Many veterans suffering from chronic pain, PTSD, depression and other ailments find the use of cannabis to provide significant symptomatic relief. Unfortunately, the exorbitantly high price of cannabis and associated taxes means most veterans cannot afford all the cannabis they need. Many of these ailments often require significant amounts of cannabis approaching and exceeding one ounce per month.

Thanks to the passage of SB 34 by the state legislature which suspended the requirement by Proposition 64 that marijuana which is given away for free must pay taxes, the program aims to supply as many veterans as possible with the amount of cannabis that will meet their needs. SB 34 takes effect on March 1, 2020.

Tom Hernandez, Director of Veterans for Peace will make the announcement about the program at the 20^th Anniversary celebration of MAPP. Recognizing that the healing and therapeutic qualities of cannabis will go a long way toward furthering the goals of Veterans for Peace to build a culture of peace, expose the true costs of war, and heal the wounds of war, they look forward to their cooperative program with MAPP to provide cannabis to veterans.

MAPP’s 20^th Anniversary celebration takes place on Saturday, December 7 beginning at 5 p.m. at the cannabis consumption lounge of The Vault Dispensary at 35871 Date Palm Drive in Cathedral City. Showcasing just how much the times they-have-a-changed, cannabis consumption is allowed on the premises of The Vault in the same way alcohol consumption is allowed at a restaurant/bar.

MAPP’s 20^th Anniversary Celebration will features speakers, entertainment, a DJ and a buffet dinner. There is no charge for admission, but everyone must be at least 21 years of age.

Speakers, Entertainment, Buffet Dinner    with a Cannabis Friendly Ambiance

The Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project (MAPP), the Inland Empire’s first and most active medical marijuana patient support group and law reform organization, will be celebrating its 20^th Anniversary on Saturday, December 7. MAPP founder and director Lanny Swerdlow comments that "if someone had told me when I first began MAPP twenty years ago in December 1999 that a time would come when people would be able to grow their own without fear of arrest and that it would be sold legally in stores, I would have wondered what they had been drinking."

To celebrate 20 years of successful cannabis activism in the IE, MAPP will be holding a 20^th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday December 7 at 5 p.m. in the consumption lounge at the Vault Dispensary in Cathedral City at 35871 Date Palm Drive in Cathedral City CA 92234.

Showcasing just how much the times they-have-a-changed, cannabis consumption is allowed on the premises of The Vault in the same way alcohol consumption is allowed at a restaurant/bar.

The event features speakers, entertainment and a buffet dinner.  Of special significance will be the announcement by Tom Hernandez, Director of the AmVETS affiliated Veterans for Peace, of the program being developed by MAPP in coordination with Veterans for Peace to provide cannabis to veterans.

There is no charge for admission, but everyone must be at least 21 years of age.

Taking a brief look back over the last 20 years, MAPP has been involved in almost every action relating to marijuana in the Inland Empire, effectively organizing  local citizens to engage with local elected officials to allow for safe, reliable and local access to cannabis.

MAPP founder Lanny Swerdlow along with members of MAPP approached the Palm Springs City Council in 2008 asking them to enact an ordinance that would allow for medical marijuana dispensaries to open and provide marijuana to medical marijuana patients with valid doctor’s recommendations. The City Council agreed to do that and formed the Palm Springs Medical Marijuana Task Force to draft an ordinance that would allow for the operation of medical marijuana dispensaries. Back in 2008 there were only a few cities that had drafted ordinances to allow for the operation of medical marijuana dispensaries so the task force was pretty much developing it from scratch.

The City took developing this ordinance very seriously. Swerdlow was a member of the task force along with city council members Ginny Foat and Steve Pougnet, City Attorney Doug Holland, Chief of Police Gary Jeandron and an eclectic group of citizens representing different segments of the community. It took one and one-half years to get it written and passed, but city officials were determined to make it happen from the beginning. Palm Springs was the first and until 2015 the only IE city to allow for the legal operation of medical marijuana dispensaries.

Since its founding, MAPP has been active in promoting and protecting the rights of medical marijuana patients to have access to marijuana. They have made repeated appearances before the Riverside and San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors as well as many cities in the IE.

One of MAPP’s major accomplishments came about in 2015 when Riverside County was considering banning all medical marijuana patient cultivation. A concerted push by patients at a Board of Supervisor’s meeting resulted in the ordinance not being implemented and instead an ordinance was enacted that specifically allowed patients the right to cultivate their own medicine in quantities that could provide them with sufficient medicine to treat their ailments.

With the passage of Prop. 64 which legalized the use of cannabis for all adults 21 and over and the development of legal commercial businesses, MAPP has been working to make cannabis accessible throughout the IE.

Today the Coachella Valley, the home location of MAPP, is a hotbed of legal cannabis activity with Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert and Coachella allowing commercial cultivation, manufacture and distribution of cannabis. The only other IE cities to allow commercial cannabis businesses are Adelanto in San Bernardino County and Perris in Riverside County.

Although no licenses have been issued, MAPP is currently working with Riverside County in the development of its ordinance to allow cannabis businesses to operate in the unincorporated areas of the County which is expected to take place in 2020.

The passage last week by the House Judiciary Committee of the MORE Act will remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and thereby end federal marijuana prohibition. A vote on the House floor is expected sooner rather than later and will make MAPP’s 20^th Anniversary on Saturday, December 7 at 5 p.m. a truly momentous event.

For additional information call 760-799-2055.

WANT TO GIVE MAPP A  20TH ANNIVERSARY PRESENT?

Then how about joining MAPP'S 420 CLUB and donate $4.20 a month or if you want to make a single gift, then a one-time donation would make a great gift too!!!

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MAPP'S 420 CLUB

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A ONE-TIME DONATION

Want to help out at the 20th Anniversary Party? We need a couple volunteers. If you can help call Lanny at 760-799-2055.