I can be. And I am blessed beyond beyond to have this amazing life with him. The dream home we are building that has keep me super busy on top of being so supportive of my activism.  Tomorrow they are supposed to be pouring the foundation and I hope to be up there watching it.

So, that's an update on things... as usual.. I'll try to do this more frequently.

Over and Out,
Myst