Organizations these days are called upon to compose statements that accurately reflect their values. What they stand for. We are working to create a Values Statement for OPN, and we would like our newsletter subscribers to weigh in.

It should be no secret that we advocate for cannabis and the cannabis plant. It could reasonably be said that cannabis affects each person somewhat differently, but neither can we escape the fact that cannabis has predictable and describable effects on people as well as inherent features of its own.

Say we based our values on the cannabis plant. Perhaps we could emulate it or its effects on us. What would those effects be? How would we describe them? Said another way, "What does cannabis mean to me?"

The OPN board and e-mail discussion lists have already written the following descriptors:

Cannabis is .....

- Accessible. Cannabis doesn't require any special processing to be consumable. If it weren't for prohibition, the plant would be cheap. Thus, it can cross many income and socio-demographic characteristics, yet remain useful.

- Capable. Cannabis works where it is needed when it is needed. It also can grow under many vastly different conditions.

- Harmonious. Promotes introspection and reasoning among all peoples.

- Peaceful. Causes users to generally relax and unwind. Cannabis generally doesn't inspire violence, nor do people under its influence generally become hostile.

- Popular. Despite all efforts to eradicate it or to ban it, cannabis remains in common use. No advertising, no PR campaign, just word of mouth, yet people are willing to take risks for cannabis.

- Resilient. No matter how hard the DEA tries to make this plant species extinct, it keeps coming back.

- Sensory Enhancer. Users generally appreciate music, art, and nature more under its influence.

- Sociable. There is a noted phenomenon associated with cannabis smoking, particularly in the United States, of sharing cannabis in social settings. Cannabis can bring people together.

- Stands the test of time. Cannabis has been safely in use for thousands of years.

- Tolerant and easily tolerable. No one has ever died from ingesting cannabis, and it doesn't destroy bodily tissue. It generally doesn't make its users ill by itself.

- Versatile. The cannabis plant has many uses: as a medicine, cloth, food, etc.

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Hopefully, you get the picture by now. Please add to this list by sending your ideas to Mary Jane Borden at mjborden@ohiopatient.net.

The moral of the story here, were we to emulate the cannabis plant, how would we behave?

Perhaps we would be Accessible, Capable, Harmonious, Peaceful, Resilient, Sociable, Tolerant and Versatile. Our Popular organization would Stand the Test of Time and appreciate Sensory experiences like music, art, and nature.

I look forward to your comments and additions to this list.

Mary Jane Borden
OPN President
mjborden@ohiopatient.net