Most organizations function better if they have some sort of plan to follow in order to achieve their goals. These plans are called Strategic Plans.

While there may be some debate as to exactly what comprises a strategic plan, most people will concede that planning at least requires an honest evaluation of oneself. Further, solidification of a long range vision helps construct the pathway that leads to that vision.

At OPN's Spring Meeting, OPN President Mary Jane Borden led the group through several exercises designed to elicit that honest evaluation and produce the long range vision. Here is a summary of the results of those exercises.

S.W.O.T. Analysis. SWOT (not SWAT!) stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Strengths and Weaknesses are internal to the individual/organization, while Opportunities and Threats come from external sources.

Strengths:
- Profound dedication and belief in our cause
- Talented and knowledgeable people in a number of unrelated disciplines
- Determination: "righteous anger"
- Camaraderie
- Part of an international network involved in drug reform
- Fellowship of common experience with cannabis
- Creative, compassionate, and passionate
- Unity through our diversity

Weaknesses:
- Low participation
- Procrastination
- Health issues of members and leaders
- Poverty (both the organization itself and its members as individuals)
- Fear
- Lack of focus
- Inability to follow through and finish a project
- Ohio is a large state - geographic dispersion
- Limited resources
- Flaky communication technologies (Paltalk vs. Teamspeak) (Online vs. Offline)
- Internal conflict

Opportunities:
- Many new studies show cannabis to be safe and effective
- Politically hot issue
- Opportunities for funding from MPP, DPA, ComFest, etc. and support from high dollar donors
- Rollout of paid memberships
- Ready and willing to grow
- Educate the public, legislators, doctors, and build coalition relationships
- Issue gaining interest among many
- Web fundraising, banner links, and sharing
- Holistic view of drugs: cannabis one among many drugs
- Chemical Bigotry project (awareness raising)
- World is rapidly changing - cannabis supports growing interest in sustainability

Threats:
- Pre-employment drug testing can limit job opportunities affecting volunteer recruitment
- Chemical Bigotry (negative stereotypes)
- Prejudice faced from family, job, and community
- US Government refuses to support cannabis research
- Loss of housing / child custody
- Medical treatment limited by drug testing
- Loss of driving privileges
- Government surveillance
- Threats from within, someone wishing to do us harm
- Enemies (Ohio Roundtable, PDFA, Prohibitionists)
- Being perceived as a distribution network
- "Real" drug dealers and criminals
- No safe access to safe medicine
- People staying in/not coming out of the closet

Ideas from SWOT session:
- Webcam for virtual meeting
- Build Chapters
- Face to face meetings
- University chapters

Future Visioning. We all know that it is only a matter of time until cannabis becomes recognized medicine. We know that a bill WILL eventually pass in Ohio. The fundamental question then becomes, what happens AFTER a favorable bill is passed into law? What should OPN's role be in the future? What do members want from OPN? While the answers here largely depend on an unknown (what the final passed legislation will be), the group was next asked to envision OPN in five years and in ten years. What will OPN look like?

5-Year Goals
- 10 statewide chapters.
- Cannabis based products available to patients.
- Cutting edge relationships with medical practitioners, legislators, and other influencers.
- Ability to grow your own medicine.

10-Years Goals
- Licensed medical cannabis facility: the ability to go to your local licensed facility and obtain high grade medicinal cannabis.
- A support group that helps patients process paperwork, educate doctors, and show them how to grow or procure their medicine.
- Non-profit dispensary.