Current Actions

• Urge Your Governor to Sign onto the DEA Rescheduling Petition!

  Something happened last month that changed the political landscape on medical cannabis. The governors of Washington and Rhode Island filed a petition to reclassify cannabis for medical use. This is a huge opportunity for patients and the medical cannabis movement!

   

  Governors Christine Gregoire (D-WA) and Lincoln Chafee (I-RI) have shown tremendous leadership in trying to change federal medical cannabis policy and other governors must be called on to do the same. The heavy arm of the federal government has affected the rights of patients in many medical marijuana states, not just Washington and Rhode Island. Help end the conflict between federal and state law by urging your governor TODAY to join the petition to reschedule cannabis!

   

• Don't Ban Medical Cannabis in Sacramento County!

  The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors will consider a motion to ban medical cannabis patients’ cooperatives and collectives in the unincorporated areas of the county on Tuesday, December 6.
  
  Take a minute right now to call each member of the Board of Supervisors at the telephone numbers below (ignore the label “fax”). Tell them to vote no on item 56 on Tuesday’s agenda – a ban on medical cannabis patients’ coops and collectives. Then send the email below (or write your own) by filling in the form and clicking “Send You Message” at the bottom. All five Supervisors will receive a copy.
  
  Make plans to attend the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, December 6. You can speak to the Supervisors about agenda item 56, which will be heard around 2:15 PM. The meeting is at 700 H. Street, Suite 1450, Sacramento, CA 95814. Thanks for helping protect safe and legal access to medical cannabis  in Sacramento County!
  
  

• Don't Ban Medical Cannabis in Los Angeles

  Some City Councilmembers in Los Angeles want to ban medical cannabis (marijuana) patients' cooperatives and collectives outright. Patients and other community members have been working with the City Council to promote, develop, and implement sensible regulations for the city since 2005. Banning patients' associations now means the City Council is turning its back on the large majority of local patients who rely on cooperatives and collectives for safe access to medicine. Tell the Los Angeles City Council to live up to the promises they made to legal patients and the community over the years. Fill in the form below and click "send your message" today. You can customize the letter if you wish.
  

• Don't Ban Medical Cannabis in Our City!

  The California Appellate Court recently ruled that cities and counties are limited in their ability to regulate medical cannabis patients’ cooperatives and collectives. The state Supreme Court has not yet decided whether or not to hear an appeal of Pack v. City of Long Beach, but some cities are citing the Pack decision as a reason for banning patients’ associations or abandoning their regulatory process. Tell South Lake Tahoe City Council Members not to ban medical cannabis patients' cooperatives and collectives, and to work with stakeholders to find a better solution.
  
  

• Don't Ban Medical Cannabis in Our City!

  The California Appellate Court recently ruled that cities and counties are limited in their ability to regulate medical cannabis patients’ cooperatives and collectives. The state Supreme Court has not yet decided whether or not to hear an appeal of Pack v. City of Long Beach, but some cities are citing the Pack decision as a reason for banning patients’ associations or abandoning their regulatory process. Tell the Richmond City Council Members not to ban medical cannabis patients' cooperatives and collectives, and to work with stakeholders to find a better solution.
  
  

• Don't Ban Medical Cannabis in Our County!

  The California Appellate Court recently ruled that cities and counties are limited in their ability to regulate medical cannabis patients’ cooperatives and collectives. The state Supreme Court has not yet decided whether or not to hear an appeal of Pack v. City of Long Beach, but some counties are citing the Pack decision as a reason for banning patients’ associations or abandoning their regulatory process. Tell the Board of Supervisors not to ban safe access, but to work with stakeholders to find a better solution.
  
  

• Don't Ban Medical Cannabis in Our City!

  The California Appellate Court recently ruled that cities and counties are limited in their ability to regulate medical cannabis patients’ cooperatives and collectives. The state Supreme Court has not yet decided whether or not to hear an appeal of Pack v. City of Long Beach, but some cities are citing the Pack decision as a reason for banning patients’ associations or abandoning their regulatory process. Tell your City Council Members not to ban medical cannabis patients' cooperatives and collectives, and to work with stakeholders to find a better solution.
  

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• Tell the City Council Not to Ban Safe Access in Long Beach

  The Long Beach City Council will soon reconsider a motion to ban medical cannabis patients’ cooperatives and collectives in the city. Use this form to email City Council Members today and ask them to reject this option. Instead, the City Council should work with patients and other stakeholders to rewrite the city’s existing regulations. Send the message below, modify it, or write one of your own today!
  

• California: Urge Congress to Show their Support for Patients

  During the first week of October, California’s four U.S. Attorneys sent letters to at least sixteen landlords and property owners who rent buildings or land where dispensaries provide safe access to medical cannabis, notifying them that they are violating federal drug laws. These letters warn that the dispensaries must shut down within forty five days, or the landlords and property owners will face criminal charges and confiscation of their property – both real and personal – even if they are operating legally under the state’s medical cannabis law!

  Representatives Sam Farr (D-CA) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) have written a letter to President Obama requesting that his administration reschedule cannabis as a Schedule II or Schedule III drug as a legitimate controlled substance for medicinal purposes or, alternatively, support legislation that would make this change. California Legislators have the opportunity to sign on to this letter, so call and email your Congressional Representative before this Friday, October 28, and urge him or her to sign on and show his or her support for patients!

• Urge your Representative to Co-Sponsor HR1983!

  Help stop attacks on medical cannabis! Recently we have seen an increase in DEA raids and other tactics used by the federal government to interfere with medical cannabis in California, Arizona, and Michigan.  Our allies in Congress have introduced critical bipartisan legislation to protect medical cannabis patients and providers. But they need your help to get it passed. Take a minute to urge your Representative in the House to cosponsor the HR1983, the States' Medical Cannabis Patient Protection Act today!
  
  If passed, HR 1983 will essentially end federal interference in state sanctioned programs, provide patients and providers with a defense in federal court, and, most importantly, reclassify cannabis to Schedule III under the Controlled Substance Act.  This reclassification will recognize the medicinal value of cannabis, open doors to critical medical research, and create access for people in need across the country! 
  
  Call your representative today, ask him or her to cosponsor HR1983, the States' Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act, today! 

• The Federal Attack on Safe Access is an Attack on Patients!

  The US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a major attack on medical cannabis patients’ access to medicine last week. The DOJ says medical cannabis patients’ cooperatives and collectives in California are illegal, and ordered them to close within forty five days. The DOJ also dusted off and old Bush-era tactic, sending letters threatening property owners who rent to medical cannabis tenants with prosecution and asset forfeiture. Most of California’s legal medical cannabis patients rely on cooperatives and collectives for safe access to the medicine they need to treat the symptoms of cancer, HIV/AIDS, Multiple Sclerosis, chronic pain, and other serious conditions. Join tens of thousands of medical cannabis supporters nationwide in telling President Obama to stop the federal attack on safe access and to support a change in federal law!
  
  

• Look Up Your Federal and State Legislators Here!

• Urge Your Federal Representative to Support New Legislation to Protect Medical Cannabis Patients and Providers

  You can help change federal law! Our allies in Congress have introduced critical bipartisan legislation to protect medical cannabis patients and providers. But they need your help to get it passed. Take a minute to urge your Representative in the House to cosponsor these important bills today! 
  
  

  The three bipartisan federal bills are HR1983, the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act; HR1984, the Small Business Banking Improvement Act of 2011; and HR1985, the Small Business Tax Equity Act of 2011. HR 1983 would give patients and caregivers a defense in federal court and reclassify cannabis as a drug with medical use. HR 1984 would stop banks and other financial institutions from closing the accounts or refusing to do business with medical cannabis patients, providers, or businesses. HR 1985 would allow dispensing centers and other state-authorized medical cannabis business to deduct their operating expenses on their federal tax returns.
  
  The cosponsors of the three bipartisan bills are Representatives Barney Frank (D- MA 4), Jared Polis (D-CO 2), Pete Stark(D- CA 13), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA 46), and Ron Paul (R- TX 14).  Tell your representative to join them in cosponsoring these bills today!

• Urge Your Governor to Take a Stand for Patient Rights!

  In the past few months, United States Attorneys in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Rhode Island, and Vermont  have issued letters threatening local and state officials to dissuade them from participating in state sanctioned medical cannabis programs.  While these threats have been used before by other administrations, it is disappointing to see President Obama sanction this behavior.  Now is the time to urge Governors in medical cannabis states, whether they have gotten a threat letter or not, to take a stand for patient rights.

• Urge President Obama to Grant Clemency to Medical Cannabis Prisoners of War!

  On Monday, May 2, 2011 our community will lose two more members to the failed war on drugs.  Dale Schafer and Dr. Mollie Fry, both patients, must remand themselves into federal custody for participating in bringing medical cannabis to themselves, and to other sick and debilitated community members.  How many more will become prisoners of war in the name of medical cannabis?  We must urge the federal government to end the raids on our community, but in the meantime we must ask for clemency to be granted to those most affected. 

• Obama: We are Sick and Tired, but Doing Our Part!

  This community has done its part to educate legislatures and voters across the country about the therapeutic and palliative benefits cannabis provides. As a result, seventeen states and the District of Columbia have shown compassion by recognizing the legitimate need for cannabis as medicine in their respective communities.  Despite our efforts to come out of the darkness, the Obama Administration released the Cole Memo, a document expressing the federal government's inention continue interfering with state medical cannabis laws!  Sign the petition asking for President Obama to leave medical cannabis to the states!
  

• Tell President Obama to Stop Medical Marijuana Raids!

  The DEA raided 28 medical cannabis facilities in Montana and California on March 14-15. This is harmful to patients and a waste of federal resources! Send an email to President Obama asking him to stop the federal raids and create a policy to protect MEDICAL CANNABIS patients and providers nationwide.