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Stephanie Landa
Stephanie Landa
POW 09247-800
by Melrose Sanchez
The Activist’s Activist
The Activist’s Activist
“When you come to the edge of all the light you know and are about to step off
into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things: there will be
something solid to stand on, or you will be taught to fly”
W ith a youthful face that defies her years, sixty- her from her beloved family and aging mother. The minutes do
year-old Stephanie Landa rises before 5 a.m. tick by, one after another until a day passes and a week and now it
is almost 7 months served of her 41-month sentence for growing
to slip her feet into the required steel-toed
880 medical marijuana plants for the dispensaries within the San
boots and makes her way to the prison’s
kitchen to begin performing duties to feed Francisco city limits.
the inmates. There she works doing menial kitchen tasks, such as
There is no reason Stephie, as she is known to her friends, is
lifting heavy pots of food, scrubbing and peeling and other tasks serving this time. There is no logic to it. She had the permission
12-hours a day in a cold, unfeeling environment. and sanction of the San Francisco Police Department. The authori-
Without medication these tasks become painful to her al- ties suggested she grow close to the police station and they issued
ready painful arm. Frequently, her letter writing, and favorite hour county guidelines. However, this is the plight of over 100,000 pa-
of her long work day is cut short by the increasing pain in her tients serving time related to marijuana. Yet, the federal agents
arm. She finds no comrade among the other prisoners. It is too had their way.
early in her stay to be accepted by the others. After work, she drags The entire medical marijuana community attempts to func-
her boots out to the track to keep body and soul united by walk-tion normally, conducting business, providing for patients, mak-
ing her 2 miles a day around and around the allotted space that ing improvements and developing better, healthier, more effec-
goes no where. tive, and less expensive medicine. Everyone is hard at work build-
In the pocket of her drab blue uniform is a folded and worn ing dispensaries to better serve patients, to be better informed,
paper with, When you come to the edge of all the light you know and are more educated and to create happy, wholesome environments and
about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one to cast off the misinformation of decades.
of two things: there will be something solid to stand on, or you will be Even so, a cloud of suspicion, an edge of quiet fear perme-
taught to fly, written clearly and carefully. It is her strength, her ates our community. It will be different someday soon. Stephie
reminder that there is purpose in this purposeless time that keepswill be applauded for her time, her courage and her openness for
18 www.gkmagazine.net
Stephanie Landa
POW 09247-800
by Melrose Sanchez
The Activist’s Activist
The Activist’s Activist
“When you come to the edge of all the light you know and are about to step off
into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things: there will be
something solid to stand on, or you will be taught to fly”
W ith a youthful face that defies her years, sixty- her from her beloved family and aging mother. The minutes do
year-old Stephanie Landa rises before 5 a.m. tick by, one after another until a day passes and a week and now it
is almost 7 months served of her 41-month sentence for growing
to slip her feet into the required steel-toed
880 medical marijuana plants for the dispensaries within the San
boots and makes her way to the prison’s
kitchen to begin performing duties to feed Francisco city limits.
the inmates. There she works doing menial kitchen tasks, such as
There is no reason Stephie, as she is known to her friends, is
lifting heavy pots of food, scrubbing and peeling and other tasks serving this time. There is no logic to it. She had the permission
12-hours a day in a cold, unfeeling environment. and sanction of the San Francisco Police Department. The authori-
Without medication these tasks become painful to her al- ties suggested she grow close to the police station and they issued
ready painful arm. Frequently, her letter writing, and favorite hour county guidelines. However, this is the plight of over 100,000 pa-
of her long work day is cut short by the increasing pain in her tients serving time related to marijuana. Yet, the federal agents
arm. She finds no comrade among the other prisoners. It is too had their way.
early in her stay to be accepted by the others. After work, she drags The entire medical marijuana community attempts to func-
her boots out to the track to keep body and soul united by walk-tion normally, conducting business, providing for patients, mak-
ing her 2 miles a day around and around the allotted space that ing improvements and developing better, healthier, more effec-
goes no where. tive, and less expensive medicine. Everyone is hard at work build-
In the pocket of her drab blue uniform is a folded and worn ing dispensaries to better serve patients, to be better informed,
paper with, When you come to the edge of all the light you know and are more educated and to create happy, wholesome environments and
about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one to cast off the misinformation of decades.
of two things: there will be something solid to stand on, or you will be Even so, a cloud of suspicion, an edge of quiet fear perme-
taught to fly, written clearly and carefully. It is her strength, her ates our community. It will be different someday soon. Stephie
reminder that there is purpose in this purposeless time that keepswill be applauded for her time, her courage and her openness for
18 www.gkmagazine.net
