Author: Kerry Cannon

Posted on

Wendy Love Edge – Love, Health, Hope

Wendy Love Edge is a mother, wife, artist, author, TV show host, journalist, activist and a survivor. Against the odds of modern medicine, Wendy took back her health, and life, while helping others to do the same. 

Pictured: Wendy on the left, Topher Kogen on the right

In 2013, Wendy Love Edge was totally disabled. She was diagnosed with several autoimmune diseases. At that point, Wendy was unable to drive, suffered from double vision, and wasn’t able to take care of herself. Wendy faced sickness after sickness, with a destroyed immune system, and experiencing adverse effects from the massive amount of pharmaceutical drugs her MD had prescribed. Modern medicine couldn’t save Wendy. She was told by her Doctor that early death was certain, by either the autoimmune diseases, or caused by the pharmaceuticals prescribed to treat her conditions. At that time, Wendy believed her Doctor, and accepted that her fate was sealed. 

That same year, Wendy’s wife decided a separation was necessary. Before she left, she told Wendy that she knew if she left, she’d find her strength. Not too long after, Wendy’s inner voice told her that her body knows how to heal itself. She began to research ways to do just that. Still unable to do many things for herself, Wendy reached out to a friend to do a grocery run for her. The friend was unable to help, but did recruit the help of a mutual acquaintance.

Wendy was in the process of weaning herself off of the prescribed pharmaceuticals, and experiencing opioid withdrawal. When the acquaintance arrived at Wendy’s home with groceries, she asked Wendy if she had considered using Cannabis as a treatment. Wendy was hesitant, concerned about adding a new drug into her life, while she was in the difficult process of weaning off of morphine, but decided to give it a try right then and there. Much to her surprise, Wendy experienced immediate relief from body pain and withdrawal symptoms. 

It had been quite some time since she had consumed Cannabis. Wendy had toked with friends in high school, and a couple more times in college. She had a career in healthcare, where consuming Cannabis came with the risk of job loss, so she had abstained for years. In hindsight Wendy knows that her high school Cannabis use, helped her then deal with PTSD, anxiety, and depression that was a result of childhood sexual abuse. While in bed, convinced she was dying, Wendy had written a book about her childhood experiences, under a penname. 

With her eyes being reopened to the miraculous plant, Wendy began using Cannabis on her journey back to health. Following her intuition, and trusting her research, Wendy also started eating right, stretching, meditating, exercising, and using herbs. Within 2 weeks of consuming Cannabis, her double vision was gone. Wendy found that by making these changes in her life, the autoimmune diseases became manageable. Her wife was right, Wendy did find her strength. 

Wendy before on pharmaceuticals and after using cannabis

The couple remained separated during a time of healing and personal growth for them both. The wives allowed each other the time, and space, to work on themselves, while still having occasional contact. Life had not been easy for them together, during Wendy’s total disability. With the outrageous cost of healthcare in The United States, the couple had often visited food banks, and sold belongings, in order to eat.

Wendy was nearly bankrupted while just trying to survive the multiple medical conditions, and also had a desire to help others with similar struggles. She started making plans to start a nonprofit organization.  After 6 weeks of no contact, Wendy’s wife sent her some music she had been working on. An original song titled: ‘Bulldozer’. During meditation, Wendy would often visualize a yellow bulldozer pushing a pile of prescription bottles away from her. This synchronicity, made it official, the name of her non profit would be: Bulldozer Health. 

Bulldozer Health became a non profit organization in 2014 to help low income patients have access to medical Cannabis. This was done so on a free basis, by donations from medical providers to patients. No money was exchanged.  Bulldozer Health used a grassroots fundraising approach, holding concerts to raise funds. The non-profit helped income challenged patients obtain medical Cannabis recommendations from a doctor, as well as helping with other alternative health visits, such as chiropractic, and acupuncture.

For 6 years, Bulldozer Health helped many patients with financial difficulties take back their health, while reminding them that they have the power to do so.  Unfortunately 2020 has brought new changes to our world due to Covid-19. Fundraising events are no longer possible. After a great 6 year run helping so many, Bulldozer Health will sadly be no more. All remaining funds from Bulldozer Health will be donated to the Matt Adams Foundation, a non profit that aids others on the road to opiate recovery. It’s a bittersweet ending of a great thing for Wendy. She’s looking forward to what will come, as well as putting some focus onto the lack of patient homegrow rights in Arkansas, as well as a government imposed medical Cannabis shortage across the state, with only 5 cultivators to supply patients. 

After 3 years of separation, Wendy and her wife got back together. They found themselves and what they wanted. Their love continues to endure, and shows the world what true love is all about. Wendy continues to educate and entertain others through The Wendy Love Edge Show With Topher Kogen, The CBD Gameshow, and articles she writes for Cannabis Chronicles of Oklahoma. Her wife recently launched a radio station, WJAE420, focused on music and Cannabis. Keep an eye on Wendy’s current and future projects. She is a light of hope for self empowerment, showing others it’s possible to take control of your life and health. 

Originally written by: Kerry Cannon for cannabisactivismnow.com

Posted on

Justice for The Wisdom’s

My activism probably wouldn’t have gone the direction it did, if it were not for my eye opening, and empowering experience, volunteering at Adela Wisdom’s 420 POW booth at Seattle Hempfest in 2015. I had just relocated to Washington state from Southern California, the month prior. Up to that point, my biggest focus in activism was safe access for medical cannabis patients in Apple Valley, California, where dispensaries had been banned. 

Adela and Aaron Wisdom

Before my volunteer experience with POW 420, I was completely clueless to the fact that prisons across the nation house an extremely large number of non-violent “criminals” serving time, many life, over a completely non-toxic healing plant. It is with great sadness that I am now writing about the injustice Adela, and her husband Aaron, are currently facing. 

Adela has been a judicial reform advocate/activist for nearly 20 years. Her activism has reached worldwide, speaking in many different countries, and advocating for real judicial change at The United Nations. She has written to over 1000 POW 420’s, and has done 3 prison interviews. Not only does Adela believe that no one should be caged for Cannabis, she has walked the talk, helping and educating many. 

Adela and Aaron Wisdom are both judicial reform advocates, and small farmers, residing in Callaway county Missouri. Both husband and wife, are running for political office. Aaron is a candidate for Lt. Govenor. Adela is a candidate for US Representative 3rd District of Missouri. Days after announcing their candidacy, The Wisdom’s were raided. On September 17, 2019, their home was searched by the Sheriff’s department looking for cannabis, and other items related to cultivation, drug trafficking, drug sales, and drug use. Law Enforcement did not find what they were looking for in what seems to have been a politically motivated raid. 

A little after 8:00 am, early June 2020, a National Guard helicopter flew over the Wisdom’s farm. Using a telescopic lens, noxious Cannabis was seen on the Wisdom’s property. From the air, they also observed Aaron and Adela burning weeds. Missouri Dept of Agriculture lists Cannabis Sativa  L as a noxious weed. The Oxford dictionary defines noxious weed as a weed which is considered to be harmful to the environment or animals, especially one which may be the subject of regulations governing attempts to control it. 

The observation of the noxious weed, along with the legally required destruction of it, made Law Enforcement feel justified in conducting a warrantless search. Plain clothed officers showed up to the Wisdom’s property, wearing ski masks, and did not identify themselves. Adela had a gun pointed at her face, by a man who she did not know the intentions of, or why he was on their property. Both Aaron and Adela were arrested. They face a decade in prison each for the victimless crime of having 22 wild growing noxious weed plants growing on their property, and destroying them per Missouri law. The raid was carried out by both the Mustang Task Force and local Law Enforcement. At any time, these charges could become Federal charges. 

Seems to me it is pretty clear that the current powers that be in Missouri, feel threatened by Adela and Aaron’s candidacy for political office. Missouri currently has over 7,000 rape kits sitting on shelves, collecting dust, untested. There is no funding to process those rape kits and get violent rapists off the streets, yet somehow funding is always available to investigate and prosecute people over a plant. I say: No Victim No Crime. 

The consequences of unjust Cannabis laws are always about more than just a loss of freedom. For Aaron and Adela it has put a halt on the child adoption process they were in. Due to the ongoing investigation, they cannot pass an FBI background check. Adela has had her chances at motherhood taken from her. A baby in need of a loving, stable home with courageous, compassionate parents, who actively make this world a better place, had that opportunity lost.  

Long time Wisdom family friend Victoria Hughes was asked about what kind of people the Wisdom’s are. “Adela has turned personal tragedies into a passion for helping others who are struggling. She has a way of bringing hope to people who have often been forgotten by society” Victoria shared. “Aaron is a very hard-working gentle soul. He goes out of his way to take care of others around him. I watched him prepare meals daily to take to their 80 year old Veteran neighbor, without asking for anything in return.”

Callaway County, the state of Missouri, nor the World will be any bit safer by having Adela and Aaron locked in prison for 10 years. In my opinion, it would actually be a disservice to all of humanity to have The Wisdom’s incarcerated. They need our help. 

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Martin Luther King Jr 

*Write a letter to Judge Carol England asking she drop all charges against Aaron and Adela. Please be polite. A template, or sample letter is available on Adela s website. 
https://www.adelawisdom.com/call_to_action


*Write up a “Drop all charges against Adela and Aaron” sign. Take a photo with your sign and email to itskckush@gmail.com. Photos will be arranged into collages, and sent to the court, in support of Aaron and Adela. 

Originally written by By Kerry Cannon for cannabisactivismnow.com

Posted on

The Injustice of Peggy & Glenn and How I Helped keep Them Free

Halloween night 2017, an act of compassion quickly turned into a 2 year and 9 month long living nightmare for one Ohio family. Glenn Keeling had a friend in need of cannabis, so he gifted his friend 2 grams of cannabis concentrate. Not too long after the friend drove away from the Kimmel-Keeling residence, he was pulled over by law enforcement. That’s when this good deed became a crime. 

Despite the fact that Medical Cannabis was legal in Ohio, law enforcement set their sights on Glenn Keeling. He led the first ever Global Marijuana March in Ohio. Glenn also ran for political office in his town as an open medical cannabis patient. He and his wife Peggy, had began a NORML chapter in their area. Law Enforcement’s attention on this family was no doubt, politically motivated. They were seeking to make an example out of Glenn in corrupt Mercer county Ohio, and had long been doing surveillance on his family’s home.

 
 “I smell marijuana”, the 3 words law enforcement officers often use as probable cause. Those 3 words were said to the friend, when he was pulled over after leaving Glenn and Peggy’s home. The friend fully cooperated with the officer, including naming Glenn as the source of where his cannabis concentrate came from. Later that night, police officers arrived at the Kimmel- Keeling residence. The husband and wife, both being legal patients with a doctors recommendation, thought the misunderstanding could be cleared up by cooperating with the officers. They quickly found out differently. The officers had no interest in seeing Glenn or Peggy’s  doctor signed recommendations.  Their home was immediately raided. What was discovered by officers, was a legal supply of cannabis for 2 patients, along with a teenage girls craft supplies, the officers assumed was for making cannabis edibles. The officers decided that despite medical cannabis being legal in Ohio, not  yet having operating dispensaries, made patients criminals. 


Glenn was arrested that night. His wife Peggy was charged at a later date. Their daughter had to get out of bed, to leave her home for the night, to stay with her adult brother. Multiple charges were brought against Peggy and Glenn. Each faced over 50 years in prison. Peggy and Glenn were both allowed to continue treating their health conditions with cannabis, per their bond conditions. That was a first in Ohio.

Unfortunately, this family did not initially have local support outside of their family. I became aware of this injustice, while scrolling Facebook one day. Peggy had reached out for help in ‘The International Cannabis Patients Wall’ Facebook group. I reached out to Peggy to learn more about what was happening to her family. Not only did she tell her side of the story, but she also provided proof to back up everything she said. One of the charges that hit me right in the heart, was child endangerment. I read the letter Peggy provided from the CPS caseworker. In less than 1 month, CPS completed their investigation, with the determination that Peggy’s teenage daughter (Glenn’s stepdaughter) was safe in the family home and should remain in her parents care. Yet overzealous Mercer County Ohio Prosecutor Matt Fox, persisted with child endangerment charges, as well as many other bogus charges, in an attempt to prosecute and persecute this couple. 


I personally believe that no one, anywhere, with any amount of a healing non-toxic plant should face criminal charges. No Victim, No Crime. The only victims I saw in all this, was a family at risk of being torn apart. I knew I had to do something to help. 


I began a public awareness campaign via social media. Making many more aware of this injustice was step 1. A call to action to call the prosecutors office, to politely ask that all charges against Peggy and Glenn be dropped, was put out shortly after. Many people had made this phone call. Some had telephone conversations with Mr. Fox. The prosecutor told numerous people that the full story wasn’t being told. Sadly some believed that tax dollars wouldn’t be wasted if there was no serious crime, and refused to support this family. It felt like Matt Fox was playing a game, with the arrogance of assuming he’d win.

With all of the details of Peggy and Glenn’s cases being public, I printed up both dockets from the courts website, took to social media in a live video, read all of the charges, showed all of the proof Peggy had provided, compared Ohio law, and proved to many of the doubters, that at most the punishment should have been a small fine. That helped public support really pick up. Throughout this time, I was also collecting photos from all across the country, and the globe, of people holding a handwritten “Drop All Charges Against Peggy and Glenn” sign. I arranged these hundreds of photos into collages. Those photo collages were sent into the court, and added to both of their case files.

Unfortunately, all the stress that came with this long, drawn out legal nightmare, resulted in increased health issues for Peggy. The stress was literally killing her. Glenn came to the conclusion that he needed to take a plea deal, accept whatever consequences Judge Ingraham decided, so that his wife may live. I have much respect for Glenn for making such a loving decision. The stress had taken it’s toll on his health as well. He did what any honorable man would do, he put his wife above himself.

 
The day to sign the plea deal came. Glenn and Peggy both signed deals. They were instructed to check in with their probation officer before the court date for sentencing. I was very pleased to learn that at the meeting with their probation officer, Peggy and Glenn learned they had their probation officer’s support. I was later told that their probation officer was aware of the ‘Keep Peggy And Glenn Free’ photo collages, as well as a petition I wrote on their behalf. Officer Gross asked Peggy and Glenn to have me email him everything, so he could make sure Judge Ingraham sees them. One Monday morning, I sent the emails. Mr. Gross replied quickly, that he was already printing the photos up and thanked me. I thanked him for his help as well. 


Although I have yet to meet Peggy and Glenn in person, nor ever stepped foot into Ohio, I have much love for them and their family. While working on behalf of ending their family’s injustice, I watched them still do all they could do to help others, despite their struggles. I got to know amazing people, who I now consider family.

 
After 2 years and 9 months this family’s nightmare came to an end. July 27, 2020 was sentencing day. Peggy was facing 84 months in prison, 10 years suspended drivers license, and $17,000 in fines. Glenn faced 90 months in prison, 15 years suspended drivers license, and $37,000 in fines. During the hearing, Judge Ingraham held up a binder of photo collages, mentioning I had sent them in to the court. Peggy and Glenn both escaped prison time. They were sentenced to 5 years probation each. Neither had their drivers licenses suspended, and the mandatory fines were waived. What a huge relief for their entire family. One of the great things that comes from the outcome of their cases, is the precedent now set. It can, and will help other medical cannabis patients in Ohio, that may find themselves in a similar situation. 


Public support matters. We all have the power to make a difference. Together we have the power to make a greater difference and a real change. Be the change you wish to see. Stand against injustice. Even if we are not directly affected, we are all indirectly affected. My work made a difference, only because of each and every person who took action with me.   I greatly appreciate all who did. 


Written by: Kerry Cannon aka “KC Kush” exclusively for cannabisactivismnow.com

Posted on

The Plant War Rages On….

June 5, 2020 two women on a road trip from Colorado to North Dakota, stop to take a picture of the sunset in South Dakota. This wasn’t a typical road trip. One of the woman was fleeing from her rapist. While the woman were stopped on the side of the highway, for a moment of solitude & beauty, a state trooper stopped to check on their well being. Their quest for safety quickly turned into a nightmare. 

Jennifer Ter Doest consumes Cannabis to treat her severe anxiety and depression. In January of this year, she was able to replace all of her pharmaceutical drugs with Cannabis. It has led Jennifer to an improved quality of life. She says she’s now balanced, steady, alert and actually wants to do things, instead of just existing. 
   

Jennifer was visiting Colorado and considering a move there from Oregon. After just a few days in Colorado, she became the victim of a sexual assault. Jennifer and a friend gathered all of her belongings quickly, loaded her car, and began their  quest to safety in North Dakota, after the assault. Jennifer and her husband are separated, but own a home together in North Dakota. She has family and friends who are military and law enforcement there, who she knew would keep her safe, and help her through this difficult time. 
 

On the side of I-29 in South Dakota, the state trooper who stopped to check on the women, asked who had the marijuana, after learning they just stopped to take a sunset photo. The trooper asked Jennifer and her friend to step outside of the car. They complied. Jennifer stood outside barefoot with heat blisters on her feet. While one trooper searched her car, another conducted a field sobriety test on Jennifer, aware of her blistered bare feet. She was informed that she was facing 4 felony and 1 misdemeanor charge. Jennifer was arrested for paraphernalia, possession of Marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute, and possession of Marijuana 2 oz to less than 1/2 lb. She reported the sexual assault she was a victim of in Colorado to the trooper. 
 

What was found to warrant this arrest?  In Jennifer’s vehicle were empty drams she had collected from her budtender days in Oregon, and saved to recycle. There were also 2 bowls, a bong, a nectar collector, less than 1/2 oz of concentrate, and even less flower. 
 

A South Dakota State Trooper took Jennifer to Millbank Hospital. The staff there was instructed to do a drug screen, blood draw and rape kit. The unprepared hospital didn’t have a single rape kit that was not expired. While calls were being made to locate a rape kit for Jennifer, she was instructed by a nurse to do a Urine Analysis. She spoke up about doing a sterile wipe of her vagina, removing evidence for the rape kit, but was told to do it anyway. After Jennifer was released from the hospital, transported to the police station, she was then taken back to the hospital. The staff at Millbank had to do a video conference call with a hospital in Sioux Falls to complete the rape kit. 
 

Across the nation, there is an extremely large number of rape kits sitting on shelves, collecting dust, unprocessed. It boggles my mind that victimless Cannabis “crimes” are what Law Enforcement chooses to waste their time and resources on. When there is no victim, there is no crime. Sexual offenders give their victims a life sentence from the trauma they’re forced to endure.  Law Enforcement across the nation is obviously more concerned with a healing plant, than actual crimes. Their funding is usually dependent upon it. We The People should demand that our hard earned tax dollars stop being used for the plant war, and start being used to get actual criminals off our streets.

Please contact your elected representatives about this matter, it can make all the difference in this case. I met Jennifer at a rest stop, while traveling on the Canna Bus not so long before this horrific experience of hers. After noticing her “Prohibition still doesn’t work” bumper sticker on her car, I struck up a conversation. She is a lovely, intelligent, compassionate woman.  She posed with my Free Lance Gloor sign for a photo that will be sent to The White House, to help with the effort to release Lance from an unjust 10 year Federal prison sentence for legal medical Cannabis in Washington state. Now she needs our help. 

Written by: Kerry Cannon

Posted on

The Plant War Rages On…

By Kerry Cannon

With 33 states, and The District of Columbia, having legalized Cannabis, in one way or another, it would seem that Cannabis Prohibition is ending. Unfortunately, this could not be further from the truth. 

Lance Gloor (pictured bottom left) and Supporters #OneTeamOneDream

New Federal data shows that Cannabis arrests actually rose in 2018. Approximately 91% of Cannabis arrests last year, were for simple possession. That’s 608,776 victimless possession arrests in 2018. Up from roughly 599,282 victimless possession arrests in 2017.

The majority of people in The US support Cannabis legalization. More and more states are legalizing. Yet arrest rates are not decreasing. Prosecutions are still happening, even in so called “legal states”. Countless people are still in prison over a plant. 

Lance Gloor is serving a 10 year Federal prison sentence for legal medical Cannabis in Washington state. Before the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment became law in 2014, the federal government had tax payer funds that were used to prosecute state legal Cannabis pioneers. Lance Gloor is one of many who were prosecuted under federal law, while being compliant with state legal Cannabis laws. 

Lance Gloor’s injustice haunted me. I have never met Lance in person. In fact, I’ve never heard his voice. I was able to attend one day of Lance’s federal trial as court support in 2015. The testimony given by the federal officer that day, did not convince me that Lance had done anything wrong or illegal. (Neither has anything I discovered doing my due diligence- researching Lance’s case and his character.) If anything, the testimony given that day, proved what a waste of tax payer $ prosecuting for Cannabis is. Lance Gloor was denied his constitutional right to an evidentiary hearing. What was presented to the jury as evidence, was a stretch of a story to portray Lance in a way that I’ve yet to see any actual evidence of. 

Ultimately the jury judged Lance on violation of federal law. This resulted in a 10 year federal prison sentence. Had the jurors been aware of their Jury Nullification rights and exercised them, I’ve no doubt that Lance Gloor would have walked away from his trial a free man. A family would have never been torn apart over a healing plant.

I began working in the Cannabis industry a couple of years after Lance’s trial. Everyday at work, it was always in the back of my head that Lance is behind bars for doing what I was now collecting a paycheck for. I was connected with Lance’s mom Tracie Gloor-Pike on Facebook. After reading several of her pleas for the Cannabis Community to help her son, I knew I needed to do something to help.

After pondering ideas on how exactly I could help, it hit me. Wearing a safer shirt (safershirts.org) was my greatest activism tool. I was already a safer stenciler, who painted shirts in line with Jared Allaway’s ‘Marijuana is safer than __fill in the blank___ ‘ message. With the Seattle Cannabis Freedom March 2018 approaching, I made a “Free Lance Gloor” stencil, out of materials from the dollar store, and painted several shirts for The March. I wore one there and gave the rest away, in an effort to begin the #FreeLanceGloor public awareness campaign. It worked. Shortly after the movement to free federal Plant Prisoner Lance Gloor, took off.  Mac Doc Codispoti (AKA Safer Stencils) gladly jumped right in to relieve me of stencil making duties. RIP Doc. We couldn’t have grown this movement without you. 

Kerry with a handmade Free Lance Gloor Stencil

I was the nobody, who decided to be the somebody, to do something about it. Beyond painting, and sending out Free Lance Gloor shirts, I began to encourage others who support Lance Gloor’s freedom, to hand write up a quick sign, with the 3 words “Free Lance Gloor”  take a photo holding their sign, and upload to social media. The purpose to bring about greater public awareness, and to show support for Lance.  Those hundreds of photos, along with photos of Activists in their Free Lance Gloor shirts, have been collected, arranged into photo collages, and sent to The White House. 

Lance Gloor currently has a pending clemency petition at The White House. Public support is a huge part of the decision making process of granting clemency. If you find 10 years in Federal prison for legal medical Cannabis in Washington state to be unacceptable, please participate in any, or all, of the calls to action.

A view of the North Portico of the White House, Wednesday June 14, 2017 in Washington D.C. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)

*****Call To Action*****

1) Call The White House comment line at 202-456-1111. Politely leave a message with a volunteer “I support the pending clemency of Lance Gloor. Thank you.”  Or email your comment to https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Again, please be polite. This call is about our injustice that Lance Gloor pays the price for.  Comments on different topics should be addressed in a separate communication. Thank you! 

2) Write up a “Free Lance Gloor” sign. Take a photo of you with your sign and email to freelancegloorshirts@gmail.com
*All photos are likely to be submitted to the White House. Your face need not be in photo if you choose. 

Prohibition will never truly end, so long as anyone remains caged for Cannabis. It is our duty to set Our Plant Prisoners free. Public support works. Every effort helps. Together we can, and we will, set Lance Gloor and every last Plant Prisoner free. One Team One Dream.