On
November 5th, 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 19th 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 51st
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://cannabisnews.com/news/14/thread14553.shtml
