“ If a couple of wacky blues musicians can put on a concert in three days and save an orphanage , we can put on this conference .”
“ Have you been smoking marijuana ?” The man was younger than me but old enough to know better . Pointing at me , he addressed the entire Kansas Town Topic , “ I think she smells like marijuana . Is it just me ?”
We all think we will have a smart-ass answer in times like these , but that ’ s not what happens . Fright / Flight is what happens . The sympathetic nervous system kicks in , and 3000 separate chemical reactions simultaneously happen that enable us to pick up cars off toddlers . I grabbed my three-year-old granddaughter ; my son grabbed our food , we jumped in his truck , and left instead of sitting at the counter for our burgers as we had planned . Back at my son ’ s , we couldn ’ t eat . As I drove home that day , I realized how every human being feels when they are publicly attacked , whether over smelling like a plant or the color of our skin . It is a terrifying feeling that inspires fear .
In light of ignorance , there is only one thing to do — educate more . As Nelson Mandela said , “ Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world .”
This conference became a Mission From God to pluck more feathers out of prohibition , prejudice , and stereotypes .
Road-trip
I ’ ve been to two of these conferences on the east coast , where POT has a lot of name recognition . Both went as smooth as warm butter , but this isn ’ t the east coast . We needed a plan .
“ If a couple of wacky blues musicians can put on a concert in three days and save an orphanage , we can put on this conference ,” I told April .
We never once stopped to consider The Blues Brothers as a work of fiction . We looked on the internet for a giant speaker we could strap to the top of the car , so we could drive around town announcing , “ Three days only , Patients Out of Time , Educational Conference , Kansas City , Missouri , Unity Temple on the Plaza , June 9-11 .” We plastered posters everywhere we went . Booking as many radio and podcast shows as would take us , we hit the road , beginning with a trip to Rolla , MO , for the Waxy Brown Show . We were joined in Rolla by Mark Pederson , a longtime supporter of POT , and another OG ( I assumed the term meant Old Guys ), along with Tiger , the service dog . The pup added so much to the room !
From Rolla , we traveled to Jefferson City and passed out fliers for Nurse Lobby Day . We ratted out the governor to local media for investing in marijuana and not expunging marijuana records . Then we traveled to St . Joe to be guests of the Big V Show . And we laughed . We laughed and laughed and laughed some more . Somewhere along the way , around mile marker 420 , I found that joy I wrote about last spring , inspired by Sam Samuelson and Ali Wajahat . I found my inner Bugs Bunny .
The Team
Our team amazed me every day . Corina Merritt volunteered to organize the volunteers , all the while working the night shift at St . Luke ’ s on the Plaza as a med tech and dealing with life . The month before the conference , Corina ’ s landlord sold their rental house , giving them 30 days to move . Her sweetheart ’ s dad passed away unexpectedly the Friday before the conference . Despite all , and after working all night , Carina would show up at 9 a . m . Tuesday ’ s at Winsteads on The Plaza for our planning sessions , and her volunteers were smooth as melted butter . Well done , young lady !
Karin Spinks began putting together all the AV moving parts with surgical skill , all while planning The Blaze , her own annual event in St . Louis . There was no break between the two events . Those of us who witnessed and participated in this show of woman-strength are better and stronger people for it . We cannot thank you enough , Karin , for your boldness , patience , time , and example of showing us what we can do .
Mission Accomplished
We did it . We had the conference and three epic parties , including a slime fest with our canna kids and Lucy , the baby goat from Shady Frase Farm ( thanks , Jeff !). For 24 hours , the marquee at Midland Theater read , “ Marijuana is Medicine .” Many thanks to my friend , Blues Sister Bonna Yost , for bringing in Kansas City ’ s finest Blues : Dirty Dan Rice , Mo Paul and The Old Crows , Fletcher Christian and Friends . And we had a double rainbow at the after-party across the road from Pride Fest while dancing to the magic of Riley Voth and Pleasant Trees .
And a special thanks to Victoria and Bill Cromwell and Clayton Stallings for help with marketing the conference in The Evolution Magazine , for all your community support and offering this magazine ― a source for necessary education to promote change in the world of cannabis .
Someone said to us , “ You guys made magic !” To which I replied , “ Nope , God made the magic . We just showed up to work .” Mission From God accomplished !
Dolores Montgomery Halbin , RN , BSN , and Ordained Nurse Minister , resides in SW Missouri . After her husband passed in 2015 , she retired from nursing . She worked with the 2014-2018 Missouri campaigns for legalized medical marijuana . She continues as a cannabis reform activist volunteering with Canna Convict Project and working toward Federal decriminalization through educational speaking and freelance journalism . Dolores Halbin ,
doloreshalbin @ gmail . com .