Weedists

Featured Weedist: Nickie D. Dank, Source: Used with permission from Nickie D. DankTo be honest, I don’t remember when I first met Nickie. She has become such a part of our cannabis community that I feel like she has always been around. She said it was at an Oregon NORML meeting at the Mt. Tabor Theater somewhere around 2007 or 2008.

She remembers me helping her write her first postcard to her representative about ending cannabis prohibition. I remember her as one of the first bunch of volunteers at the World Famous Cannabis Café. Once I got to know her, her big smile, red hair and enthusiasm made her stand out. She was so excited and happy to share her unique skills to help in any way she could. It was much later that I learned her story.

Featured Weedist: Nickie D. Dank, Source: Used with permissionNickie has moved around a lot within our community. This has given her a very unique perspective and a wide array of cannabis contacts both within Oregon and throughout the West Coast and the rest of the nation. She has been able to bring together this vast array for events and fundraisers that carry her own special stamp; she is notorious for her amazing raffles. While others are narrowing their focus or limiting those they choose to serve within the community, Nickie’s range seems to grow wider and more inclusive with every outing.

She has just recently opened a private club in Portland to provide a social place for medical marijuana registrants to gather called, The Other Spot. Their Grand Opening on New Year’s Eve was a huge success, with revelers from all over the state coming to celebrate. She has opened her doors to local activist groups to hold their membership meetings.

So far, the Other Spot will be the meeting place for Oregon Green Free, the Human Solution and Oregon NORML. I look forward to watching the Other Spot grow into an excellent resource for the cannabis community. And, I feel so lucky to know a mover and a shaker like Nickie. Please read on to learn more about this action-packed activist.

Featured Weedist: Nickie D. Dank, Source: Used with permission from Nickie D DankPlease tell us about your journey to becoming a medical cannabis advocate. Were you a stoner before you became a patient?

I was working on a golf course in Las Vegas ten years ago. I was one week away from getting my PGA Golf Pro qualifications done, following in both my parents’ footsteps. I was also the President of the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Nevada. On this particular day, I walked outside of the bar, ran onto the golf course to talk to a friend, and in the next second, my life was changed forever when I was hit on the head with a golf ball that was flung at two hundred and sixty miles per hour.

I was not a cannabis consumer at the time. Although I was familiar with marijuana, and I had smoked it off and on since I was about fourteen. After the accident, I found myself on thirty-six pills a day, a closed head injury, five years of seizures and nine head and neck surgeries. I thought my life was over. I decided to move back to my home town of Portland, Oregon to start medical care and see if I could make better strides to a better life.

My husband and I lived two blocks away from the studio where Cannabis Common Sense is taped. Cannabis Common Sense is a local television show that teaches people about cannabis and how to get a medical marijuana card. I went to the THCF Clinic in 2007 to get my first card. Since then, I am down to only one pill a day, and I have been seizure free for six years.

Featured Weedist: Nickie D. Dank, Source: Used with permission from Nickie D Dank https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=725170670933233&set=t.100006779465585&type=1&theaterThere is a lot of talk in this movement about women and their lack of involvement. Do you find this to be true? What can we do as women to change this perception?

I think that it is not a lack of involvement, I think we just get looked over. This movement has always been dominated by men. I know from my own experience that this is true. When a farmer would come to show his cannabis to be included in my events, they preferred to get the opinions of men who were not even involved. It was like I wasn’t even there, even though I was the person who ultimately decided if the farmer’s cannabis met my high standards.

Many never took the time to find out that I know as much about what’s being said as my male friends. That said, I think it’s important for women to keep pushing forward. There is plenty of room in the cannabis movement and the new cannabis industry for all of us. We need to keep speaking up and speaking out. We need to take our place next to these men, not behind them.

How will the legalization of cannabis affect your activism? What changes, if any, have you made to your personal approach regarding cannabis events, fund raising, etc.?

I believe that the new laws have changed everyone involved in some way or another. My favorite thing to do is bring people together for famers’ market-style events. I am working on how to format this to work with the new laws. Until we know how the new legalization law will be implemented, these projects are on hold.

Right now, I am focusing on fund raising within the cannabis community. We have so many who need help. The best part about these projects is the knowledge that all proceeds from these events go directly to those in need. There is nothing better than handing a pile of cash to a family who desperately needs it.

As a mother, wife and activist, how do you manage to juggle all three of these important jobs? What tips do you have for other women who struggle to find balance between these important jobs?

I have always been good at multi-tasking, even before my head injury. I am a lucky lady to have a great husband like Big Mike. We have been together for twenty-seven years. We have two children and two grandchildren. Mike has always helped with half of the household duties, including helping raise three nephews and a niece. We have always worked together to achieve our goals, and Mike’s help has always been incorporated in the process. For me, support from him is what creates the balance for me. I think it is so important to have the trustworthy support of family and friends to be truly successful.

Featured Weedist: Nickie D. Dank, Source: Used with permission from Nickie D DankPlease share one of your favorite cannabis victories.

I have worked as Paul and Theresa Stanford’s assistant for Hempstalk for three years. As I began my fourth year, I was given the newly created title of Hempstalk Hospitality Manager. It was an honor to have this position created just for me based on the work I had been doing. Weedist featured an article about my special events, and I was also quoted in Dope Magazine in their January/February 2011 edition.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to get involved in reforming cannabis laws but doesn’t know where to start?

I think that the biggest impact can be made just by coming out of the cannabis closet. Talk to your friends and family about why you prefer cannabis and the health benefits it brings. You might be surprised to find out that some of these people use cannabis, too, but they are afraid to talk about it. You could be just what they need to feel comfortable talking about it. We are changing perceptions with every conversation where we can tell the truth.

I would suggest that people find cannabis reform groups in their areas and join them. That is how a lot of activists start. If you are not someone who socializes easily, it is possible to get active through Facebook and other social media. One of the most important things you can do, and the easiest, is to contact your local legislative representatives and make sure they know how you feel.

Most of our legislative offices are available at all hours, thanks to email and voice mail. Anna, you taught me to call on weekends and leave an extensive voicemail. I can tell my representatives what is on my mind without interruptions or explanations to staffers. No matter what level of involvement you choose, it is vital to get involved now. Cannabis prohibition is over. With your help, we can finish it once and for all.

What plans do you have for the immediate future and looking further ahead?

Safe access to reasonably priced, high quality medication has always been my priority. I will continue to work to make this possible. With legalization fast approaching, I am also working on a project that can serve both medical marijuana program registrants and social cannabis users. I think it is important for our community to remain connected even after the new laws are in place. I hope to be a part of that continued connection.