WEATHER
I am 37 years old and was raised in Merced all of my life. My Great Grandfather started his Family on 14th Street which is now where the freeway stands today. I have seen this community grow since I was a child from being totally against Marijuana to now understanding the benefits of using the plant medicinally. In addition to being owner of Natural Way Collective I am a professional for The Merced County Office of Education and the Union President of a Local Chapter with 350+ members.
Hard Conversations at the grass roots level are still needed today. We need to be having these conversations with our colleagues at work with out fear. We should not fear talking about a medication that actually works. Our Allies help us gain momentum at the grass roots level (Churches, Groups, Businesses, Family, & Friends) but in order to find out who our allies are hard conversations must take place. We live in this community and we know what works best for our community.
In 2015 our community leaders formed a group that walked door to door asking citizens to sign petitions in support of Medical Marijuana, but our work is not done. We must still be fully involved in order to guarantee that we shape Medical Marijuana Policy in our community and not let it shape us. This industry is something to be proud of unlike past policies that have fostered fear, shame and harassment.