ASA California Update: March 2, 2012
Contents:
California Roundup
Landmark Court Decision Affirms Legality of Storefront Dispensaries in California
Reason TV on Cedars-Sinai denying liver transplant to medical marijuana patient Norman Smith
Top federal prosecutor vows new crackdown on pot farms
Madera Co. endorses limit on medical marijuana gardens
Events
Save The Date
Sunday March 25th -- Charity Poker Event - Mendocino
April 26-28, 2012 -- The Seventh National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics - Tucson, AZ
Take Action
Court Support
Tuesday March 6th -- Napa - Patient, Mark Hammond
Tuesday March 7th -- Napa - Patient, Mark Hammond
Raid Response Campaign
ASA Services
Peer Counseling
Tuesday March 6 -- San Francisco
Wednesday March 7 -- Sebastopol
Thursday March 8 -- Oakland
City and County Meetings
Tuesday March 6th -- Tracy
Tuesday March 6th -- San Louis Obispo
Chapter and Affiliate Meetings
Tuesday March 6th -- San Francisco ASA
Tuesday March 6th -- Sacramento ASA Affiliate
California Roundup
Landmark Court Decision Affirms Legality of Storefront Dispensaries in California
The California Court of Appeal issued a landmark published decision last week affirming the legality of storefront dispensaries and rejecting the argument that every member of a collective or cooperative must participate in the cultivation.
Read More: http://safeaccessnow.org/blog/?p=2366
Reason TV on Cedars-Sinai denying liver transplant to medical marijuana patient Norman Smith
The fight to get a liver transplant for Norman Smith took another big step today with a Reason TV expose, “Transplant Denied,” featuring Smith and Steph Sherer, Executive Director of Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the group that’s throwing its weight behind the struggling medical marijuana patient.
Read More: http://americansforsafeaccess.org/blog/?p=2377
Top federal prosecutor vows new crackdown on pot farms
Warning that there is a new "green rush" of people flocking to California to exploit the market for marijuana, the top federal prosecutor in the Sacramento region promised a crackdown today on huge pot farms on agricultural land in the Central Valley.
Read More: http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/archives/2012/02/top-federal-prosecutor-vows-new-crackdown-on-pot-farms.html
Madera Co. endorses limit on medical marijuana gardens
Medical marijuana plant grows would move indoors if the Madera County Board of Supervisors gives final approval next month to regulations on cultivating the plants.
Read More: http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/02/28/2740441/madera-co-endorses-limit-on-medical.html
Events
Save the Date
March 25 - 4:20PM -- Mendocino
Charity Poker Night, benefiting ASA. Event begins at 4:20, poker tutorial at 4:30 and official game starts at 5:30. $40 Buy in to play, with re buys available. The event includes free refreshments & access to the vapor lounge. First place prize is a hand blown Revere glass piece, multiple prizes awarded.
This is a patient only event, if you are not already a member, please call ahead for pre verification 707 744 1565.
Hosted at:
Collective Conscious Apothecary
13325 S. Highway 101
Hopland in Mendocino
April 26-28, 2012 -- Tucson, AZ
The Seventh National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics will be held on April 26-28, 2012 in Tucson, AZ.
Read More: http://www.medicalcannabis.com/Announcement/2012-conference
To add an event to the CA Weekly Round Up or to the ASA Calendar, click here.
Take Action
Tuesday March 6th
Wednesday March 7th
Napa County Courthouse - 8:30AM
1111 3rd Street Dept. E
Napa, CA
(Wednesday’s preliminary hearing is expected to last until 12:30)
Mark Hammond is being charged with four felonies, possession, cultivation, and two conspiracy charges. These charges are for his involvement in a collective of nine patients, which was raided on January 12th of 2012. He was also one of dispensary applicants for the city of Napa. The collective is being represented by attorneys Edie Lerman, Rebecca Mendribil, & Douglas Pharr. Please join us to show Napa they cannot prosecute patients who are collectively sharing their resources, as SB420 allows. For more information & to confirm court has not been postponed email: edie@lawyer.com or call 707 468 0420.
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Raid Response Campaign
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and local law enforcement agencies continue to raid medical cannabis providers, even if the provider's conduct is legal under state law and complies with all city and county regulations. Medical cannabis providers need to prepare themselves, both mentally and operationally, for a raid. Until federal law is harmonized with state law and state laws are fully implemented, raids are always a possibility. Preparing for a raid does not have to be an exercise in paranoia. In fact, knowing that you are as prepared as you can be may ease anxiety.
The Raid Response Campaign only works if a community is prepared in advance; this means providers and the community alike. We developed this campaign to provide support to victims of law enforcement raids and frame the media coverage. We have orchestrated over 200 emergency Raid Response efforts, which have supported countless victims and helped frame this issue as a patients' rights issue in the media .
Read More: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/section.php?id=168
ASA Services
Peer Counseling
Tuesday March 6 -- San Francisco - 3 to 5PM
Vapor Room
607 Haight St
San Francisco, California 94117
Wednesday March 7 -- Sebastopol - 4 to 6PM
Peace In Medicine
6771 Sebastopol Avenue # 100
Sebastopol, CA 95472
Thursday March 8 -- Oakland - 5 to 7PM
Harborside Health Center
1840 Embarcadero
Oakland, CA 94606-5220
The ASA Peer Counseling Program is facilitated through medical cannabis dispensing collectives. Collectives that become members of ASA are eligible for a variety of peer counseling services depending on the level of their membership. If your favorite collective is not a member of ASA, let them know you would like them to consider it. For more information on ASA's Peer Counseling or other services contact Raudel Wilson, Community Liaison Director - Raudel@SafeAccessNow.org -510-967-3572.
City and County Meetings
Tuesday March 6th -- Tracy - 7PM
City Council Chambers
333 Civic Center Plaza
Tracy, CA
May be a closed meeting, looking to organize rally before meeting. For more information contact Courtney@SafeAccessNow.org.
Tuesday March 6th -- San Louis Obispo - 9AM
Board of Supervisors Chambers
1055 Monterey Street
San Luis Obispo, CA
The Board will hear the appeal of the 4-1 vote of approval by the SLO County Planning Commission to allow a collective outlet in unincorporated Oceano. Should the Board deny this appeal, a single storefront location anywhere in SLO County would be allowed for the first time since Charles Lynch's dispensary in Morro Bay was raided and closed nearly 5 years ago. Board members have indicated that they will be directly influenced by the level of supportive turnout at this meeting.
It is imperative that patients and others in support of safe access come to the meeting and fill the seats in the room, even if they do not wish to address the Board during the comment period. The Board Chambers are located at 1055 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo (between Santa Rosa Street and the Fremont Theater). For additional information, email asaprop215@gmail.com.
Chapter and Affiliate Meetings
Tuesday March 6th -- San Francisco ASA
7:30PM @ 847 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103
For more info, contact: dcgoldman@yahoo.com or 415-728-7631
Tuesday March 6th -- Sacramento ASA Affiliate, Crusaders for Patient Rights
7:00PM @ 320 Harris Ave Suite G-H, Sacramento, CA 95838
For more info, contact: cpr4mercy@yahoo.com or 916-502-7677
Special Speaker: Alan Hopper, ACLU
The “California Weekly Roundup” is a once-a-week email for ASA Members and Friends that focuses on relevant news and important updates, action alerts, meetings and special events. Send items for the California Weekly Roundup to CARoundup@SafeAccessNow.org before 12:00 PM on Wednesday to be included in Friday's distribution.
