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ASA California Weekly Alert: October 19, 2007
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*Make Sure We Stay On Top of It:* If you wish to have a medical cannabis event, meeting, federal trial, and/or city or county hearing listed in the ASA CA Weekly Alert, please send information to Sonnet@AmericansforSafeAccess.org no later than Thursdays by 3:00pm.

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*Weekly Round-Up*
1. a. Arcata City Council and Local Activists Reach a Working Compromise for
Safe Access
b. Landlord Letters Come to Orange County*
*
*Take Action
*2. Stop the DEA from Breaking Up Two Happy Families
*
ASA Chapter and Affiliate Meetings*
3. Saturday, October 20, Los Angeles: Los Angeles ASA Meeting
4. Tuesday, October 23, San Francisco: San Francisco ASA Meeting
5. Wednesday, October 24, Oakland: East Bay ASA Meeting
6. Thursday, November 1, Santa Rosa: Sonoma County ASA Meeting

*Court Support
*7. Monday, October 22, Sacramento: Bail Pending Appeal Hearing for Brian Epis
8. Monday, October 22, Sacramento: Status Conference for Jeff Sanderson & Alice
Wiegand
9. Monday, October 22, Fresno: Preliminary Hearing for Nature's Medicinal
Cooperative
10. Thursday, October 25, Sacramento: Arraignment for **** Lombardo
11. Friday, October 26, Oakland: Arraignment for Tainted Inc. Defendants

*Special Events*
12. Saturday and Sunday, October 27 and 28, San Francisco: Wonders of Cannabis
Festival and Expo
13. Saturday, October 27, Sacramento: Evolution: Halloween Festival and ASA
Fundraiser!
14. Save the Date! Tuesday, November 13, San Francisco: SF ASA's "Save Our
Friends" Fundraiser and Party
*
*
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Weekly Round-Up California

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*1. a. Arcata City Council and Local Activists Reach a Working Compromise for
Safe Access
b. Landlord Letters Come to Orange County**
*/
a. Arcata City Council and Local Activists Reach a Working Compromise
for Safe Access

/This week, Arcata City Council voted unanimously to establish a medical
marijuana working group in an effort to protect the community and patients'
rights. Humboldt County ASA and other local activists attended the meeting in
support of the effort, while voicing concerns about regulations. This effort
came about as a compromise between local medical cannabis supporters and the
city council. Earlier in October, members of the council had expressed concerns
about lack of security and safety regulations at medical cannabis grow houses.
Rather than taking drastic measures to ban medical cannabis grow houses, at the
urging of the community, the council decided to implement a working group to
assess the need for and then begin to develop regulations.

The medical cannabis working group will first examine the community's need for
regulations, while being mindful of patients' rights. They will then focus on
establishing a task force which will develop zoning regulations and guidelines
for medical marijuana grow houses.

Read more about the new working group in the Eureka Reporter
<http://www.eurekareporter.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ArticleID=29667>.

* /
/*/b//. //Landlord Letters Come to Orange County/*

*In continuation of the DEA's recent trend targeting innocent third parties,
this week, landlords in Orange County received asset forfeiture letters. These
letters threaten to confiscate the landlords' properties if they do not
cooperate with the DEA and evict dispensing collective tenants. The DEA, once
more, has chosen to victimize an innocent third party, property owners, in its
ongoing war on medical cannabis. This trend of targeting innocent people has
been seen in other Southern California cities such as Los Angeles, Santa
Barbara, and Long Beach.

We need a political fix for this problem in the immediate future. The DEA is
continuing to go to drastic measures like these to undermine California state
law. This is yet another reason Governor Schwarzenegger needs to stand up for
patients' rights and defend California's medical marijuana laws. Click here
<http://www.AmericansforSafeAccess.org/StandUpAction> to send a message to the
Governor urging him to stand up for patents' rights. We must put an end to the
mindless victimization of innocent citizens!

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Take Action raid icon
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*2. Stop the DEA from Breaking Up Two Happy Families
*
DEA raids consistently disrupt the lives of innocent patients and providers, but
two recent raids have threatened to break up these two happy families:

Naulls FamilyMartin Family

You can help protect these families by donating to the legal defense funds of
Ronald Naulls and the the 4 Tainted Defendants. Please read on to find out how
to help.

/Ronald Naulls Legal Defense Fund/

Ronald Naulls operated a safe, legal medical cannabis collective in Corona for
over a year. On July 17, 2007, Naulls's home and the collective were invaded by
the DEA. They seized everything: his property; his personal accounts; all of the
collective's assets. Naulls was arrested and is now facing federal prosecution
for distribution of medical cannabis.

But that wasn't the worst of it. County child protective services came along and
took Naulls's three little girls, ages 1, 3, and 5, and charged his wife with
felony child endangerment.

When they spoke to their children in their confidential foster home, the big
sister said,
/Mommy, we're ready to come home now, we promise to be good./

Please help Green-Aid fight this case with a tax-deductible donation:
www.Green-Aid.com/DefenseFunds.htm
* *
*For more information, contact **James Anthony, 510/207-6243 or
**jasanthony@comcast.net* <mailto:jasanthony@comcast.net>

/Tainted Defense Fund/

On September 26, 2007, the DEA raided five locations the DEA says are connected
to Tainted, Inc., a well-known supplier of edible medical cannabis products
available in dozens of medical marijuana dispensaries across the state. Heavily
armed federal agents seized cannabis plants and medicinal edibles, arrested
three people and killed an employee’s dog.

On October 4th, Michael Martin turned himself in following an arrest warrant
issued during the raids. He spoke in front of the Oakland Federal Building,
surrounded by his wife, two children, and his mother, pleading with the federal
government to spare his family more pain.

Martin and three other defendants in the Tainted case are facing a lengthy and
expensive legal battle, and Martin could face twenty years or more in federal
prison for his role in supplying medical cannabis to qualified patients. Please
donate by visiting http://FreeTainted.com/ You can also support the four
defendants by attending their next court hearing, on October 26th in Oakland.
Please see the court support section below for more info.

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ASA Chapter and Affiliate Meetings activist corner
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*3. Saturday, October 20, Los Angeles: Los Angeles ASA Meeting*

We will be having a special discussion about effective protesting and civil
disobedience at the the October meeting of the Los Angeles Chapter of Americans
for Safe Access (ASA) tomorrow. The DEA and LAPD assault on patients’ access in
Los Angeles is in full swing, and we want to have the tools we need to push them
back. We have seen some great resistance following the raids in Hollywood and
downtown. Let’s step it up a notch and put them on the defensive. We will also
be discussing the next steps after last week’s successful mobilization to the
Governor’s office. Everyone is welcome, so come on out and bring your friends
and loved ones! Refreshments will be served.

What: LA-ASA Meeting & Protest/Civil Disobedience Training

When: 1 PM * Saturday, October 20, 2007

Where: Patient ID Center, 470 S. San Vicente Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048 (Cross
street is Drexel, between Wilshire & 3rd St.)

Map & Transit Info: http://www.ASAaction.org

For more information, contact Don Duncan at: dondduncan@yahoo.com.

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*4. Tuesday, October 23, San Francisco: San Francisco ASA Meeting
*
Come to the SF ASA meeting as we discuss the 350 Divisadero appeal, the Wonders
of Cannabis volunteer shifts, and prepare for the Save our Friends Fundraiser
and Party.

When: Tuesday, October 23rd at 7:30pm
Where: Bowzer's Pizza, 371 11th St in San Francisco

For more information, contact Alex: aaafranco@yahoo.com.

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*5. Wednesday, October 24, Oakland: East Bay ASA Meeting
*
Join the East Bay ASA chapter this month. We will be debriefing on the Los
Angeles rally at Schwarzenegger's office, discussing court support for the four
Tainted defendants, signing up for Wonders of Cannabis ASA booth shifts, and
discussing forming an East Bay-San Francisco ASA coalition to reach out to local
communities and organizations.

Where: ASA Headquarters- 1322 Webster St. in Oakland (just 2 blocks from 12th
St. Bart station)
When: Wed. the 24th at 7:00pm

Snacks and beverages will be provided.

For more information, contact Rebecca@AmericansforSafeAccess.org.

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*6. Thursday, November 1, Santa Rosa: Sonoma County ASA Meeting

*Over the past month, safe access has fallen under attack in Northern
California. If you support medical marijuana please come out and find out what
you can do to protect medical marijuana patients and providers. Please be sure
to attend the meeting as it is the only scheduled November meeting. We hope to
see you there!*

*When: Thursday, November 1st, 5:00-7:00pm
Where: South City View Room
Department of Public Health
625 5th St., Santa Rosa, CA (Between Humboldt and Mendocino)*
*
For more information, contact Sonnet@AmericansforSafeAccess.org

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Court Support patients rights icon
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*7. Monday, October 22, Sacramento: Bail Pending Appeal Hearing for Brian Epis

*Bryan Epis was the first medical marijuana patient convicted in federal court
after the passage of California’s Proposition 215. Epis was arrested June 25,
1997, after Butte County sheriff's officers discovered marijuana plants growing
in the basement of his home in Chico. On September 14, 2007, Judge Damrell
sentenced Epis to 10 years in prison. Epis has been out on bail since August 9,
2004, pending his appeal, and Judge Damrell denied the prosecution's request to
imprison him immediately. Epis' attorney, Brenda Grantland, will file more
documents and move for continued bail pending his appeal. An in-depth report of
Epis' sentencing hearing by Vanessa Nelson is available (with pictures) here
<http://www.medicalmarijuanaofamerica.com/content/view/149/1/>.

When: Monday, October 22nd at 10:00pm
Where: In Front of Judge Frank C. Damrell, Jr.
U.S. District Court (E.D., CA), 15th Floor at 501 "I" Street
<http://maps.yahoo.com/py/maps.py?BFCat=&Pyt=Tmap&newFL=Use+Address+Below&ad dr=501+I+Street%2C+&csz=sacramento%2C+ca&country=u s&Get%A0Map=Get+Map>
in Sacramento

For more information, contact Sonnet@AmericansforSafeAccess.org.

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*8. Monday, October 22, Sacramento: Status Conference for Jeff Sanderson &
Alice Wiegand

*On August 14, 2006, a local-federal task force arrested Plumas County patients
Jeff Sanderson (who also serves as a caregiver for nine other patients) & Alice
Wiegand in a raid for allegedly growing more than 260 plants. Though they were
released from Plumas County jail within several days, on September 5, 2006,
Sanderson was rearrested by federal agents and is being prosecuted on federal
charges of manufacturing and conspiracy to manufacture more than 100 marijuana
plants. Authorities confiscated all of the plants and medicine, and have
initiated asset forfeiture proceedings on their home and family farm. Sanderson
is currently out on bail pending trial.

When: Monday, October 22nd at 10:00pm
Where: In Front of Judge Frank C. Damrell, Jr.
U.S. District Court (E.D., CA), 15th Floor at 501 "I" Street in
Sacramento

For more information, contact Sonnet@AmericansforSafeAccess.org.
*
*
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*9. Monday, October 22, Fresno: Preliminary Hearing for Nature's Medicinal
Cooperative *

The DEA, Bakersfield PD, Kern County Sheriffs, and Central Valley High Intensity
Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) raided Nature’s Medicinal Cooperative and a
residence of one of the owners in April & July 2007, arresting owners David
Chavez, Sr. & David Chavez, Jr., and employees John Wyatt, John Shanks, Jennifer
Brown, Jonathon Chapman, and Israel Cabacos. They are charged with conspiracy to
distribute marijuana and possession w/ intent to distribute allegedly more than
87 lbs. of medicine & 35 plants. All of the defendants have been released on
bail pending trial, except David Chavez, Sr., who remains in jail.

When: Monday, October 22 at 1:30pm
Where: Before Magistrate Dennis L. Beck in U.S. District Court (E.D., CA),
8th Floor at 2500 Tulare Street, Fresno, CA.

For more information, contact: Sonnet@AmericansforSafeAccess.org.

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*10. * *Thursday, October 25, Sacramento: Arraignment for **** Lombardo

*On* *September 13, 2007, the Nevada County Sheriffs called in the DEA and they
jointly raided the residence of 50-year old chronic pain sufferer Lombardo in
Big Oak Valley, confiscating a mere 65 plants, and charging him with cultivation
with intent to sell. The federal government is also proceeding with asset
forfeiture.

When: Thursday, October 25th at 2:00pm
Where: Before Judge Lawrence K. Karlton in U.S. District Court (E.D., CA),
15th Floor at 501 "I" Street in Sacramento

For more information, contact: Sonnet@AmericansforSafeAccess.org.

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*11*. *Friday, October 26, Oakland: Arraignment for Tainted Inc. Defendants

*On September 26, 2007, the DEA raided five locations in Oakland and San
Leandro, allegedly confiscating hundreds of edibles and 460 plants, and
arresting Jessica Sanders (30), Michael Anderson (42), and Diallo McLinn (35).
After a press conference on October 4, Michael Martin (33), who had been on
vacation during the raid, voluntarily turned himself in. All four are charged
with conspiracy to manufacture or distribute controlled substances and are out
on bail. Tainted Edibles were available for patients as an alternative to
smoking at dispensing collectives across the state.

When: Friday, October 26th at 10:00am
Where: Before Magistrate Wayne D. Brazil
U.S. District Court (N.D., CA), at 1301 Clay Street
<http://216.152.235.70/webdir.fwx?mode=divofc&srchstring=D09CANCOakland++ +++++++++++++++0000001751&jnet=>
in Oakland
*
*Read ASA's press release about the DEA's raid on Tainted here
<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=5105>.
*
*
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Special Events closer look icon
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*12. Saturday and Sunday, October 27 and 28, San Francisco: Wonders of Cannabis
Festival and Expo
**
*Come out to this entertaining and educational event in San Francisco! Be sure
to stop by and visit the ASA booth at the expo.

*Wonders of Cannabis- Festival, Concert, and Expo*
Where: Golden Gate Park-Hall of Flowers, San Francisco, CA
When: 11am to 7pm, October 27th and 28th
Featuring: Tommy Chong, JGB w/ Melvin Seals, Los Marijuanos, RY Kihn Band, and
Bluesetta.


For more information on the event visit: www.WondersofCannabis.com.

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*13. Saturday, October 27, Sacramento: Evolution: Halloween Festival and ASA
Fundraiser!

*This exciting festival and benefit for ASA features music, psychics,
Ghost-busters, political activists, writers, fire dancing, candle magic, food,
and much more! All are encouraged to wear costumes that fit into the theme of
evolution (i.e. cavemen, dolphins, robots, aliens, Atilla the Hun, etc...)

When: Saturday October 27th from 10:00am-10:00pm
Where: Urban Wellness Collective,
2116 Northgate Blvd. Sacramento, CA

Tickets are $5.00 (or 2 for $8.00); Seniors and teens are $3.00

Fore more information, visit www.HolisticLivingExpo.com or call 916-925-8837.
See you there!
*
*
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*14. Save the Date! Tuesday, November 13, San Francisco: SF ASA's "Save Our
Friends" Fundraiser and Party

*Mark your calendars for the San Francisco ASA chapter's fundraiser and party.
The "Save our Friends" event is a fundraiser for the San Francisco chapter and
will feature local patient talent including live music, comedians, and other
exciting events.

When: Tuesday, November 13th starting at 7:30pm
Where: El Ricon at the corner of 16th and Harrison in San Francisco
(Just 5 blocks from the 16th and Mission Bart stop!)

For ticket information and questions about the event, contact Alex:
aaafranco@yahoo.com