Our association 2017: People, deeds, budget

We have grown quite a bit in recent years. However, our financial base is still weak. New active members have joined us. But there are more ideas than we can handle with the existing resources.

Where are we in December 2016? This was a very intensive year: Shit happens 10 (SH10), CannaTrade (CT), initiative project. In addition, the always very tight financial situation, but also again over 100 new members. All this has challenged us. We have tried a lot of new things in addition to the tried and true. In the process, the old and the new have largely run side by side. The board was fully occupied with SH10 and CT and the initiative group threw itself into the initiative project. That was not easy, especially the Friday evenings with simultaneous double meetings… Now we have to re-bunch this and see how we can integrate the new and the old in our association.

500 members and 10 active We have reached 500 members again. In addition to Fabian and Sven (the previous board and the only ones so far who come to 4 to 8 free hours a week), Markus and Nino have also come to this level of activity this year to launch the Initiative project.

Ruth is still recruiting members, helping with corrections and verses, and also still running the Hemp Museum. Sandra helps with the corrections. Priska files info in our binder wall each month. Sheron continues to write articles and is trying to set up a video channel. Marc would like to help with administration, Lucas with acquisition. There are more new interested people and maybe former active people activate themselves?

Of course, there are still some who have great ideas. We would like to do much more, but resources are limited!

Our board must become larger For what feels like ages, Fabian Strodel and Sven Schendekehl have been leading the association as the only board members. We would like to have at least one more member, but so far no one has had the time, desire and ability to do so.

Now two members, Markus Graf and Nino Forrer, have become very active and have done a lot of work in 2016. They would like to join the board as well and so we have met for discussions from November 4 to map the changes of our association in the structures and responsibilities.

While we are in complete agreement about the goal, the legalization of hemp in Switzerland. But we do not see many things the same way, for example the chances of an initiative. In terms of age, however, we would be well mixed: every decade between 20 and 50 would be represented. On the other hand, Fabian and Sven know how much time they need just to get two people on the same page.

With three or four people involved, it will certainly be more difficult, have to run differently. So far, the two board members can simply talk on the phone and discuss things. After all, they've known each other for a long time. Newly, it will probably take more formal meetings, more minutes. And time to integrate the extended board, to clarify procedures, to reallocate responsibilities, and so on.

So it will take time at the beginning, but we hope to lay the foundation with the enlargement of the board so that we can become stronger and achieve our goal. Because we simply can't get any further with just the two of us.

Consolidate and improve The first thing we have to do is to get the board restructuring right, which is certainly an important project for 2017. We would also like to at least tackle the following projects, and perhaps even implement them already. This depends on how much energy we have to spend on the board enlargement.

What has the project brought and shown? After the start, 100,000 people watched Nino's video, 11,000 of them registered in the database to support a hemp initiative, 650 of them wanted to become members of the association and received the corresponding mail, 100 of them have become members so far. This is a nice success, but it also shows how many people you have to address…

The initiative group has also noticed that it does not work as quickly as hoped, nor does it work without money - and a swarm of active people does not form so easily. Nevertheless, the initiative group wants to keep at it and try to create the foundations for an initiative.

More research and better documentation Until now, we have not been able to fully document the legal consultations. There are not enough resources to follow up on a case after a few months to see how it has now definitely turned out. Not all advice seekers provide feedback. If we could follow up with them, we would gain important information. But that takes time for better documentation of cases. In the legal area, again, some extensive research would be needed.

Hemp legalization in Switzerland

The aim here is to address all the fears and problems of the current Swiss situation and to show the concrete chances and possibilities of a legalization. It is about study summaries, for example on the topic of “psychoses” or the calculation of an exact “legalization dividend” as well as dealing with the topic of “youth”.

Right brochure, larger print run We have now reached a size that would probably allow us to have our Legalize it! printed externally again. After all, in-house printing has reached certain limits (toner costs, time required) and external printing is not more expensive. However, we are less flexible in the production, because the printer needs two weeks. So the texts and the layout have to be fixed earlier than before. But we want to try this again.

What finances are needed? On November 11, we looked at the last four years, as a whole as well as quarters. The trend shows that in 2017 we can expect income on the four Legalize it! sales of about 40,000 francs, maybe 44,000. In addition, we can generate a few thousand francs with the sale of advertising banners, legal aid brochures, etc.. Ongoing income of 45'000 francs should be possible this way.

Expenses are currently around 70'000 francs. So the hole is around 25'000 francs. This is much smaller than in 2013, when we started again with the 60% position (the amount was around 50'000 francs). We are now also 500 supporters again, at the beginning of 2013 we were still at 200. The more members we have, the smaller the shortfall will become.

30,000 francs is the target Nevertheless, finding up to 30,000 francs in the form of large donations will not be easy. But it is not impossible either, especially since the first 2'500 francs have been collected and another 3'000 have been pledged. So here is the first call for large donations for 2017 (more to follow, we promise). Anyone who can pledge large donations (500, 1'000, 2'000, 5'000 francs) to a date in 2017: Please send a message!

January 27, 2017, for members