Waiting to Inhale
Graestone,
a forum poster at Happyhippie.com, attended the free screening
of Waiting to Inhale at the San Diego Central Library.
The number
of folks
that showed
up
for the free
screening
of Waiting to
Inhale filled up the theater, and staff had to put
up several extra rows of chairs to accommodate the overflow,
with others yet in the hallway outside peeking over
shoulders to see in.
For
those of us in San Diego, this film hit close to home,
as too many instances therein reminded
us of
ourselves and too often did I hear sobs of not only recognition
of the faces on the screen that are no longer with us and
people openly weeping and passing tissues from person to
person as personal
tragedies unfold on the screen, but sobs for our city, our
State and what it has become as well.
San Diego is the front line in the fight for Medicinal Cannabis
and the city one of the last
hold outs in implementing State law on the Medicinal Cannabis
identification cards as decreed
by the
California Supreme Court in October 2008, and yet nothing
has been done.
Much is happening in this so called War on Drugs that never hits
the main stream media simply because of the outrage it would
stir up should the truth ever come to light. Stories of entrapment
by the DEA in at least five cases here in the San Diego area
in the last week alone, two raids that I personally know of and
both of them private residences of caregiver growers that supply
medicinal Cannabis to those that are unable to supply their own.
In they
come clad in black with full riot gear, automatic weapons,
masks, battering
rams, the whole works, while “Mom” stands
there in slippers, bathrobe and coffee cup in hand, stunned
that something like this could happen in America after
she's been forcibly
introduced to the carpet finding a boot in the back of
her neck.
They take what they want, destroy the rest (which happens
to be peoples lives) and leave to terrorize the next
law abiding citizen
with impunity.
Waiting to inhale not only shows our side, the medicinal
Cannabis users side, but also shows what the other side,
the federal government,
has to say as well, allowing the viewer to come to his
or her own conclusions.
We are not evil people, and we don't run multi million
dollar cartels, we're your sons, mothers, teachers, clergy
and yes,
even police,
who do our jobs, pay our bills and taxes and struggle to
stay on top of things just like everyone else in this country.
All we want is to be able to continue to live our lives
free of pain, free of fear and persecution, free to see
our children
and
grandchildren to grow into wonderful adults that are
not blinded by misconceptions, misinformation and prejudice.
Free to live in peace, not much to ask for really.
If you or any of your family members suffer from an ailment
that could possibly be alleviated or eased in any
way by Cannabis, I
would entreat you to research it for not only your/their
sake but for all those that are still under the umbrella
of misinformation
about the efficacy of Cannabis.
Watch this movie, buy this movie, pass it along,
invite your friends and family to see this movie
or add it
to your website
if you have
one, but pass it along in any way you can, America
needs to see this.
From
left to rightP: Jed Riffe (producer/director) Aaron
Smith (from the Marijuana Policy Project) and Rudy Reyes
(local activist,
burn victim of the Cedar fires a few years ago and ran for
city council to oust some of the incumbents)
Thank you
to Graestone
from Happyhippie.com for contributing this article.
