Cannabis, Community & Pig Roasts

This past Sunday, our campaign held a pig roast fundraiser (hosted at the home of a local supporter) in South China, ME with members of the Maine Medical Cannabis Community.

We all agree: personal cannabis choices are none of Washington DC's business!

Group photo with Senator Eric Brakey at our Cannabis Community Pig Roast

I was happy to be joined at the event by Susan Meehan, who gave me a pin to wear in honor and memory of her late daughter, Cyndimae. Susan and Cyndimae have both been inspirations for me as I've fought for medical cannabis liberty here in Maine.

Susan Meehan and Senator Eric Brakey wearing buttons in memory of Cyndimae Meehan

Cyndimae had Dravet Syndrome --- a rare form of epilepsy that is resistant to most medications --- and suffered from hundreds of seizures a day. Cannabis was the only medicine that worked to reduce the number and severity of her seizures. It gave her the ability to live a normal childhood.

Unfortunately, medical cannabis (even non-smokable forms of cannabis) is prohibited in many places due to state and federal law. For many years, Cyndimae could not even attend school. If she had a seizure, state law prohibited her access to her medicine on school grounds. As a result, any trip to school was potentially fatal.

Thankfully, we succeeded in changing that law. We met a lot of resistance --- including a Governor's veto --- but after pleading on the floor of the Maine Senate with my fellow legislators to understand what this would mean for children like Cyndimae, we narrowly got the 2/3 vote we needed to override and change the law. Susan has told me on multiple occasions just how much joy it brought Cyndimae, during the last few years of her life, to be able attend school like any other young girl.

But it wasn't only schools that gave Cyndimae difficulty. In 2014, I learned that government prohibitions --- state and federal laws threatening hospital licenses if they allow medical cannabis on their grounds --- were causing Cyndimae (and patients like her) to be denied access to medical cannabis during any stay at a Maine hospital.

Whenever Cyndimae would get sick, this forced her mother to make an impossible decision between getting her hospital care and treating her seizures. That's why I sponsored legislation to protect all medical cannabis patients in hospital settings. After two years of fighting on this issue, we succeeded in changing Maine law, but federal law still threatens our hospitals and creates impossible situations for Maine patients.

Senator Eric Brakey with Shirley Weiss, just days after leaving the hospital

Just recently, Shirley Weiss, a lifelong Republican and a medical cannabis patient just experienced this horror during a recent stay in the hospital for surgery. When she disclosed that she uses medical cannabis and had her medicine with her, the hospital staff sedated her, forcibly searched her person and all her personal possessions to confiscated her edibles. She says she felt like she was treated like a criminal.

We may have changed the laws in Maine to protect medical cannabis patients' rights during hospital stays, but as long as Washington DC continues threatening to shut down hospitals that allow medical cannabis, Maine patients will continue to suffer.

Only discharged from the hospital a few days ago, Shirley personally came to our cannabis community campaign event and said she wouldn't have missed it for the world. She hopes no cannabis patient ever again has to go through what she experienced, and she is glad I am fighting for all our freedoms. She's looking forward to volunteering on our #LibertyForTheLittleGuy campaign.

Senator Eric Brakey greeting a supporter

Overall, it was a wonderful event with Maine people who simply want federal politicians to mind their own business. I've been fighting for cannabis freedom here in Maine for half a decade and I appreciate the support from so many as I take this fight to Washington D.C.

I even met a business woman from Pennsylvania looking to invest in industrial hemp here in our state (since we legalized it two years ago). A huge economic opportunity for Maine! Turns out she's a fan of Ron Paul, so I gave her a copy of "The Revolution," which she asked me to personally sign.

Senator Brakey signs a copy of Ron Paul's "The Revolution"

We've got a lot of work ahead of us. Washington DC won't be giving us our liberties back unless we stand up and demand them to. Let's keep fighting for Liberty for the Little Guy.

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For Liberty!
Eric Brakey

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