ASA California Update: March 23, 2012

Contents:
California Roundup
Educating Health Care Workers About Medical Cannabis
Workers at L.A. pot dispensaries form labor union
Legality of city's medical marijuana dispensary ban questioned
DEA Raids Local Nursery; Marijuana Seized

Events
March 24th -- Charity Poker Event - Mendocino

Monday March 26 - ASA Legal Seminar - San Francisco
Thursday, March 29 - ASA Legal Seminar - Long Beach
Friday March 30 - ASA Legal Seminar - San Diego
Thursday April 5 - ASA Legal Seminar - Sonoma

Save the Date
Tuesday April 3 - Rally - San Francisco
May 12-14th - California Unity Conference, Lobby Event - Sacramento

Take Action
Take Action to Save Safe Access in San Francisco!
Tuesday March 28th -- Court Support, Patient Angelic Cisneros, San Francisco

ASA Services
Peer Counseling
Wednesday March 28 -- Sebastopol
Thursday March 29 -- Oakland

Putting Patients First training

Events

March 24 - Charity Poker Night -- 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

ASA Legal Seminars
Americans for Safe Access will hold legal seminars in four California cities to discuss recent state court decisions and our federal lawsuits, which have changed the landscape for medical cannabis lawyers, cultivators, providers, and patients. Please register for one of these very special events with ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford:

Monday March 26 - ASA Legal Seminar - San Francisco (Register)
Thursday March 29 - ASA Legal Seminar - Long Beach (Register)
Friday March 30 - ASA Legal Seminar -  San Diego (Register)
Thursday April 5 - ASA Legal Seminar -  Sonoma (Register)

The two-hour seminars, which will be held between 3:00 and 5:00 PM in each city, will deal with issues raised by recent appellate court decisions, including Pack v. Long Beach, Riverside v. Inland Empire Patients’ Health and Wellness Center, People v. Colvin, and Lake Forest v. Evergreen Holistic Collective. The State Supreme Court has already agreed to hear appeals in the Pack and Riverside cases. These cases may have a profound impact on how patients get medical cannabis in California, and on how lawyers can defend their clients.  Joe will also be discussing two lawsuits filed by ASA in federal court.

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Save the Date

Tuesday April 3 - Rally - San Francisco
Please join SF United and City Hall Officials on the Polk Street steps of City Hall to stand in support of the San Francisco Medical Cannabis Program. Rally starts promptly at 11:00AM. 

May 12-14th - California Unity Conference, Lobby Event - Sacramento
CRMM is a statewide coalition of patients, advocates, organized labor, and other stakeholders who are committed to promoting sensible statewide regulations for medical cannabis in California. Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a coalition member, is hosting a CRMM California Unity Conference to develop strategies and skills necessary to adopt beneficial legislation this year. The conference will include two days of state and local strategy sessions, skills trainings for advocates, community building, and more. On Monday, May 21, attendees will be visiting every legislative office in the state capitol to put their strategies and skills into practice.

ASA is excited to invite conference attendees and others to a gala celebration of our 10-year anniversary on Saturday, May 19. Mark your calendar now! Tickets will be on sale soon. Limited exhibitor space and scholarship opportunities are available. Please email ASA California Director Don Duncan at don@safeaccessnow.org or call (323) 882-6033 for information.

To add an event to the CA Weekly Round Up or to the ASA Calendar, click here.

Take Action

Join the medical cannabis community and San Francisco United's Campaign for Safe Access by participating in campaign actions!

While resolutions and press statements are welcomed examples of leadership, medical cannabis patients and providers deserve concrete and specific action to send a clear message to federal officials that marijuana is medicine and interference with our laws are neither welcome or warranted. Take a stand for safe access!

Read and participate in the actions here: http://americansforsafeaccess.org/article.php?id=7083
Read more about San Francisco United for Safe Access campaign: http://americansforsafeaccess.org/article.php?id=7086

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March 28 - Court Support

Long time activist, Angelic Cisneros, faces multiple felonies after being burned in an explosion.

Shortly after arriving home, Angelic found herself in the middle of a flash fire. Prosecutors are charging her with everything from possession of drug paraphernalia to causing a fire to a structure and having a house used for drug sales and manufacture. Her ex-boyfriend, Tom Weed, faces the same charges. Please show some support at her next court appearance 9am 3/28/2012 at 850 Bryant courtroom 12 in San Francisco.

ASA Services

Peer Counseling

Tuesday March 27 -- San Francisco - 3 to 5PM
Vapor Room
607 Haight St
San Francisco, California 94117

Wednesday March 28 -- Sebastopol - 4 to 6PM
Peace In Medicine
6771 Sebastopol Avenue # 100
Sebastopol, CA 95472

Thursday March 29 -- Oakland - 5 to 7PM 
Harborside Health Center
1840 Embarcadero
Oakland, CA 94606

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 Courtney Sheats, Regional Coordinator, Courtney@SafeAccessNow.org.

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Putting Patients First

ASA Introductory Training for Medical Cannabis Professionals

This newly designed ASA training is an essential basic course for anyone serious about working professionally with patients in the medical cannabis field. The course gives you:

Increased competency in working with medical cannabis patients
An introduction to understanding patients’ needs and the bio-psycho-social model of health   
A better ability to identify potential behavioral and social side effects of illness
An overview of patient rights and responsibilities under California and Federal law, including how recent court rulings affect patients and dispensing collectives
What to do in a law enforcement encounter
An excellent overview of medical cannabis patient history

This ASA certified training is highly participatory, fast moving, and a lot of fun! A new section on Treating the Whole Patient, builds competency and awareness for students to better understand the unique challenges that patients face in daily living through a greater awareness of how physical, psychological, and emotional health conditions affect patients functioning.

For more information on ASA's Putting Patients First training or other services contact Courtney Sheats, Regional Coordinator, Courtney@SafeAccessNow.org.

Chapter Meetings

Tuesday, March 27 -- North County/Oceanside ASA Meeting
7PM - 9PM @ The Fish Joint, 514 South Coast Hwy, Oceanside, CA 92054
For more info, contact: Eugene@safeaccessnow.org or 619 621 8446

Thursday, March 29 -- Sacramento ASA Meeting
7PM @ The Farmers Daughter, 3405 El Camino Blvd, Sacramento CA 95821
For more info, contact: Courtney@safeaccessnow.org

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.