A 501(c)(3) educational non-profit organization, the Ohio Patient Network (OPN) was founded in 2001 to provide networking, education, and support for patients who use cannabis therapeutically in the State of Ohio. The group established its sister Ohio Patient Action Network (OPAN) in 2005 as a 501(c)(4) to promote medical marijuana legislation. Together, the groups achieved the following milestones in 2007.

Ethical Standards

• To comply with standards set by the Better Business Bureau and the Panel on the Non-Profit Sector, established the OPN Ethics Committee to develop and enforce the OPN Code of Ethics and Statement of Values. Anyone with a complaint concerning OPN is asked to contact either Eleanor Ahrens (eahrens@ohiopatient.net) or Dr. Norman Jentner (opnjentner@yahoo.com).

• Conducted the first-ever evaluation of both boards of directors. Members filled out a questionnaire about board performance, which was compiled and reported to the boards by Jenni Elswick.

• Revising the OPN and OPAN bylaws to comply with such standards as the minimum number board members, quorum, and compensation percentages.

Financial

• Submitted a grant request to the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) in January 2007 to fund lobbying for medical marijuana in Ohio. OPAN most gratefully received these funds in April.

• Garnered more donations in 2007 thus far than for all other years of our existence combined. Earned more at our two premiere events, Comfest and Hempfest, in 2007 than in any of our other prior years.

• Because the standard four year IRS Advance Ruling Period had expired, submitted the necessary paperwork and received confirmation from the IRS, which allows us continue to function as a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit.

• Filed all applicable tax forms for both organizations including the IRS Form 990 and filings for the Office of the Ohio Attorney General and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Outreach

• Published OPNews, our premiere medical marijuana e-newsletter each month almost since our inception.

• Developed and promoted the Chemical Bigotry theme in OPNews and elsewhere to expose the discrimination faced by medical marijuana patients at the hands of employers, educational institutions, and government agencies.

• Secured a Feature Article in the Cleveland Free Time, which pictured OPN activists Joe and Dee Dee Zoretic on the cover. Had four LTEs printed in Ohio newspapers, including three by OPN President, Mary Jane Borden, – one in the Columbus Dispatch. Another her of LTEs in the Coshocton Tribune generated significant discussion on the paper’s online forum. Was the Featured Organization in the Columbus Freepress’ 2007 Comfest Edition.

• Through our Speakers Bureau, gave speeches and presentations at Comfest, Hempfest, the North Ohio NORML Harvest Fest, and more.

Legislative

• Hired the highly respected lobby firm State Street Associates to help us advocate for medical marijuana legislation.

• Held a series of six patient lobby days, two of which included Don Murphy of Republicans for Compassionate Access in over forty meetings with Republican legislators.

• Met with several city council members from Lakewood, Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati to discuss protections for medical marijuana patients in their communities.

• Lobbied the offices of U.S. Representatives, Zach Space (OH-18) and Charlie Wilson (OH-6) in Washington, DC.

• Attended the annual Ohio Democratic Dinner, Governor’s Ball for newly elected Governor Ted Strickland, Ohio Senator Dale Miller’s Annual Ice Cream Social in Lakewood, Lobby Day for Equity Ohio, and the Marijuana Policy Project’s conference in Washington, DC, at which we were the largest state-based delegation.

• Added slight modifications to MPP’s Model Bill to create a groundbreaking proposal that fully protects medical marijuana patients, not only from arrest and prosecution, but also from discrimination resulting from Chemical Bigotry.

Membership

• Through DrugSense’s Drug Policy Central, established an online membership database and entered into it the names of members, friends, and those who signed up at various events.

• Invited all members on our Membership Database to the first-ever membership luncheon at Victorians Midnight Café in Columbus.

• Mailed OPN’s first ever paper-based newsletter, the OPNews Print Supplement, to the names on our growing Membership Database.

• Instituted paid memberships to help fund OPN activities and to provide special benefits to the patients who support us.

Online

• Maintain two Websites (OPN http://www.ohiopatient.net and OPAN http://ohiopatientaction.org/), a MySpace page (http://myspace.com/ohiopatientnetwork), two e-mail discussion lists (a General List which anyone can join and a Leaders List on which we conduct organizational business), and a one-way announce list by which OPNews is published. Increased membership on the General List by one third and doubled the number of names on the OPNews announce list, placing these lists among the largest operated by a state-based reform organization.

• Improved our Website by adding “Jury Power” with resources for those who may serve on juries and hear cases concerning medicinal cannabis patients (http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/content/view/292/143/); “Uncle Sam’s Cannabis Patch” about the seven Compassionate IND patients who receive cannabis legally from the federal government (http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/content/view/777/172/); and “Links to Resources for Patients and Doctors” (http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/content/view/149/90/).

• Opened an online forum to move some discussions to a Web-based format (http://www.ohiopatientnetwork.org/zot/).

• Conducted weekly online voice chat meetings using the Teamspeak software (http://mapinc.org/resource/teamspeak/opn_login.htm).

A Profound Loss

In August, we were quite saddened to learn of the untimely death of OPN founding member, Joe Zoretic from Lakewood, as a result of a heart attack. A co-founder of OPN, Joe served as OPAN Executive Director, President, and most recently Vice President. As a first for medical marijuana, Congressman and Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich entered this into the Congressional Record on September 17, 2007, "I rise today to reflect on the life of a courageous and passionate man, Joseph Stephen Zoretic, who dedicated his life to fighting for sensible drug policy and to free others from suffering." He went on to say, "Joe provided policy ideas and inspiration to the state marijuana legalization activist community, from speaking at mainstream political events to testifying for better drug policy. Even if it meant going to jail, Joe stood up for what he knew: that love and bravery can overcome injustice." A similar tribute was accorded Joe by the Ohio House of Representatives, which passed a resolution in his honor.

We gratefully acknowledge and thank all of the dedicated patients and activists who have devoted so much time and energy to moving the medical marijuana issue forward in Ohio. We are extremely proud of these accomplishments and look forward to achieving ever-greater successes in 2008. Please join us.