By: Tree Wr3x
Summer 2024 has been a wild ride of a roller coaster adventure. I took a trip to Northern California and just about everything that could go wrong, happened along the way, including blowing my engine out in Roseburg, Oregon.
The unfortunate incident derailed the tour plans and has been a setback, but as always, the talented Tim Me will find a way to rise above the ashes like a phoenix and load another bowl. Cannabis industry pioneer and activist, Paul Stanford, is a good friend of mine and invited me to his office on my way home.
He knew of my situation and while towing my vehicle home, I took a safety meeting break to catch up with him.
His show Cannabis common sense, which has aired since 1996 on public access television in the Portland/Salem Oregon area. I have been a guest several times and briefly worked as music guest coordinator. They switched to pre-recorded after the pandemic and just recorded episode 1182. The show is still aired on cable access TV in Portland and Salem, and on Facebook and YouTube
I first met him at Hempstalk in Portland in 2016. He has been a major supporter of mine and a friend both in and out of the industry.
Stanford faced a hostile corporate takeover of his business in 2019 that he is still fighting to this day. Author, Angela Bacca, has written several articles and is currently working on a book about the takeover of the newly emerging cannabis industries by multinational corporations. “Our story is an illuminating part of this, and illustrates a larger trend,” said Stanford.
According to one of Bacca’s articles, “Stanford was approached by a deep-pocketed group of Canadian venture capitalists to expand his businesses and take them public ahead of Canadian, and eventually American, legalization. A year later they took control of the company and diluted his ownership to 0.0002 percent without ever paying him a dime. They easily out-lawyered Stanford in court and with his finances drained, they were granted a requested dismissal of their case against him, despite him pleading that the judge reexamine the fraud he says precipitated the theft of his companies,” cited from her article.
You can read the full article Here.
During the time that I worked on the show with Stanford’s team, I remember him having to turn his banners around during recording of the show because of the court battle. “We are still fighting against this corporate fraud in Multnomah County Court, Portland, Oregon,” said Stanford. The case has not yet gone to trial and the Israeli-Canadian corporation is fighting to stop then from taking it to a jury.
“We started another clinic on Sandy Blvd. in Portland, just off of NE 28th Ave, to compete with our old business, Please call our office if you need to renew for your OMMP card. To schedule an appt our number is 503-235-4606 and our address is 2712 NE Sandy Blvd. Portland, OR 97232,” said Stanford.
He still helps patients and advocates across the globe. He is doing work in South America, which we will expand more on in future articles.
“We have medical records on over 270,000 medical marijuana patients in a dozen states. We have seen patients in 9 states, in 60 cities, working with 40+ doctor’s since May 1, 1999. Over 25 years now,” said Stanford.
It is my humble opinion that the cannabis industry would not be where it is today if it was not for people like Paul Stanford lighting the torch and carrying the message for so many years, even before there was a “cannabis industry”.
Cannabis legalization news will be continuing coverage of his story and providing updates in the future. Until then keep tuning in for all your cannabis legalization news.
