Voter Power was initially founded by several activists, including renowned hemp activist Jack Herer, in response to the 1997 attempt by the Oregon Legislature to recriminalize personal amounts of marijuana. Also in 1997, Voter Power's Executive Director, John Sajo, and Legal Counsel, Leland Berger, helped draft the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act (OMMA). Voter Power joined other activists who hoped and dreamed to live in a state where personal cannabis consumers and medical patients were not treated as criminals. They very easily could have given into fear. Fear that they couldn't get enough signatures in time, fear that they may lose the election and fear that the federal government would interfere and still arrest patients or prevent the medical marijuana law from implementation. But Oregon activists chose not to overcome their fears and fight for their hopes and dreams.

In 1998 Voter Power helped lead the successful grassroots "No on 57, Yes on 67" campaign. The "No on 57" portion of the campaign was a referendum on a law passed by the Oregon Legislature in 1997 criminalizing possession of less than an ounce of marijuana.  The "Yes on 67" portion was the campaign to legalize medical marijuana by passing the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act (OMMA).  Oregon voters were given the opportunity to go back in time and treat personal marijuana possession as a crime or they could keep possession decriminalized, as it had been in Oregon since 1972, and move forward with a comprehensive medical marijuana law that would be an example for other states to follow.  Oregon voters decided to move forward and live in a state where personal marijuana possession is not a crime and where we treat sick and disabled patients with compassion, instead of as criminals.

In 2008 and 2010, Oregon voters may have a very similar opportunity.  The voters may be given a chance to go back in time and treat sick and disabled patients as criminals, by repealing OMMA, and spending millions of taxpayers' dollars arresting, prosecuting, and jailing patients and their caregivers and growers.  Or the voters can move forward and live in a state that decides to not only protect patients, but to also help provide them with safe access to a medicine that has been proven to greatly improve the lives of many patients while being literally a life-saving medicine for others.  Oregon voters can even keep the status quo, where patients are protected, but too many go without medicine.  We can keep the current system that is unfair to patients who don't have the ability or resources to have their own garden or the networking connections to find someone to grow for them.  The status quo where many patients who live on a fixed income or in Section 8 housing are forced to navigate the black market or rely upon the charity of others, when relying on such charity oftentimes requires traveling four or five hours to Portland and then possible waiting in line, battling the elements, for a couple of more hours.

Oregon voters may have the chance to move forward and show the nation that licensed and regulated transactions of cannabis are not evil.  These regulated transactions can help ensure that patients have access to pharmacy-like facilities operated by nonprofit organizations that provide the patients not only medicine, but also a comfortable place to network and socialize with other patients.  Oregon can show the country that revenue generated from these transactions can help ensure that all patients can have safe access to medical cannabis and that such revenue can also help provide poverty-stricken children with health insurance and increase social services for the most disadvantaged in our society.

Those that believe that regulated commerce in marijuana is not evil should support Voter Power's 2008 initiative efforts.  We can stop the repeal OMMA while also approving a law that ensures that all patients have safe access to medical cannabis and generates millions of dollars that will protect OMMA and help our citizens who are battling disability, sickness, and poverty.  Of course, no one wants to see anyone raided, arrested, prosecuted, and jailed for providing medicine to patients.  It is reasonable to fear such interference from the federal government.  However, we shouldn't let such fears control our lives and our actions.  Especially when so many patients are suffering.  We can give into fear or we can fight for our hopes and dreams.  Voter Power hopes and dreams of a day where patients are protected, where patients have safe access to medical cannabis and where cannabis commerce can help improve our society.  If you share these hopes in dreams, please join Voter Power in this battle.