Steve McWilliams and the Access to Medical Marijuana in San Diego

On November 5^th, 1996 Proposition 215 was passed that made it legal to use marijuana for medical use. San Diego and San Bernardino Counties refused to uphold this law until they were forced to in 2009. The Supreme Court of California on May 19^th in 2009 refused to prosecute medical marijuana users in San Diego and San Bernardino Counties. It took 7 years after Prop 215 to establish rules and regulations for medical marijuana use with California Senate Bill 420.(Source)

In 1997 Steve McWilliams who himself suffered with pain from multiple car crashes helped establish San Diego Cannabis Caregivers Club (SDCCC) in Ocean Beach, part of greater San Diego. They grew marijuana on the premisis as well as Valley Center giving access to marijuana to patients. In January 1998 Steve McWilliams was arrested for possesion but was released because of lack of information. Steve was transporting a plant to another patient when he got stopped at the border checkpoint, searched and was arrested.(Source) Steve McWilliams stated to the police that Proposition 215 was unclear to how to possess it for medicinal use. (Source) (Source)

On October 11, 2002 was arrested by the DEA for growing 6 marijuana plants, and he pled guilty to growing 25 plants. Charges were combined with a federal raid in 1999 on Shelter from the Storm Cannabis Collective that he helped organize where he was facing a minimum of a 5 year minimum prison sentence.(Source) This led to a plea deal and prison sentence for 6 months on April 28, 2003, which he was released on bail and ordered to not use marijuana. (Source) On July 11, 2005 Steve McWilliams committed Suicide on his 51^st birthday. His suicide note stated:

"This was my last chance to help the medical marijuana movement and others that I care about," he further wrote "That's what so much of this has been about -- my right to use a medicine that worked for me." Steve McWilliams also mentioned displeasure with the opioid medication he was forced to use after the judge made the ruling that he could not use marijuana.

McWilliams was an advocate for medical marijuana and was a constantly attending the San Diego City Council Meetings. Council Member Toni Atkins said after McWilliams suicide, “a tenacious and relentless force to be reckoned with” and “public comment at out City Council meetings will never be the same without his smiling face and cannabis leis.”(Source)

Outliers Collective (OUTCO.COM), the only legally licensed medical marijuana dispensary in San Diego, is one more step in the access to medical marijuana that Steve McWilliams desired for him and his community.

Source:

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/marijuana-pot-legal-timeline-san-diego-california-medical-prop-215-206301351.html

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/395/mcwilliams.shtml

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/396/steveremembered.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_215_%281996%29

http://ogdeliveries.org/marijuana-defendant-not-guilty-building-a-bridge-for-cannabis-rights/

http://www.marijuanalibrary.org/981008.html

http://www.unitedstatesvmarijuana.com/court-cases/unitedstatesvstevemcwilliams

http://cannabisnews.com/news/14/thread14553.shtml