skunk article
TRANSCRIPT
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VOLUME 9, ISSUE 624
PHOTOC
O
URTESYOFTORILACHAPELLE
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WHAT STARTED YOU
ON YOUR PATHWAY TO
MEDICAL CANNABIS
ADVOCACY/ACTIVISM?
I first spoke at the 2010 Great
Annual Midwest Marijuana
Harvest Festival in MadisonWisconsin. It started when
I made a post on facebook
about being a nurse and
wanting cannabis for pain. If
this exchange had not hap-
pened Id never have had the
chance to meet the wonderful
cannabis community and ad-
vocate the way I do now. The
first activist I ever met was
Ben Masel of Wisconsin who
founded the Harvest Fest withDana Beal.
WHAT WAS YOUR
PART IN THE MADISON
SING ALONG AGAINST
GOVERNMENT POLICIES?
The Solidarity Sing Along
has been holding the fort for
First Amendment rights in
Wisconsin every weekday in
the Capitol Building since the
2011 uprising, when hundredsof thousands gathered to
protest Scott Walkers attack
on public servants and unions.
I had always followed the
Sing Alongs efforts but it was
seeing the arrest, handcuffing
and detention of a singing 80
year old grandmother on the
news that sparked me into ac-
tion. Out of nowhere a week
before Walker was to hold the
Republican Governors Con-vention in Milwaukee, the po-
lice began arresting Sing Along
participants in the Capitol.
I went to participate in
the protests the next day and
witnessed a Vietnam Veterans
violent arrest. He was stand-
ing, not even singing, when
the American flag he was
holding was ripped from his
arms, thrown to the ground
and walked all over by these
TOKIN FEMALE
T
OR
I
L
AC
HA
PE
LL
ETORI LA CHAPELLE -- nurse, mother,
medical cannabis advocate, socialmedia writer and medical refugee
conductor -- belongs to a new breed
of cannabis activists, well-versed in
medical uses, well-educated in the
injustice of prohibition. Tori gains her
advantage from being in the generation
with a mass awareness of medical
purposes that has wiped out the senseof it being morally wrong, instilling
knowledge and confidence in activists
on a justice mission fraught with
difficulties. What makes it easier now
is -- the marijuana majority has got their
back! All polls show 80% and climbing
support medical marijuana!
Since CAs Prop 215 in 96, ageneration has matured that represents
the marijuana majority. Tori is an
example of the savvy, competent,
compassionate, middle-of-the-road
professional leader of the future, single
mother of four children, Nurse Tori
to thousands she has helped in her
career, a connector on social media, aconductor for medical refugees, and an
everyday woman with fibromyalgia in
constant pain who informs her social
media friends of feelings of uselessness
to stay connected.
W O R D S
PEBBLES
TRIPPET
The righteous are mobilizing and organizing.
~ Tori La Chapelle
Tokin Femaleis dedicated to bringing womens voices and deeds out of the background into the foreground of all things cannabis.
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. AFRICAN PROVERB
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VOLUME 9, ISSUE 626
Gestapo like police. He was then violently
handcuffed and taken to jail. The next day
a pastor was arrested and nearly died in
custody with a cardiac emergency brought
on by the stress of the arrest. Every weekday
for nearly a month 20-30 people a day were
handcuffed, arrested, threatened and given
citations no worse than speeding tickets, yet
kids, grandmothers, soldiers, firefighters and
the elderly were being treated like criminals.
I was arrested twice for singing, subjected to
pain compliance techniques both times, hav-ing my arthritic wrists twisted and bent into
metal handcuffs, though I never resisted.
Sticking up for myself made me more
conscientious about being involved. My can-
nabis activism definitely payed a role in my
having confidence to join in the Sing Along.
After all, Id smoked cannabis on the Capitol
lawn during Harvest Fest surrounded by
police. I thought I could get arrested for sing-
ing pretty easy. I never anticipated being the
victim of pain compliance applied by police.
THERE WAS ONE ESPECIALLY ICONIC
MOMENT WHEN A HOSTILE ANTI-UNION
PRO-WALKER SUPPORTER ACTED
IN A BELLIGERENT WAY AND YOU
DIFFUSED THE HOSTILITY BY ASKING
HIM TO DANCE. WAS YOUR OUTREACH
SPONTANEOUS?
Yes, it was spontaneous. I saw Carl Gibson of
Occupy try to engage and calm him down.
He was up to his usual, calling us pigs and
union thugs. I tried to get him to put his
feelings about unions aside and understand
it was a First Amendment issue, but to no
avail. When I worked as a psychiatric nurse,
it taught me compassion and de-escalation
techniques. He was so angry that I felt com-
pelled to change that if even for a minute
and to show him kindness. I wanted him to
see that we werent thugs but people pro-
testing joyously.At first when I approached him with my
arms open. he looked at me as if I was crazy.
I smiled and said, How could you deny me
a dance? Then he took my hand and we
started dancing. He had the biggest smile!
I use that moment as a reminder to extend
compassion to people I disagree with. Respect
disarms people from their anger.
HOW DOES YOUR MEDICAL CONDITION
SPUR YOUR ACTIVISM?
I had symptoms of disseminated lymedisease 11 years ago but it took 5 years to
diagnose lyme. Chronic pain is a great moti-
vator. You can either surrender to it or turn
it into something productive. For example,
one day Id gone through an unplanned opi-
ate withdrawal. I have no consistent access
to proper medicinal cannabis so lm stuck
still relying on traditional pain medications.
I forgot to pick up my prescription. Within
18 hours of my last tab of Lortab, I was in
full-blown withdrawal, shaking, sweating
and crying while writing out my speech tolawmakers against another prohibitionist
bill. I was pissed to be suffering the effects
of opiate withdrawal when all I needed was
safe access to medicinal cannabis. I was
pissed at the unfairness of the Drug War and
the government telling me what I can put
in my body. Finally at age 30, when I was
facing a choice of morphine or oxycontin to
control my pain, I gave in and tried cannabis.
I felt my body truly relax for the first time
in 10 years and I sobbed in relief. Through
activism, I finally feel Im a useful person,comfortable with who I am.
HOW HAS ACTIVISM CHANGED YOUR LIFE?
Activism has lifted a veil of societal despair
that had been clouding my eyes and stagnat-
ing what I now believe to be my lifes path.
Ive found community, love, humanity and un-
derstanding amongst activists. Its made me
more effective as a human being. Of course,
giving a shit comes with more stress which
exacerbates my condition.
TOKIN FEMALE: TORI LA CHAPELLE
While I was getting off the plane
in Denver. the woman next to me
(whom I had only exchanged pleas-
antries with) asked if I was staying
in Denver. I told her I was just here
for the weekend but that Im mov-
ing to Colorado next year and she
said to me...But you have so much
work to do in the Capitol. Wiscon-
sin needs you.Other than the Solidarity Sing
Along button on my camera strap,
I dont know how she knew me but
my eyes are now filled with tears
and my heart is filled with pride.
WE ARE WINNING!
@solidaritysingalong
(anonymous woman Tori met on the plane)
photo
Stephanie
Roose
photo
Leslie
Peterson
I Am A Criminal -Torispeaking at WI HempFest
Pain Compliance Tori arrested atMadison WI Solidarity Sing Along
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HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH YOUR
MEDICAL CONDITION?
Mainly through alternative treatments. includ-
ing herbs and Chinese physical medicines. I eat
whole foods and stay away from pharmaceu-
ticals at all costs although I still have to take
opiates for pain. Since starting cannabis, Im
off nearly a dozen pharmaceuticals and haveaccomplished physical feats I never thought
possible -- running for miles, hiking long dis-
tances, climbing mountains. Four years ago,
I could barely stay upright more than a few
hours. Cannabis has opened up a whole new
world of possibilities for me.
HAVE YOU TRIED CANNABIS OIL OR
LEAF JUICING?
I once tried less than 1/4 gram cannabis oil
and felt the pain-relieving effects until the next
day. It was amazing! But I cant afford to use itfor myself and I dont want to take up supply
that can go to cancer patients. I cant wait to
move to Colorado and start myself on oil.
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE VIRTUES
OF CANNABIS AS A MEDICINE TO YOUR
CHILDREN?
Ive always been into herbalism, so the boys
grew up seeing me use plants as medicine
most of their lives. Standing up against unjust
laws is a family value theyve always been
taught. They understand that sometimespeople have to break laws for the greater
good. I dont think my older boys (16 and 12)
are the least bit surprised by my outspoken-
ness. My 12 year old son Trevors reaction to
the Solidarity Sing Along arrests made me so
proud. He said he wanted to become a lawyer
to protect peoples rights. It was the moment
I realized they had been listening all along. My
oldest son Hunter once stood up to a teacher
who was punishing people for not saying the
Pledge of Allegiance. At age 9, he knew it was
a First Amendment violation and called theteacher out. I hope someday theyre as proud
of me as I am of them.
IN LIGHT OF WISCONSINS
UNENLIGHTENED MARIJUANA LAWS
AND FIRST AMENDMENT VIOLATIONS
WHATS YOUR TAKE ON MOVING TO
ANOTHER STATE, AS PART OF THE FIRST
WAVE OF MEDICAL REFUGEES?
The most important thing in my life is the
immediate safety, well-being and happiness
of my family. Ive always said if you believe
A SHORT HISTORY OFTORI LACHAPELLESSUPPORT OF THEFITZRANDOLPH FAMILY
Dec 2013
I met Tori through my wife Ruthiewho worked with her in the nurs-
ing profession. At the time, we
were seeking information on an
alternative protocol cure for our
daughter Jessis Stage IV breast
cancer. We were totally fed up with
conventional protocols including
chemotherapy and radiation. Nei-
ther worked and both were slowly
killing our Jessi. So we decided to
learn more about medical cannabisto provide a natural alternative to
her failing treatments and health.
Tori was not only incredibly
knowledgeable about medical
cannabis; she also was able to
provide educational and sourcing
information that became our life-
line to the Simpson Oil we coveted
for Jessis treatments. She taught
us to make our own oil. She put us
in touch with the appropriate con-tacts that were willing to provide
the quantity and quality of plant
buds we needed to ease Jessis
angst, pain and nausea...and to ac-
tually slow the spread of the can-
cer and ultimately eliminate the
hideous disease that had taken up
residence in Jessis body.
Without Toris input, courage,
cooperation and willingness to fight
the existing system in Wisconsinwhich discourages the use of any
kind of marijuana product regard-
less of whether it is for recreational
or medical use, our daughters prog-
nosis would not be nearly as posi-
tive. We credit Tori with allowing
us to look forward with our entire
family to another year of healing
and continued progress defeating
Jessis cancer.
~Jeff FitzRandolph
In a whirlwind, theres not much of a fence to sit on! PEBBLES TRIPPET
photo
Leslie
Peterson
photoK
aren
Kinsley
photo
courtesy
ofToriLaChapelle
Tori with Boston bombing hero andVeteran for Peace, Carlos Arrendondo
Pain compliance andarrest for singing atSing Along
Nurse Tori speaksher mind.
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VOLUME 9, ISSUE 628
in something and choose to fight, you have
to accept the consequences. But I cannot ac-
cept the negative effect those consequences
would have on my family if something were
to happen to me because of my cannabis
use. No matter how fearless I may feel, my
children are afraid of losing their mother andfor good reason, as the threat of CPS action
against families is very real.
There seems to be an epidemic of activ-
ists and patients being visited by CPS in legal
medicinal states like Michigan and California
as well as prohibitionist states. Children are
being removed from family homes because
a parent uses medicinal marijuana or has a
supply on premises. Children are being kept
and parents put on child abuse registries
interminably, even after charges are dropped
and/or findings are unsubstantiated.There is also the very real effects a CPS
investigation would have on my children.
Several parents have reported long-lasting
trauma after a CPS call.
At risk is also my ability to support my
family. Parents are being put on the abuse
registry without ever having lost custody of
their children. As a nurse, those consequences
would strip me of my ability to adequately
provide for my family and Id never be able to
practice again. How would my family survive
without my income? It would take years torecover from such a devastating blow!
Ive chosen to move to Colorado instead
of Oregon or California because, after the
passage of Amendment 64, Colorado authori-
ties assured the public that marijuana use
or possession alone will not result in a CPS
investigation. No other state has offered such
assurances.
Nothing comes before my children, not
ideology, not my rights, not even the rights of
the people I fight for. What is most important
is that I be able to mother my children from
home and not from a jail cell. Whats the
point of being a mother without anyone to
mother? (LadyBud online 7/15/13).
Im excited and hopeful about the
move. Im seeing it as a way to new begin-
nings and new paths. Im networking with
other Wisconsin refugees to form a lobbying
delegation that returns to Wisconsin to testifyand campaign for legalization.There may also
be a way to keep my nursing employment
and school for my boys in Wisconsin while
transitioning to Colorado.
Im a mom first and I have to be the
best mom I can be. If I dont do my best and
take every step I can to protect my family
from prohibition fallout, I will have failed at
my most important role in life -- as a mother.
YOURE SETTING UP A NURSE.TORI
WEBSITE TO COORDINATE MEDIA FORSEVERAL GROUPS YOURE PROMOTING,
SUCH AS PARENTS FOR POT AND
UNDERGREEN RAILROAD, HELPING
MEDICAL REFUGEES TRANSITION TO
COMPASSION STATES. WHAT ARE
YOUR PLANS?
I intend to explore cannabis nursing as a
specialty in my future. Im developing nurse.
tori as a hub for activist projects Im associ-
ated with -- that includes all my advocacy
projects and informational resources and will
move to include counseling and supportiveservices for medical refugees. Someday I
hope I can say I survive and raise a family on
what advocacy pays. For now, Id be happy
to be paid in karma.
IF ONLY I COULD HELP YOU, I WOULD.
AT YOUR LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT,
YOU SHOULD NOT BE DEPRIVED OF
MEDICINE, EVER. THAT IS NOT TOO
MUCH TO HOPE FOR. I WONDER,
DO CO AND CA HAVE RECIPROCITY
RELATIONS?Thank you, Pebbles, I agree. I cannot be
effective at my work level if Im in pain or
sick all the time.
FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE IN
NETWORKING WITH A NUMBER OF
GROUPS, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
FLAWS HOLDING OUR MOVEMENT
BACK AFTER 75 YEARS OF BEING
STALLED IN PROHIBITION?
A large part of the stalled momentum is
natural fears of punitive reactions from
TOKIN FEMALE: TORI LA CHAPELLE
I first met Tori at an outdoor
Solidarity Sing Along in Madison,
Wisconsin. It was a gorgeous
sunny summer day, so lots of us
were present. From the beginning,
a right-wing counter-protesterbegan heckling the crowd between
songs, and I tried to intervene and
de-escalate to keep the group on
the right track, but to no avail.
Then, out of nowhere, I see
an impossibly beautiful blonde
woman take the counter-protest-
ers hand in a polka song and start
dancing with him. Before he knew
it, he was smiling and laughing
and dancing with the rest of us. I
cant say if he changed his entire
world view that day, but in subse-
quent appearances at Sing Alongs,
he was always much more civil. I
think Toris charitable dance went
a long way in bridging the gap be-
tween citizens who share a com-
mon class struggle and are only
divided by the ideologies to which
the media and politicians force
them to subscribe. Toris soul and
energy are electric. (Ive attached a
photo of that moment.)
Also, Toris willingness to go
toe-to-toe with the state and fight
for her basic rights to free speech
and free assembly despite having
four boys to care for is admirable.
Activists in all issues can learn a lot
from someone like Tori. Her dedica-
tion to her causes is proof thatthere is literally no excuse not to
get involved, because she defies all
of them. Having kids, having an ar-
rest record, having a job -- she has
all of those things and continues to
be vocal in her fights every day.
~Carl Gibson 12/16/14
Lead Investigative Reporter, Occupy.com
Contributing Editor,
ReaderSupportedNews.org
photo Sarah Mittermaier
Tori with angry counter-protester... the dance thatdisarmed rage
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society and law enforcement. The Drug War
and Prohibition are pervasively invading the
lives and threatening the liberty of activists. It
seems like the faster the cannabis movement
gains momentum, the faster the government
throws up roadblocks and some of those
include jailing more of us.
There is also messaging and misinforma-tion coming out of the cannabis movement
itself that seems to be creating opposition
to legalization. We are still seeing half-naked
women promoting recreational use under the
guise of medical marijuana. Theres certainly
nothing wrong with recreational use. But call-
ing bong-humping in public medicating is
damaging to medical marijuanas credibility.
Right now, theres internal divisions
caused by an increase in corporatism within
the movement giving rise to friction between
entrepreneurs and purists who believe in totalcannabis freedom. We need to find a respect-
able middle ground.
WHAT KINDS OF GENERAL PATIENT
PROTECTIONS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE
IN LAW?
Im very concerned not to give CPS too much
wiggle room to take children based solely on
the parents medical marijuana use. Id like to
see specific protections for patient employees
so they arent punished for their choice of
medication. Ive also testified against double
jeopardy where municipalities/towns are
allowed to prosecute marijuana possession
crimes even as local DAs refuse to. Another
bad proposal is making a 2nd possession of
any amount of marijuana an automatic felony-- no voting, no benefits, no loans... ruined.
When I stopped listening to the lies
and probed medical cannabis studies, I was
floored to see how misled the public and
medical community have been regarding
safety and effectiveness of cannabis. When
you discover the government has intention-
ally misled the public, resulting in devastating
consequences -- deaths, imprisonment, drug
war costs -- you realize the government is
protecting and serving interests other than
that of its people.When we were toe-to-toe with police
and the Walker administration in the Capitol,
we saw how ugly the Establishment gets
when faced with righteous opposition. When
their intimidation didnt work and the Justice
system ruled against them, the administration
didnt flinch and instead of letting us exercise
our rights, they used physical pain and humili-
ation at the hands of police. It opened my
eyes to the role of law enforcement.
Its not about LAW enforcement, its
about the will of the government being en-forced even when its contrary to the law.
WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES?
The activists I work beside have influenced
me to open myself up spiritually/ emotionally
and to put the face of cannabis on an invisible
illness like chronic pain.
The people I advocate for have taught
me to live for today, never take anything for
granted and and to not waste time on un-
happy endeavors.
My friend Gennifer opened up a world offemale empowerment and appreciation of na-
ture...and right in time to experience magical
30s as a stronger woman.
The women of the cannabis community
are extraordinary at challenging oppression
and sexism in society. Many of us combat
sexism by showing the public that responsible
moms and successful women enjoy and ben-
efit from cannabis.
If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself. HENRY FORD
AFTERWORDSINCE CALIFORNIASProposition 215
made marijuana for medical purposes
a series of rights, no longer a crime,
a generation has matured into the
marijuana majority and taken the
lead. Every poll from Gallup to Pew has
registered the shift in attitude:Women, and particularly moth-
ers, are the pioneers of common sense
in public opinion, envisioning a better
world for their children where medical
freedom is treated the same as religious
freedom and children are not seized
from their parents due to their medical
cannabis use. NurseTori is speaking to
the needs of some of the most vulner-
able people -- families who live in fear
of being a target for taking their kids
and families who live in states with nosafe medical access, many of them have
children. They are seeking treatment
for, including conditions as diverse as
leukemia, epilepsy, brain tumors. Tori is
using her nurturing instincts as mother
and nurse to counsel, connect, encour-
age, empower and advocate for those in
need through her website hub, a port in
the storm with a very competent person
at the helm.
ph
otos
courtesy
ofToriLaChapelle
photo
cou
rtesy
ofToriLaChapelle
Toris family of 5 at home
Toris tat signifiesspring...renewal...rebirth
Tori mountain climbing, assistedby medicinal cannabis