A message from Alice O'Leary Randall, the "First Lady" of the medical cannabis movement in the United States, outlining her next mission in this space: https://www.patreon.com/Alice_OLeary_Randall
"Medical marijuana is practically a given in today's world. With thirty-eight state laws allowing its use, cannabis is a legal medication for millions of Americans. But it wasn't always this way.
Today's laws represent a decades-long battle to return cannabis to the U.S Pharmacopeia and the prominence it deserves as an ancient and revered medication. The battle to return marijuana's medical uses to the American consciousness began in 1975 with the arrest of Robert C. Randall, a young college professor using marijuana to treat his glaucoma. Through remarkable hard work and the contributions of professional help from lawyers and doctors, Randall was able to prove his "medical necessity" and was found not guilty of marijuana possession. His civil petition to federal authorities forced the release of federal marijuana supplies to treat Randall's glaucoma.
For several years he was literally the only American allowed to legally possess marijuana. Randall's case launched a movement that would become a constant source of news stories throughout the last third of the 20th century... which also happen to be the last analog days before digital media would burst upon the scene. The result is lost knowledge and appreciation for the individuals whose courage allowed millions to legally use cannabis medically today.
The purpose of this Project 50 is to digitize important documents and items from 1975-1995 and preserve them in a central location where future scholars, researchers, students and more can find them. Join me, please, in helping preserve the history of an incredible time when the seriously ill took on the federal government for denying them medication.
Spoiler alert: they didn't always win and sometimes the cruelty of our federal government will take your breath away. But these stories must be preserved because they are often sad. This is a three year project, formally launching in January 2023 and ending December 31, 2026. Why three years? Because having a deadline always makes one work harder. And I want those who contribute to know this is a task, not another open-ended association or non-for-profit. You are sustaining my final job for medical cannabis: digitizing the early years. And I thank you."