Why I'm Attending the California Summit
May 01, 2013 | Patricia Smith
I am so excited to be attending the ASA California Medical Cannabis Policy Summit and Lobby Day this weekend. The event last year was absolutely brilliant. Steph and the Sacramento ASA Chapter did an outstanding job organizing the event, and together, we accomplished the impossible. Imagine visiting EVERY representative in Sacramento in ONE day. What an undertaking! We might qualify for a Guinness Book of World Records.
Lobbyists have a lot of power in Sacramento, but legislators really take notice when an “ordinary” citizen takes the time to show up in their offices. The value is priceless.
Seriously, I learned so much about being an EFFECTIVE advocate: how to make appointments to talk to your representatives, how to address them, how to prepare my talking points, and how to follow up after the meeting. This training has served me well during the past year and I have developed relationships with several legislators as a result.
Another great reward for attending the conference is the sense of community that comes when you meet activists from other areas. It is empowering to know that we have so much support. I guarantee that you will have a great opportunity to network and build relationships with other activists.
The most important lesson I learned from the Conference is that even seemingly impossible tasks can be accomplished by creating a systematic and well executed plan of action.
Lobbyists have a lot of power in Sacramento, but legislators really take notice when an “ordinary” citizen takes the time to show up in their offices. The value is priceless.
Seriously, I learned so much about being an EFFECTIVE advocate: how to make appointments to talk to your representatives, how to address them, how to prepare my talking points, and how to follow up after the meeting. This training has served me well during the past year and I have developed relationships with several legislators as a result.
Another great reward for attending the conference is the sense of community that comes when you meet activists from other areas. It is empowering to know that we have so much support. I guarantee that you will have a great opportunity to network and build relationships with other activists.
The most important lesson I learned from the Conference is that even seemingly impossible tasks can be accomplished by creating a systematic and well executed plan of action.
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