PA4MMJ - Candlelight Vigil

[Derek Rosenzweig]

6-29-2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Chris Goldstein 215-586-3483 media@phillynorml.org

Pennsylvanians for Medical Marijuana (www.pa4mmj.org) and the Medical Movement (www.MedicalMovement.com) Present:

Statewide Candlelight Vigils Announced for Medical Marijuana in PA

On July 11th 2009, PA4MMJ (Pennsylvanians for Medical Marijuana) will be participating in awareness events in Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Philadelphia. These simultaneous candlelight vigils for medical marijuana access in Pennsylvania will remember those victims of Prohibition who have died waiting for legal cannabis access. Advocates will show support for HB 1393, active legislation to bring a modern medical marijuana program to the Commonwealth.

Medical patients who would qualify under the bill are strongly encouraged to attend, if physically able. Supporters are encouraged to remember friends or family with photos and signs.  Supporting groups include http://www.medical-freedom.com, http://www.pa4mmj.org, http://www.phillynorml.org, http://www.medicalmovement.com and http://www.wonpr.org

Philadelphia:
TIME: 8:30PM - 10:00PM
LOCATION:  5th and Market Streets at Independence National Historical Park Visitor's Center.
CONTACT: Chris Goldstein - 215-586-3483 - media@phillynorml.org
INFO: Some candles will be provided. If you bring candles, please bring them in glass holders that will catch all the wax. Organized speakers from PA4MMJ will address those gathered. More information and a full list of speakers will be released at www.pa4mmj.org prior to the event.

Harrisburg:
TIME: 2-4 and 8:30-10PM
LOCATION: Third and State Streets on the Capitol Steps
CONTACT: Chuck Homan 717-235-2840 CAHomanCo@aol.com - and - Jeff Spangler 703-465-1795 JTS273@alumni.Lehigh.edu
INFO: Our friends in The Medical Movement coordinate Harrisburg events. The local PA group plans a Medical Marijuana Educational March on the Capitol past Strawberry Square to Market Square from 2PM-4PM. A candlelight vigil will also be held on the Capitol Steps at 8:30 PM.  See www.MedicalMovement.com for further information prior to the event.

Pittsburgh:
TIME: 8:30PM - 10:00PM
LOCATION: Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park
CONTACT: Patrick Nightingale 412-454-5582 pknlaw@mac.com National NORML Legal Committee member
INFO: Some candles will be provided. If you bring candles, please bring them in glass holders that will catch all the wax.

On April 29, 2009 State Representative Mark B. Cohen of Philadelphia introduced HB1393, a bill that would create a medical marijuana program for Pennsylvania. The bill has been referred to the House Health and Human Services Committee with public hearings expected this summer. HB 1393 includes provision to tax the sale of medical cannabis through Compassion Centers.

PA4MMJ from Philadelphia holds the vigil on July 11th to mark the passing of Barry Busch, a local activist who passed away from HIV/AIDS complications in 2007. Barry inspired the local medical marijuana effort. William Haney of medical-freedom.com, who helped organize vigils with Barry when he was alive said, "The candlelight vigil commemorates deceased and living patients, diagnosed with one of the conditions for which cannabis is a medically recognized palliative."

This year the vigil has added meaning as active supporters will gather across the commonwealth for the legal medical marijuana access that could be afforded by HB 1393.

For information or interviews with medical marijuana patients in PA please contact PA4MMJ media coordinator Chris Goldstein 215-586-3483 or email media@phillynorml.org

[nik]

      Recently looking at the web page and I noticed the candlelight vigil announcement so I took a closer look.  To my dismay I noticed a rather unusual take on PhillyNORML and the Candlelight Vigils.  As PhillyNORML's founder I thought I'd help set the record straight.  The Candlelight vigils first began way back in 2004 when PhillyNORML was just a fledgling organization holding it's first few meetings at the Last Drop Coffee house.  The event was a combined effort of William Haney of Universal Arts.net and I.  I drew my inspiration from videos of the civil rights movement of the 50's and 60's and the candlelight vigils and marches that they held.  William and I felt that these were solemn events which could evoke an emotional response and it was exactly what the cannabis reform movement needed.  Being young, inexperienced, and not much of an event planner or promoter I was unsure of what to do or how to proceed.  William however was like a man possessed.  We spoke frequently on the phone back then and before I knew it the event was upon us and William had managed to get several organizations across the country to participate lighting candles at the same time.   William even managed to document that night with pictures and wrote up a summary of the event which can today be found at ( http://medical-freedom.com/annuals/vigil2004.html ).

       This became an annual tradition and I was pleased to work with William on the subsequent events planning them for months ahead of time.  At the time I was involved with returning to school for my undergraduate in horticulture so William wound up doing much of the leg work for the events while I provided some support from the computer producing materials and posting information online.  William worked tirelessly to involve other organizations and the number of groups in different states grew annually.  I was pleased to participate once again in 2005 ( http://medical-freedom.com/annuals/vigil2005.html ) and to speak to our largest gathering in 2006 ( http://medical-freedom.com/annuals/vigil2006.html ) where William gathered corporate sponsors and arranged space for us to gather afterwords at the Independence Brew Pub.  That would have been the first year that Barry, who was busy helping to prepare for the Global Cannabis March, could have participated in the annual event but unfortunately he was not in good health and was unable to attend. 2006 Also began William's quest to draw Tommy Chong into the annual Candlelight Vigil.  That year under William's direction then Chair Chris worked to get Tommy's signature on a special T-shirt to be later used at a charity fundraiser that William would hold later that year with ticket revenues to benefit the participating organizations.  William has continued this quest annually and in 2008 met with both Cheech and Chong at the studios of WMMR after their appearance on the Preston and Steve Show.  While they did not  publicly participate in that year's vigil William working through their press agents was able to obtain their signatures on a shirt to once again raffle off to charity.

       In January of 2007 I left Philly for Rochester NY and participated in the annual vigil as an individual but was pleased to represent Rochester NY in 2008 as I stood in the cold on Monroe Ave. a few weeks before the election and once again handed out literature with some dedicated people here.  This year William decided to hold some additional vigils for some of the people who he knew personally or through a close connection.  One was for Cheryl L. Miller 6-07-09  which he coordinated with her husband Jim Miller and one for Barry E. Busch 7-11-09.  I look forward to participating in the 2009 Candlelight Vigil and all of those which are to come.


       This is my personal bit which can go in the history books or not but William Haney has done a great deal for PhillyNORML which sometimes seems to have gotten overlooked.  In my time as a board member he personally helped bring in more money than everyone else combined in the group.  He's an incredible guy who helped me grow as an advocate and a professional person. He taught me me how to properly obtain and thank sponsors for their efforts, as well as to plan and involve others in events.  Even though I'm some distance away we still work together for the annual candlelight vigils and I look forward to our planning meetings.  William is a great asset to PhillyNORML and I hope that it's younger members and those unaccustomed to event planning and organization can learn from him.

[jackcat]

Hey Nik, glad to see you're still kickin'.    I, too, can remember when PhillyNorml have few members and was just starting out.