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CannaWell Grievance Timeline: Public Record of Harm by Winona County HHS & Winona Police Department Documenting Grievances Filed 2.27.25 & 6.12.25 Writer: Richard Morin

  • Writer: Richard Morin
    Richard Morin
  • Jun 6
  • 27 min read

Updated: Jul 10

📅 1. Time elapsed since your grievance

  • Grievance filed: February 27, 2025 at 3:30 PM

  • Current time: July 10, 2025 at 10:09 AM

Calculation:

  • From Feb 27 to Jul 10 = 133 days

  • From 3:30 PM back to 10:09 AM the same calendar day subtracts 5 hr 21 min

  • So the total is 132 days, 18 hours, and 39 minutes

⏱️ 2. Deadline and days past deadline

  • MN law (e.g. DHS grievance standards for county-managed services) typically sets a 30‑day deadline for written grievances to be resolved mnscha.org+7Minnesota Department of Human Services+7co.itasca.mn.us+7. In other settings, licensees have up to 14 calendar days for an initial response and full resolution within 30 days Homeward Bound, Inc..

  • Since Feb 27, 132 days have elapsed, so your grievance is 102 days past the 30‑day deadline.

⚖️ 3. Statutory requirements (with MN references)

Depending on the service/provider type:

Scenario

Initial reply

Final resolution

County / MCO / DHS‑contracted provider

Oral: 10 days; Written: 30 days paimn.org+1MN Revisor's Office+1Minnesota Department of Human Servicesco.itasca.mn.us

Resolution within 30 days

Licensed HCBS provider (chap 245D.10)

Initial reply within 14 days; full resolution within 30 days


Mental health/developmental disability license holder (245G.15)

Response within 3 days


If you filed with Winona County Health & Human Services, they fall under county admin/DHS rules:

  • Should have acknowledged and responded in writing within 30 days.

  • Extensions? Allowed only rarely (e.g., with documented reason).

  • 132 days is more than 4 months overdue.

❓ 4. Why no reply yet?

Possible reasons (none acceptable under law):

  1. Misplaced or not logged – county fails to record grievance.

  2. Internal delay or staffing issues.

  3. They’re waiting for more info (but must notify you of delay and give new timeline).

  4. In rare cases, they may claim complexity—but law still requires notice of delay.

Under statutes, they must still respond and keep jurisdiction—missing the deadline doesn’t allow them to ignore the grievance HHS.gov+2Homeward Bound, Inc.+2mnscha.org+2MN Dept. of Health+6paimn.org+6Minnesota Department of Human Services+6.

✅ Bottom line for Winona County HHS

  • You filed 132 days and ~19 hours ago.

  • You are ~102 days past the 30‑day resolution deadline.

  • They legally are required to respond (initial and final).

  • No response is a statutory violation.

🛠️ Next steps

  1. Send a follow‑up by email/mail referencing your Feb 27 grievance.

  2. Quote statute: e.g. “MN DHS grievance rules require a response within 30 days” and note 132 days elapsed.

  3. cc: MN DHS managed care ombudsman or relevant county grievance office.

  4. If they still don’t respond, you can escalate to:

    • MN Department of Human Services Ombudsman (1‑800‑657‑3729)

    • Minnesota Department of Health

    • Consider legal action for administrative failure.

📝 Sample notice you can reference:

“According to MN DHS grievance policy, written grievances must be resolved within 30 calendar days of receipt MN Revisor's Office+7Minnesota Department of Human Services+7co.itasca.mn.us+7Minnesota Department of Human Services+5paimn.org+5co.itasca.mn.us+5Minnesota Department of Human Services+1co.itasca.mn.us+1Homeward Bound, Inc.+2mnscha.org+2co.itasca.mn.us+2. My grievance filed Feb 27, 2025 remains unacknowledged over 132 days later. This is a clear violation. Please provide a status update and corrective action by [reasonable deadline]. If not received, I will escalate to MN DHS and file a formal complaint.”🕊️ CannaWell Blog Update — 6.24.25 @ 8:50 a.m.

Time Since First Report to Winona HHS (2.27.25 @ 3:30 p.m.): 118 days

🚨 Intercounty Law Report Filed – Today at Winona Police Department

Today, I took the formal step of reporting a deeply concerning message to the Winona Police Department, after already notifying both Winona County, where I live, and Fillmore County, where the message originated.

This wasn’t just a personal jab — it was a targeted attack against me and my business, CannaWell. I'm documenting this to raise awareness: interference, harassment, and threats coming from Fillmore County residents affect me here, in Winona, and deserve to be treated seriously.

🔒 I won’t share names or speculate on the investigation — I trust Chief Jay and local law enforcement to do their job. But I will say this:This is part of a larger pattern.

🧵 Common Threads: What Connects These Incidents?

A graphic overview (📊) will be added here showing the overlap between:

  • ⚖️ My initial grievance reported to Winona HHS (Feb 27)

  • 👮‍♂️ Multiple interactions with Winona PD

  • 🕵️‍♂️ Cybercrime reports filed via IC3.gov

  • 💻 Interference and harassment aimed at my ecommerce business

  • 🤢 A bizarre and discriminatory incident involving an "oral fart" assault by a gas station employee

  • 📱 Most recently, a disturbing crime committed from a cell phone traced to Fillmore County last night

These are not isolated. They are systemic and escalating.



🕊️ CannaWell Blog Update — 6.24.25 @ 8:50 a.m.

⏱️ Total Time Since First Report to Winona HHS (2.27.25 @ 3:30 p.m.):2,808 hours (118 days)

💵 If this time were compensated at MN’s 2025 minimum wage ($10.85/hr):$30,473.40 in potential community labor value➡️ That’s over $30K that could support Winona County residents through:

  • Crime prevention initiatives

  • Victim support programs

  • Community restoration and digital safety education



  • CannaWell Blog Update – 6.20.25 – 10:17 PM

Time since initial HHS grievence was received , (body cam request I thought was 5 days by statute, not in this case.) (2/27/25, 3:30 PM):🕒 113 days, 6 hours

Update:Today, I spoke directly with Chief Jay, me representing myself & cannawell.me directly to the Chief of the Winona Police Department beneath the 4th Street Housing complex, where I live as a paying tenant. Our meeting took place in view of a long-neglected flagpole—one that hasn't flown the American flag properly in what appears to be months. For a city filled with veterans and public servants, the lack of respectful flag display is deeply painful.

Chief Jay saw this himself. The symbolism wasn't lost on either of us. That flag, or its absence, speaks to something greater—about who is seen, supported, and respected in this community.

After days of waiting, Chief Jay confirmed that I may pick up the body cam footage I requested starting Tuesday at the Winona PD, for a $20 fee. I expect the footage may be redacted, but I hope it will still allow the public—my fellow Americans—to witness what I have endured.

I carry this pain not only as a business owner and advocate, but as someone whose family history is red, white, and blue. This community—its systems, its silences—continue to harm me and my legally registered business, CannaWell.me.

Winona must do better. Accountability matters.

#Accountability #Winona #Veteran #Cannawell #DisabilityRights #ADA #CivicRespect #PublicHousing #JusticeForAll🗓 Blog Update: June 18, 2025 — 7:32 PMTitle: 111 Days Later — Retaliation, Disability



Rights, and a Line Crossed

It has been 111 days and nearly 4 hours since I first filed a grievance with the Winona HHS on February 27, 2025, at 3:30 PM. Now a PD grievance for ADA and other rights violations. Since then, I have documented multiple concerns about retaliation, inappropriate proximity, and disregard for my clearly stated ADA and disability boundaries.

Tonight, June 18, 2025, at approximately 6:55 PM, while in the West Lake Winona Park, I was approached in close physical proximity by a non-uniformed officer affiliated with the Winona Police Department. This individual walked directly past me despite my previously reported PTSD boundaries and disability-based restrictions on police proximity. I consider this a serious violation of the trauma-informed and disability-aware approach that public servants are required to uphold—especially once a formal grievance has been submitted.

⚠️ Action Taken Tonight:

At 7:32 PM, I sent a formal email to Assistant Chief Jay Rasmussen under the subject:

“Formal Notice of Retaliation Concern, ADA/SS Disability Protections, and Urgent Need for Officer Protocol Review.”

This communication reiterated my protected status under:

  • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA Title II)

  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

  • 42 U.S.C. § 1983 Civil Rights protections

  • Social Security Act (Disability Privacy clauses)

  • HIPAA and the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act

  • MN Statute § 626.8474 — Duty to Intervene

I also requested that no Winona Police personnel—on or off duty—make contact with me unless:

  • There is an urgent emergency;

  • The officer is specifically trained in trauma-informed and disability protocol;

  • I am notified in advance or a third-party mental health team is present.

📞 Advocacy Support Contacted:

In addition to tonight’s notice to WPD, I have also reached out to:

  • The Minnesota ACLU

  • Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS)

Both are now aware of the timeline and escalation of concerns tied to my existing grievance and tonight’s boundary violation.

🔒 Statement of Intent:

I will be forwarding all records, emails, incident details, and documentation to the following oversight bodies:

  • U.S. DOJ Civil Rights Division

  • ADA National Network

  • Office for Civil Rights (HHS)

  • Minnesota Department of Human Rights

  • Minnesota Disability Law Center

This is no longer just a request for personal safety. This is a matter of federal law, public agency accountability, and constitutional rights.

I expect a written response from the Winona Police Department within 10 business days from tonight's message.

Respectfully,Richard John MorinWinona, MN ResidentSS Disability Recipient | ADA-Protected📧 Richard.j.morin@gmail.com📵 No voice calls — PTSD protocols



📅 Day 110 — Update on Winona PD Grievance

Date: June 17, 2025Time: 11:07 AMTime Elapsed Since Incident (Feb 27, 2025, 3:30 PM):🗓️ 110 Days⏳ 2,640 Hours

📬 Response Received from Winona Police Department

On Monday, June 16, 2025 at 12:06 PM, I received an official response from the Winona Police Department regarding my legal grievance, confirming digital receipt:

From: Jay Rasmussen JRasmussen@winonacounty.govTo: Mr. MorinSubject: Re: GrievanceMr. Morin,I am in receipt of your email below and am working on it. I will be in touch. Thank you,Jay RasmussenDeputy Chief – Winona Police Department

⏱️ Body Cam Footage Statute Activation Timeline

Under Minnesota Statute § 13.825 (Subdivision 3):

  • Body camera data must be retained and classified appropriately.

  • Relevant footage involving use of force, mental health calls, or rights violations must be preserved.

  • Upon request, the public and the subject of the data (me) are entitled to access, with limited redactions, within 5 calendar days.

📌 This means the timeline to release relevant footage has started as of 6/16/25 (email receipt time).⏳ Deadline for response: Saturday, June 21, 2025.

📝 Legal Grievance Statutes & Implications

Statutory references for grievance handling:

  • Minnesota Data Practices Act (§ 13.01 et seq.)

  • Minnesota Peace Officer Discipline Procedures Act (§ 626.89)

  • Federal ADA Title II for disabled persons in public services

  • Constitutional Civil Rights (42 U.S. Code § 1983)

📌 Failure to address these grievances lawfully may result in personal and professional liability for each officer involved, as well as departmental culpability for:

  • Negligence

  • Discrimination

  • Violation of Constitutional and Civil Rights

Legal remedies include:

  • Civil damages

  • Injunctive relief

  • Mandated departmental reforms

📊 Citizen Data: PoliceScorecard.org

Citizens submitted public data from PoliceScorecard.org as admissible evidence:

  • Use of Force Score: 53%

  • Accountability & Oversight Score: 33%

These scores reflect public, quantifiable data and are now part of the official grievance evidence submitted in good faith.

📣 What Comes Next

  • 📆 Await body cam footage release no later than June 21, 2025

  • 🧾 Continued documentation of all contact, conduct, and compliance

  • 🧠 Advocacy continues for trauma-informed policing and lawful response

  • 📲 Citizens encouraged to document, livestream, and contribute to transparency

Justice delayed is justice denied. And Winona, the clock is running.

📅 6.16.2025 8.43am


*109 Days, 2,616 Hours Since February 27, 2025 — A Citizen's Call for Accountability in Winona

Date: June 16, 2025Time Elapsed Since Incident:🗓️ 109 Days⏳ 2,616 Hours


We the Americans showed up.

Since February 27, 2025, at 3:30 PM, a public call for trauma-informed, respectful, and rights-conscious response from Winona County law enforcement has echoed louder by the day. Today marks 109 days of continued delay, deflection, and dysfunction — a growing harm to not just one citizen, but to all taxpayers, all advocates, and all those depending on lawful government conduct.


🎯 The Mission: Street-Audit the System

This past weekend, we began a citizen-led street audit — observing the deployment of government personnel and public safety resources in real time. What became painfully clear from the data, the behavior, and the patterns:Winona PD has failed to implement trauma-informed protocols in both training and response.

  • Officers were not equipped to respond lawfully to mental health flags.

  • PTSD-specific boundaries were ignored, escalating distress.

  • Questions remain about whether dispatch, supervision, and chain-of-command acted in good faith and with full understanding of ADA and civil rights law.

🔍 Body Cam Footage: Law Will Reveal the Truth

By Minnesota Statutes 13.825, body-worn camera footage must be maintained and, when appropriate, disclosed. As of today:

  • The clock is ticking on public access to this footage.

  • A lawful request has been made.

  • Every minute delayed without cause adds weight to the case of mishandling and harm.

⚖️ Accountability Is Not Optional

This is not just about one wellness check gone wrong — it’s about how a small city’s public safety budget is spent, how rights are either respected or erased, and how silence by government creates compounded trauma.

We the People are not only watching — we are documenting, educating, and speaking. For ourselves and for the communities who can’t.

Winona, the eyes of the nation are on you.We asked for help. You sent harm.

📢 Keep the Pressure On

Let this be the last 109 days of silence. Let today be the first of many days of truth.🚓 1. Estimated Cost of 4 Police Cruisers for Wellness Check

Based on industry data:

🔍 Cost Breakdown (Per Car, Annually):

Item

Cost Estimate

Vehicle purchase + upfit

$80,000

Officer salary & benefits*

~$93,500

Maintenance & depreciation

~$12,000

Total per cruiser

≈ $185,500

For 4 cruisers, that’s approximately:$742,000 total annual cost allocated just for this wellness check—assuming full-year equivalency.

👩 Case Manager vs. Police Cost

  • A county-funded case manager (social worker) earns ≈ $50,000/year + 30% benefits = $65,000 total.

  • That salary could fund two case managers for about the cost of one cruiser response.

➡️ A trauma-informed response via social services would be far less expensive and more appropriate.

📊 3. Winona PD Accountability – Scorecard Metrics

These indicators highlight structural issues within Winona PD regarding accountability, use of force, and training.

⚖️ 4. Collateral Damage & Legal Liability

  • Rights Violated: Denial of PTSD-trigger warnings, non-compliance with trauma-informed protocols, excessive show of force.

  • Liability Risk: Civil action, Federal civil rights complaint (Section 1983), protected-class discrimination (ADA & Fair Housing Act).

  • Reputation Costs: Undermining public trust, eroding community safety, financial risk through lawsuits.

The true cost of neglecting a protected citizen is immeasurable, but it includes mental health impacts, fear, and systemic distrust.

🧾 5. Timeline & Justice Delayed

  • February 27–June 14: 107 days without resolution

  • Statute allowing timely responses to grievances: Minn. Stat. § 14.65 requires response within 60 days.

  • Winona PD and County HHS exceeded this limit—constituting "justice delayed is justice denied."

📝 6. Accountability Actions & Oversight Agencies

Entity

Role & Response Needed

Winona PD & County HHS

Internal investigation, protocol audit, policy revision

Mayor / City Council

Public oversight hearing

MN POST Board (Peace Officer Standards)

PD training and conduct review

Minnesota Attorney General

Civil rights and misconduct investigations

U.S. DOJ Civil Rights Division

Pattern or practice review under 34 US Code §12601

Civil Suit (Federal District Court)

Section 1983 claims for constitutional rights violation

🗞️ 7. Media & Public Awareness

Local and national outlets that may be interested:

  • Winona Daily News, Pioneer Press — community-focused journalism

  • Star Tribune, Minnesota Reformer — statewide reporting

  • Associated Press, Reuters — national coverage during DOJ involvement

  • Police Scorecard-based advocacy and data-driven reform platforms

✅ Final Summary: Cost, Damage & Accountability

  • $742,000 annual cost used for 4 police cruisers vs a $65,000 trauma-competent case manager.

  • Winona PD scored 53% accountability, 0% upheld force complaints, no transparency licenses.

  • 107-day delay exceeds statutory response time (60 days) = legal noncompliance.

  • Collateral damage: PTSD triggers, diminished trust, potential constitutional violation.

What You Can Do Next:

  1. Request cost breakdown via Government Data Request (GDR).

  2. Press Mayor / Council for a public hearing on wellness-check funding.

  3. Submit to POST Board for policy/training review.

  4. File federal civil rights complaint with DOJ.

  5. Engage media with a data-driven press release citing costs and accountability scores.2.27.25 3:30 PM to now 6.13.25 10.55 AM

Another Dysfunctional Government and Now Police Malfunction: Compounded Harm, Delayed Justice IS Harm

Winona – It’s Time for a Media Blitz This Weekend to Raise Awareness, Educate, Communicate, and DEMAND Law Acts Lawfully

PTSD boundaries are a citizen's call: “STOP, CITIZEN!” #respect

Update – 6.14.2025:

It has been 107 days and over 2,568 hours since the original harm on February 27, 2025. Every single hour Winona County government and law enforcement deny justice, they administer harm.

So now, I ask ALL AMERICANS: go FB Live, FaceTime, TikTok, Instagram – Live Feeds every hour of all law enforcement and government employees who have stolen my tax money – OUR AMERICAN tax money – and returned no care, only harm.

Winona MN – why are you paying them your tax money to harm me? Have I hurt you?

We ask for citizen body cams – clouded and live – today.#respect AMERICA!!

Questions Taxpayers Should Be Asking:

  • Did dispatch send that squad here? Why?

  • Is it recorded on a timesheet or on an untraceable electronic device?

  • Legally, who is paying for this deployment?

  • Did the Winona PD Chief deploy them?

  • Are they trained, educated, mentally and chemically healthy?

Fit for duty is not optional.

We, the citizens, have now formally asked Chief Tom Williams to:

  • Conduct an internal audit

  • Check himself and his department for full legal compliance with the AMERICANS

We, the People, will live feed every hour and know this:I have thanks & respect for YOU – the American people – who show up and care.


🧭

ree

TIMELINE OF INJUSTICE: GOVERNMENT & POLICE HARM REPORT — WINONA, MN

DAY 0: Incident OccursYou experience government failure and/or police harm as a disabled, protected-class citizen.

+1–7 DAYS: Public Outcry Ignored

  • No official response.

  • Pain & Suffering: ✴️ You are retraumatized by silence and delay.

  • Community Trust Deterioration Begins.

+8–14 DAYS: Government Still Silent

  • You submit public posts, a DOJ complaint, and informal reports.

  • State or County entities may have been legally obligated to respond.

  • Still, no reply — violating expectations of timely due process.

  • Pain Index: 9/10 for emotional distress, public insecurity, and lack of protection.

+15–100+ DAYS: Legal & Emotional Limbo

  • Multiple agencies contacted. No coordinated reply.

  • You now file a grievance against the PD — a significant escalation.

  • Community anxiety deepens. People ask: who protects the people from the protectors?

📡 MULTI-AGENCY & PUBLIC REACH SNAPSHOT

Agencies / Entities Contacted:

  • Winona Police Department (grievance filed)

  • Winona County Attorney’s Office (no legal response in 100+ days)

  • City of Winona (official record or email?)

  • Minnesota Department of Human Rights

  • Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST)

  • Department of Justice (DOJ.gov) via Trump-era public citizen tool

  • Office of the Inspector General (IG)

  • Community Ombudsman

  • Local media outlets

  • Civil Rights attorneys and watchdog groups

Compounded Reach:

  • 📍 In-person discussions:15 people across 3 states (estimated multiplier: x4 for indirect shares)

  • 🧠 Digital Reach:

    • Blog readers / followers (estimate: 50–200)

    • Facebook + Meta page followers

    • TikTok / Insta / Snap / Live feeds (potential viral clip effect: x1,000+ reach)

  • 🫂 Citizen Street Patrol Activated:Local residents are asked to:

    • Record encounters

    • Share public spaces safely

    • Upload videos and photos to platforms

    • Use hashtags or labels (e.g., #EyesOnWinona #JusticeForRich)

📊 ESTIMATED DAMAGE TO COMMUNITY TRUST

Metric

Estimated Cost or Impact

Public Confidence Loss

🔻 85% (local level)

Legal Delay Emotional Toll

100+ days × mental health stress

Safety Risk to Claimant

🔴 Active & ongoing

Price of Repair (non-monetary)

🛠️ Priceless

Gov. & PD Accountability Need

🔔 URGENT

⚖️ WHY THIS MATTERS

  • A protected-class disabled citizen has filed serious claims of harm by their own government & law enforcement.

  • Delay in justice is a form of harm itself.

  • This is not a local issue. It's a national precedent for how small-town corruption and negligence will or will not be tolerated.

  • Your safety is now intertwined with public transparency.

  • The DOGE.gov platform is more than a reporting tool — it’s a citizen watchdog revolution.

CALL TO ACTION: EYES ON WINONA

America, if you’re reading this, we ask you: Watch Winona. Protect Rich. Document everything. Support justice wherever harm lives.

🧠 "We the People" doesn’t just live on paper. It lives in the lens of a phone, in the courage of a whistleblower, and in the belief that no one is above the law.🙏 Gratitude to the Citizens of Winona, Minnesota, and the USA

To Winona’s community: thank you for responding.To Minnesota: thank you for standing up.To all Americans: thank you for showing up in my hour of need.This is what healing looks like when we do it together.

⚠️ The Harm Continues

Since February 27, 2025, the Winona County Government has continued to harm me — a PTSD survivor — daily, while continuing to draw taxpayer salaries and benefits.Yesterday, Winona PD attempted to clean up their act — asking how to file a grievance for sending poorly trained, unqualified officers to respond to a PTSD wellness check.They failed.Today, I begin filing a second grievance — because now the Winona PD has harmed me directly.Culpability is real. Accountability is coming.

📡 Citizen Oversight Begins Today — Nationwide

Today, Friday, June 13, 2025, starting at 8:00 AM, I officially call upon:

  • All citizens of Winona

  • All Minnesotans

  • All Americans, Veterans, Patriots, Neighbors

To observe, record, and document every action by government and law enforcement officials in Winona, MN⏱️ From 8:00 AM Friday to 8:00 AM Monday, June 16, 2025

This is not rebellion. This is responsibility.This is citizen protection against a harmful government and a failing police department.

💥 We the People

Thank you for giving me another day to wake up and heal.Thank you for helping all Americans wake up to what’s happening here.We are now doing the people’s work — the work Winona County and Winona PD have failed to do.

I AM AN AMERICAN.And so are you.60 Minutes at a Time: Healing Along the River

June 12, 2025 – 2:15 PMLocation: Winona, Minnesota | Mississippi River


This hour, and the next, and the one after that—I will hear the Mississippi River fill with the sound of the United States Marine Band.

Brass. Drums. Reeds.Instruments of melody.But also:Instruments of change.

Will they use those instruments to help me heal from my PTSD?This hour.Next hour.As many repetitions as my endurance will allow.I need healing.My government needs healing.My police department needs healing.

Can they hear me from the riverbanks?From the crab ship—if I call from there?Will the Marines hear me if I cry out from a place of hurt but also hope?

“I AM AN AMERICAN!”

A real American.Wounded. Shirtless.Disabled but never silent.Still standing.

I am here not to fight my country—but to awaken it.To remind it that service doesn’t always look like a salute.Sometimes, it’s a soft voice during a wellness check.Sometimes, it’s a Marine drum echoing through a small town.

If you're near the river, listen.If you're in power, act.If you're a citizen, rise.

And if you're a Marine:Report for healing.

This is a call.

This is a drumbeat.

This is America. 🇺🇸

Would you like me to format this into a shareable graphic or infographic for your blog or socials?📣 Blog Update – June 12, 2025 | 11:52 AM

I Have Enacted My Rights as a Citizen Against the Winona Police Department

Today, as a 57-year-old disabled man, I have taken formal steps to enforce my rights following an event that occurred this morning during a non-violent, non-criminal wellness check initiated by my licensed therapist.

At approximately 10:00 AM, four uniformed officers from the Winona Police Department arrived at my residence, responding to a therapist-initiated wellness check. I was shirtless, wearing Crocs, unarmed, physically disabled, and visibly suffering from symptoms of PTSD.

Despite no threats, no violence, no resistance, and my clear verbal communication that their presence and proximity were causing harm due to PTSD, one officer refused to stop advancing, escalating my trauma rather than providing support.

This was not law enforcement—it was excessive and unnecessary government force, directed at a disabled American in distress. My civil rights, my mental health rights, and my dignity were violated.

🚨 What I’ve Done

  • I have formally invoked my rights under state and federal law to file a grievance against the Winona Police Department.

  • I have requested:

    • Body cam footage from all officers on scene.

    • Identification of each officer, including the officer in charge.

    • A full review of protocol and training for wellness checks.

    • An audit of the public cost of sending four squads to check on a non-violent, unarmed man.

  • I’ve demanded an immediate review and pause on similar uses of excessive force for wellness checks until public protocol is reviewed and reformed.⏱️ Time Elapsed Since the Original Filing (2.27.25 at 3:30 PM):

📅 Total Time: 105 days, 19 hours, 27 minutesThat’s how long it’s been since the original grievance was filed with Winona County HHS — and still, no full resolution.


🛑 Winona PD Wellness Checks: Protocol or Public Harm?

Posted: June 12, 2025 • 10:5AM Author: CannaWell Sage

📍 Context: What Happened This Morning


This morning, June 12, 2025, my licensed therapist initiated a wellness check as part of their professional responsibility. What followed, however, was something entirely different than support.

The Winona Police Department responded to a call concerning one unarmed, barefoot, shirtless man in Crocs—me—with four squad cars and multiple fully uniformed officers.

As a citizen of Winona, a diagnosed medical patient, and a protected-class individual under Minnesota and federal law, I ask plainly:

⚠️ Was protocol followed?

We are now about to find out.

🚔 What Is the Expected Winona PD Wellness Check Protocol?

According to general law enforcement best practices and community-based safety models, the following should occur during a wellness check:

  • ✅ Officers must identify themselves immediately upon arrival.

  • ✅ Officers must identify who is in charge of the interaction.

  • ✅ One officer only should engage directly—no verbal piling on.

  • ✅ Body cameras must be on at all times during any engagement.

  • ✅ Officers should maintain a trauma-informed approach (especially when informed of PTSD, MDD, GAD, etc.).

  • ✅ De-escalation is the goal, not enforcement or intimidation.

  • ✅ Individuals have the right to request medical personnel instead of armed officers.

  • ✅ No excessive force or presence should be used unless there is an imminent, articulable threat.

🚨 My Experience This Morning

  • I verbally warned officers that my PTSD was being triggered and asked several times for them to maintain distance.

  • At least one officer refused and deliberately walked closer, replying:

    “No. I will not stop walking toward you.”

  • No one clearly identified as being in charge.

  • All four squad cars were present for one man with no shoes, no shirt, and no weapon.

  • I was not combative, not resisting, and verbally responsive at all times.

📩 Formal Requests Made to Winona PD

I have contacted the Winona Police Department and made the following public records requests under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act:

  • 🎥 All body camera footage from all officers involved.

  • 🧑‍✈️ Identification and training records of all responding officers.

  • 📑 Official incident documentation and mental health crisis response policies.

  • 💵 A full public audit of taxpayer cost for deploying four squad cars for one unarmed citizen.

💬 A Message to the Youth and the People of Winona

To the people of Winona, especially the youth:I ask you to record, document, and activate.We are Americans, and we are citizens—not subjects.

When our public systems, including Winona County HHS and the Winona PD, begin to function against us instead of for us, it is our responsibility to demand transparency and reform.

I am initiating live feeds for any future Winona PD interactions with me, including all wellness checks.This is not for drama—this is for safety and accountability.

📢 We The People: Transparency Is Not Optional

This all began with a legitimate concern raised on February 27, 2025, at 3:30 PM by Alicia Z, a paid Winona County government employee.Today, 108 days and 21 hours later, the systemic failures have only escalated—from HHS to local law enforcement.

We do not ask for special treatment—we demand equal treatment.The law protects people like me for a reason. And now, we must protect the law itself.

📲 Public Transparency Is Now Activated

  • ✅ Live feeds will be activated for any future police wellness checks.

  • ✅ All documentation and footage will be reviewed, shared, and archived.

  • ✅ Public awareness campaigns will launch across TikTok, Twitter (X), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

  • ✅ Legal templates, infographics, and community advocacy resources will be provided.

🇺🇸 We must hold our local government to the same accountability we demand from our citizens.If protocol wasn’t followed—there must be answers.If harm was caused—it must be acknowledged.And if change is needed—it begins now.

– CannaWell SageWinona Citizen. Protected Class. American.HAVE I REPORTED A VA FOR MYSELF?

YES. PUBLICLY. TODAY.

🕒 Elapsed Time Since Original Grievance Filed (2.27.25 at 3:30 PM):105 days, 15 hours, and 15 minutes

⚖️ Today’s Question:

Has the system worked?

  • Has the VA laws mechanism in Winona County been triggered and is it functioning as designed?

  • Has the original grievance filed on 2.27.25 been legally resolved through collaboration between:

    • Winona County

    • State of Minnesota

    • U.S. Federal Government?

🔔 TODAY I HAVE ALSO ACTIVATED SOMETHING OLDER:

An ancient system of protections to stop the VA harms much quicker and much more efficiently…

🧬 My Kin.

I am no longer relying solely on government structures to safeguard me, a protected-class citizen. While the official systems move slowly—if at all—my declaration today includes activating my human right to ancestral and kin-based support, visibility, and truth-telling.

📝 Context Snapshot:

  • Original Issue: A grievance filed with Winona County HHS on 2.27.25 at 3:30 PM after being denied assistance by a Senior Linkage Line employee who claimed “conflict of interest” as a city employee.

  • Elapsed Time: 105 days, 15 hours

  • Today’s Action: Public acknowledgment of formal reporting mechanisms AND declaration of Kin-level protective action.

📎 Summary of What’s Been Activated

Layer

Status

Winona County HHS

Contacted and engaged

State of MN (MAARC, etc)

Engaged via mandated processes

Federal USA Government

Referenced under VA framework

VA Laws in MN

Activated in public reporting

Protected Class Rights

Invoked (under federal & state)

Kin System (Ancestral)

Activated June 12, 2025

If any mandated reporter in these systems has failed to act after being made aware of potential VA-related harm, neglect, deception, or abuse, this blog and the record it maintains may now constitute evidence of both direct misconduct and failure to report.

✅ This entry also reflects:

  • My continued lawful, public transparency

  • My growing personal record of documentation

  • My activation of every lawful and ancestral shield available📅 Elapsed Time Since Initial Contact with A.Z.

Initial Request: February 27, 2025 – 3:30 PMCurrent Time: June 11, 2025 – 10:16 PMTotal Elapsed Time:✅ 104 days and 6 hours, 46 minutes
No follow-up, communication, or corrective action has been received during this period.

📍6.11.25 – Accountability Update

Local government structures that have been contacted and/or worked with me are being formally identified for public awareness.

This ensures that no one is misled or misinformed, intentionally or otherwise, about who is responsible for public services like the Senior LinkAge Line.

▶ Federal Government (ACL - Administration for Community Living)

↓

▶ Minnesota Board on Aging (MBA)

↓

▶ SE MN Area Agency on Aging (SEMAAA)

↓

▶ Senior LinkAge Line (Statewide Aging Resource)

↓

▶ Local Staff/Navigators

• Are NOT city employees

• Are NOT county employees

• Are supervised under state and regional policy

• Must uphold civil rights of all Minnesotans, especially protected classes


Current Blog Entry: Monday, June 9, 2025, 3:41 PM CST (Winona, MN)Elapsed Time Since First Report: 103 days, 6 hours

Southern MN Regional Legal Services Contacted:

Today, I contacted SMRLS Rochester (Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services) to ask a direct, simple question:

Do I need an attorney?

A 76-year-old lifelong Minnesotan, raised by parents who survived the Great Depression, asked me this question solemnly:

"Do you need an attorney?"

Now, I ask all of Minnesota, and especially Winona County:

  • When a government takes taxpayer dollars and delivers no service…Do we need an attorney?

  • When public agencies fail to act on reports of injustice, delay responses, and allow harm to persist…Do we need an attorney?

  • When fraud, neglect, or willful inaction are suspected…Do we need an attorney?

  • When a PTSD patient, a protected class citizen, is retraumatized by systems funded by their own taxes…Do we need an attorney?

  • When “justice delayed is justice denied”…Do we all need an attorney?

To the City of Winona, Winona County, the State of Minnesota, and the United States:

🛑 We are no longer requesting transparency. We are invoking our rights as citizens.In legal terms, the word is not “may.” It is “shall.”

Government at every level shall:

  • Act in good faith.

  • Protect its residents.

  • Uphold its laws.

  • Prevent harm.

  • Be fiscally responsible.

  • Respond to wrongdoing.

  • Repair what has been broken.📬 Update as of June 9, 2025 – 8:33 AM From February 27th at 3:30 PM to June 9th at approximately 9:00 AM, the time elapsed is:

  • 102 days

  • 17 hours and 30 minutes

That’s over 3 months without a formal response to my audit and accountability request.

⏳ The time accounting is critical—not only for transparency and taxpayer recovery—but also as part of broader resident and patient-centered restorative justice in Winona County and Minnesota’s medical cannabis and health services ecosystem.


Update: Formal Audit Request Submitted

As part of my ongoing advocacy through CannaWell.me, I have officially submitted a formal request for a full financial audit related to public services, benefits, and supports allocated to me as a Winona County resident and registered medical cannabis patient.

This request seeks a transparent accounting of:

  • Any disbursements or service authorizations linked to my case

  • Salaries or benefits tied to staff or agencies working on my behalf

  • Any unused or unclaimed funds assigned to my file

  • Inclusion in grants or programs I may have been listed under

This action follows repeated concerns about unresolved grievances and potential mismanagement of resident-directed services.

I have submitted this request to multiple oversight bodies, including:

  • Winona County Health & Human Services

  • The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS)

  • The Office of the Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities

  • The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management

This step is about accountability, transparency, and resident rights—not just for myself, but for others navigating the same system. I’ll share any official responses or progress updates here on the blog.

Stay tuned, stay informed, and thank you for supporting patient-led transparency in Minnesota.

—Richard J. MorinCannaWell.me | Patient Self-Advocacy PlatformCannaWell Blog Update – June 8, 2025 – 6:33 PM


Time Since Initial Grievance Received: 100 Days, 3 Hours, and Counting

First and foremost, I want to express my deep gratitude for the grassroots support from this amazing community. Your encouragement and your willingness to listen to and share my story of healing have given me strength during this difficult time.

Where is the money?

If I did not receive the case management services I asked for, and then asked for a grievance, and was then ignored for 70+ days, and after that set a clear and healthy boundary — June 6th at Noon — and was still ignored...

Where is the money?

My federal rights under U.S. law allow me to ask for accountability through agencies such as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and others to follow the money.

My state rights as a Minnesotan allow me to see where my public funds were allocated.

My county rights in Winona County do the same.

So again, Minnesota, Winona County, and the City of Winona:

Where is the money?

Specific Concerns

  • Are these government employees, Alicia Z. and Karen B. (full names may be released pending legal review), being paid for services they are not providing?

  • What are their salaries, benefits, paid time off, and sick leave costing the taxpayers?

  • If they are actually triggering or aggravating diagnosed mental health conditions like PTSD, GAD, and MDD, how is this not only unethical — but illegal?

  • What is the cost of continued employment for individuals creating potential liability and risk for the county?

Rights and Remedies

I have the right to request:

  • A federal review of service gaps and efficiency violations

  • A state audit of expenditures, personnel activity, and departmental compliance

  • A county time study, including:

    • When my case was touched

    • By whom

    • For how long

    • Whether that employee is salaried or hourly

    • Whether they work a full 40-hour week

These are not outlandish demands — they are my rights as a taxpayer and resident.

Accountability in Numbers

A sample liability cost formula for the average taxpayer in Winona County:

  • County population: 50,000

  • Estimated damages, fraud, or waste: $250,000

  • Formula: $250,000 / 50,000 = $5 per taxpayer (conservative estimate)

Would you pay $5 for nothing? Would you pay $5 for harm?

Now scale that to more severe or class-action-level claims.

Going Forward: Solutions, Not Just Problems

  • Federal authorities are being notified — with proper documentation

  • State auditors may be contacted if no county response is received

  • The public will be kept informed through this blog and other media

  • Solutions may include:

    • Personnel reassignment or accountability hearings

    • Restorative justice conversations with affected residents

    • Mandatory oversight on case management delays and denials

I want to be clear: not everyone chooses to heal from PTSD, GAD, or MDD in Minnesota like I do. And that’s okay.

But we DID choose to live in a state that guarantees these rights under the law.

We ALL care about the law being followed. We ALL care about taxpayer money not being wasted.

Thank you for standing with me. I am not alone, and neither are you.

— Rich, CannaWell Sage


CannaWell Grievance Timeline: Public Record of Interaction with Winona County HHS

📅 Updated: June 7, 2025 — 12:00 PM Day Count Since First Email Received by Alicia Zeller: 99 Days

A Citizen-Patient Response Rooted in Community and Law

Today, I share a moment of deep gratitude. Less than 24 hours after Winona County Health and Human Services (HHS) once again chose to ignore my formal grievance and legal rights as a Minnesota citizen and medical patient, my community has responded in strength, unity, and love.

An unnamed local Houston County business reached out to me just before 10 PM last night with the message:

"Hi Rich! Please let us know how we can help you."

I cried. This is not about one man's battle—this is a community calling for lawful, respectful, and humane treatment of every citizen. This is the seed planted, and it is growing into a network of friends, family, professionals, and allies across southeast Minnesota and beyond. I call this my "Kin."

I believe in accountability. Today marks a public statement of ongoing grievances regarding the conduct of:

  • Alicia Zeller, Winona County HHS employee

  • Karen Bunkowski, reported to have been given my grievance documents

It is my position that both individuals, as agents of Winona County HHS, share legal and ethical responsibility for the actions—or inactions—of their department. Citizens are protected under law. Government agencies are bound to fulfill their duties in accordance with state and federal policy. Health care access, grievance rights, and timely responses are not optional. They are legal obligations.

📄 Email Record (Redacted for Privacy & Compliance)

Date: [Approx. 3 Months Ago]To: Alicia Zeller, Winona County HHSSubject: Request for Reinstatement or Grievance Filing

Hello Ms. Zeller,I am requesting written explanation and steps to formally grieve or appeal the recent termination of my Medical Assistance. Please confirm this has been escalated per DHS policy. I would like this addressed in writing immediately.Thank you,Rich [Last name redacted]

Date: [Approx. 6 Weeks Ago]From: Alicia Zeller

Rich, we’re reviewing your situation and will follow up shortly. Please expect additional communication this week.

Date: [Approx. 2 Weeks Ago]To: Alicia ZellerSubject: Final Reminder – Escalation Deadline Approaching

Alicia, this issue has now extended past 75 days without resolution. I need you to confirm that this has been escalated internally. I also request written documentation of all steps taken by HHS thus far.If I do not receive this by Friday at 12 noon, I will initiate external grievances with the Minnesota Department of Human Services and the Office of Medical Cannabis. I will also request public review of this case.Respectfully,Rich [Last name redacted]

Auto-Reply Received [Yesterday]

I am currently out of the office. If you need immediate assistance please call 507-457-6500.

In Person: Yesterday, June 5, 2025, I delivered printed documentation of this email thread to the front desk at Winona County HHS. I requested this be placed in my file and shared with the on-duty intake supervisor.

Legal Questions Raised

As this situation continues, questions of liability are now a public part of this record:

  • Who is responsible for the mental and emotional toll of three months of delays, errors, and silence?

  • Who is accountable for the ongoing trauma, distress, and loss of access to legally protected medical care?

I do not publish this blog out of malice. I do so out of a need for truth, fairness, and the belief that citizens deserve to be treated with dignity.

Whether or not you support medical cannabis is not the question. The question is: Are you okay with your government breaking its own rules and hurting people like me in the process?

More updates will be added here as the situation evolves.


 
 
 

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