[ASA Field]

*Weekly Roundup*

1) Raid Watch, Los Angeles Moratorium & ASA Conference Postponed
*
ASA Chapter Meetings*

2) Saturday, October 7th, Modesto: Central Valley Patients Coalition Meeting
3) Tuesday, October 10th, San Diego: SD ASA Meeting
4) Tuesday, October 10th, San Francisco: SF ASA Meeting
5) Thursday, October 12th, Sacramento: Sac ASA Meeting
6) Thursday, October 19th, Fullerton: Orange County ASA Meeting
7) Thursday, October 19th, Guerneville: Sonoma ASA Meeting
8) Saturday, October 21st, Hollywood: Los Angeles ASA Meeting

*City & County Hearings*

9) Monday, October 9th, Bellflower: City Council to Vote on Extending
Dispensary Moratorium
10) Tuesday, October 10th, San Diego: Patients Return to City Council
Hearing to Demand Immediate Action
11) Wednesday, October 11th, Studio City: Neighborhood Council to Vote
on Dispensary Regulations Resolution

*Court Support
*
12) Monday, October 16th, Santa Cruz: Trial of Roger Mench from the
Hemporium

*Special Events*

13) Monday, October 9th, San Francisco: District 8 Supervisor Debate on
Medical Cannabis
14) Friday, October 27th, San Diego: "Thrive to Survive" San Diego ASA
Benefit
15) Tuesday, October 31st, Hollywood: Spooky Train Halloween Party ASA
Benefit

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*Weekly Roundup*
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*1) Raid Watch, Los Angeles Moratorium & ASA Conference Postponed*

/Raid Watch/
The federal attack on medical cannabis is escalating, as yet another
dispensing collective was raided by federal law enforcement agencies at
several sites through out the Bay Area on Tuesday. New Remedies,
previously Compassionate Caregivers, was bombarded by dozens of law
enforcement agents who took medicine, plants, electronic equipment and
cash from the site, resulting in several arrests and raids throughout
the Bay Area purportedly in connection with the collective.
Compassionate Caregivers, which operated in several cities, was the
target federal scrutiny after their assets were frozen in November of
last year. The operator of the collective, Sparky Rose, is now being
held without bail.

In a statement made to the press, head of the DEA's San Francisco office
Javier Peña related the federal government's true reason "We're trying
to show the public these aren't for the sick or ill." Thus, the goal is
to discredit all medical cannabis dispensaries, thereby curtailing
access for patients in California.

The very next day, federal and local officials raided the Palm Canyon
Palm Springs Caregiver after an alleged bag of edible cannabis was
offered as a tip to an employee at a neighboring business. No arrests or
charges have been reported.

Last week, two dispensing collectives in Modesto and one in Granada
Hills were also raided by federal and local agents, resulting in over a
dozen arrests. Four defendants from the California Healthcare
Collective, the first of the raids last week, will have a status hearing
on October 13th. To date, there have been no state or federal charges
levied against the 2816 Collective, which was raided on September 28th
as a result of a state search warrant. The manager's home was
subsequently visited by Child Protective Services (CPS) with no action
taken. In Granada Hills, four people were arrested in connection with a
raid on North Valley Discount Caregivers. State charges have been filed
against only one of the people arrested.

ASA is planning a national day of action in January, 2007 to respond to
the continued federal attacks on safe access. For more information or to
get involved, visit ASA's website
<http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3747>. It's time for the
patient community to stand together and call on Congress to stop the DEA
raids now!

/This Week in Los Angeles /
Congratulations to LA ASA, who successfully convinced the Studio City
Neighborhood Council to add a resolution supporting the regulation of
medical marijuana dispensaries to their agenda for their October 18th
meeting of.

As for the LA City moratorium on new dispensaries, it appears that it
has been forwarded to the Planning and Land Use Committee. The committee
has currently not scheduled the moratorium for a Public Hearing.

/AMERICANS FOR SAFE ACCESS STATE CONFERENCE
Implementation = Victory : Preparing for the Next Ten Years/

Americans for Safe Access is pleased to announce the AMERICANS FOR SAFE
ACCESS STATE CONFERENCE,
Implementation = Victory: Preparing for the Next Ten Years will take
place January 13th and 14th at the Pickwick Gardens Conference Center,
1001 Riverside Drive in Burbank, California. The conference, originally
set for October 21st-22nd, was postponed in anticipation of a decision
in the San Diego County lawsuit against the state, expected later this year.

As the momentum grows around medical cannabis law implementation
throughout the state, open communication amongst the players, both
regionally and statewide, has become crucial. For this reason, ASA staff
and local organizers will bring our key assets to the table in a series
of workshops and seminars designed to give activists the skills they
need to achieve effective statewide campaigns while providing a vehicle
for local campaigns to flourish. Workshops will include Strategic
Planning, Direct Action, Media Trainings, and much more!

ASA State Campaign Staff will be presenting the California Campaign for
Safe Access Strategy, covering issues from regulations and protecting
safe access, implementation of the ID card program, sales tax and the
Board of Equalization, and regional participation in the implementation
of SB420, Proposition 215 and precedent setting case law.

Online Registration and Sponsorships will be available soon!

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*ASA Chapter Meetings*
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*2) Saturday, October 7th, Modesto: Central Valley Patients Coalition
Meeting*

Please join central valley patients and supporters to help plan and
strategize for the defense of patients rights in Stanislaus County,
Merced County, and beyond!

At this important meeting we will plan for the upcoming Stanislaus
County Board of Supervisors meeting on the mmj ID card program, and
we'll have a special guest, F. Aaron Smith, to share his experience and
help plan. Other agenda items will include: Court support, letters to
the editor, safe access, and more. The CVPC meets at 1:00 PM at 4213
McHenry Ave, Suite F, Modesto California, 95354. For additional
information, contact Shirley Cox, Public Relations Officer for the
Central Valley Patients Coalition - sacreb@bigvalley.net

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*
3) Tuesday, October 10th, San Diego: SD ASA Meeting*

Our San Diego chapter of ASA has been busy lately and needs you to get
involved. It is time to get involved and protect
safe access!

For more info about the chapter, please visit their site:
http://sdasa.4mg.com/index.html

Twiggs Coffee House
4590 Park Blvd.
In the Green Room
7:00-8:00 p.m.

Call (619) 723-6572 for more info.

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*4) Tuesday, October 10th, San Francisco: SF ASA Meeting*

California Marijuana Party "Activist Resource Center"

7:00pm
223a 9th St. @ Howard
San Francisco, CA. 94103

Come show your support at this critical time in medical cannabis history.

Tony Bowles
ASA-SF Chapter Contact: 415-283-7404

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*
5) Thursday, October 12th, Sacramento: Sac ASA Meeting*

Sacramento ASA has begun meeting again and they're busy strategizing on
ways to effect local, state and national policies.

The Sacramento medical marijuana community was once extremely active
with Americans for Safe Access. Sac ASA met
regularly, organized a huge rally for Bryan Epis at the Capitol, and did
all they could to protect patients' rights. Patients and advocates in
the Sacramento area are coming together again to reinvigorate ASA.
Please join them at their bi-weekly meetings:

Thursday @ 6:00 p.m.
!Pura Vida! (next to the Capitol Wellness Collective)
2400 14th Street, Sacramento

All are welcome. This is a great opportunity to get involved with ASA
and to work on both local
and national campaigns.

For more information, please call 916-325-9000.

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*
6) Thursday, October 19th, Fullerton: Orange County ASA Meeting*

Please come to discuss local law enforcement problems and campaigns to
address this and other issues!

7:00 p.m. @ 1520 W Commonwealth Ave, in Fullerton
For more info, please call ****: (949) 246-9395 or email
adamwithasa@gmail.com

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*7) Thursday, October 19th, Guerneville: Sonoma ASA Meeting*

When: Thursday at 7:30pm
Where: Marvin's Gardens 15025 River Road (towards Guerneville)

Come check out Sonoma's chapter of American's for Safe Access. We've got
a lot to go over this month, dispensary
regulations and plant guidelines are being discussed county wide.
Patients, supporters, caregivers and friends are
welcome to come share their opinions on what should happen locally. More
info 707-332-6556

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*
8) Saturday, October 21st, Hollywood: Los Angeles ASA Meeting*

1pm - 3pm @ California Patients Group
6208 Santa Monica Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90038

For more info, please call LA ASA: (323) 464-7719

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*City & County Hearings
*
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*
9) Monday, October 9th, Bellflower: City Council to Vote on Extending
Dispensary Moratorium*

Please speak out and show your support for safe access! Encourage the
council to adopt regulations quickly.

5:30 p.m.
City Hall Council Chambers
16600 Civic Center Drive Bellflower, California 90706

For ASA Talking Points on Medical Cannabis Dispensary Moratoria, click
hear. <http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=2873>

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*
10) Tuesday, October 10th, San Diego: Patients Return to City Council
Hearing to Demand Immediate Action*

The strategy of returning to the Council every week and asking for
regulations is paying off. Committed patients and supporters developed
this strategy with ASA providing the resources to maintain momentum,
such as calling hundred of patients to attend the hearings, providing
materials for signature gathering, postcards and posters, and financing
a commercial which aired in the city of San Diego this week on CNN and
MSNBC.

On Monday, ASA San Diego will be preparing for the hearing and the press
conference from 6-8p.m. at the Great Hall Saint Pauls Cathedral Church
2728 6th Ave and Nutmeg St.

This Tuesday, September 26th, we will be returning to the city council
hearing to let them know patients are growing impatient, and demand they
speak publicly on the issue. We are meeting in front of 202 C St. at
9:30a.m.to discuss our plan of action.

San Diego City Council Hearing Tuesday October 10th
When: The hearing is Tuesday at 10:00a.m.. We are meeting in front of
202 C St. at 9:30a.m. for the San Diego Commercial Press Conference.
Where: Council Committee Room (12th Floor), City Administration Building
202 C Street

San Diego ASA Media and Spokesperson Training
When: Monday, October 9th 6-8p.m
Where: Great Hall Saint Pauls Cathedral Church 2728 6th Ave and Nutmeg St.

For more information, please see the San Diego Campaign for Safe Access
Homepage <http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3673>

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*11) Wednesday, October 11th, Studio City: Neighborhood Council to Vote
on Dispensary Regulations Resolution*

WHERE: CBS Studio Center; Annex 1 Meeting Room; 4024 Radford Ave. Studio
City, CA 91604
WHY: It appears that those wishing to end Safe Access in LA are sensing
the success and momentum of those wishing to preserve it. We need to
keep this momentum going! If you care about Safe Access in LA, we need
you to come out and show your support!

LA ASA is asking that anyone who is interested in speaking at this
meeting attend a Speaker's Meeting at 1 PM the Saturday before the
Council Meeting. It will be at 6208 Santa Monica Blvd in Hollywood.
Anyone with questions, comments, or suggestions can contact Chris at LA
ASA at 323 464 7719.

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*Court Support
*
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*12) Monday, October 16th, Santa Cruz: Trial of Roger Mench from the
Hemporium*

Roger Mench is the manager of the Hemporium, LLC a professional
caregiving service and collective in Santa Cruz CA. Mench is being
charged with possession, sales and cultivation and will face trial on
the 16th.

Please attend and show your support!

9:00 a.m.
Dept 6
701 Ocean St. Santa Cruz CA.

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*Special Events*
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*
13) Monday, October 9th, San Francisco: District 8 Supervisor Debate on
Medical Cannabis*

San Francisco Patients' Cooperative & San Francisco Medical Cannabis
Movement Present
"San Francisco District 8 Debate"
Supervisor Bevan Dufty
Attorney Alix Rosenthal,
President SF Chapter of National Women's Political Caucus
and
Starchild. Libertarian Party

This event will take place at 350 Divisadero at 7 PM sharp.

District 8 is an important district for medical cannabis. Attend this
event and show solidarity to our community.

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*14) Friday, October 27th, San Diego: "Thrive to Survive" San Diego ASA
Benefit*

San Diego ASA is hosting "Thrive to Survive" a benefit for the local
Campaign for Safe Access at the Rhythm Lounge, 3048 Midway drive.
Playing Reggae, Rock and Southern Blues.Sponsored by Green Therapy, a
comical support group for medical cannabis www.greentherapy.com. MC of
the night will be Howard Dover. 21 and over, please.

For more info, call (619) 723-6572

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*
15) Tuesday, October 31st, Hollywood: Spooky Train Halloween Party ASA
Benefit*

Festivities include....
Live music by spooky train DJs
Ring Master Ngaio
Tarot readings
Illusionist
Carnival games
Prizes
Snacks
Drinks
Costume prizes

9:00 p.m. @ California Patients Group
6208 Santa Monica Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90038

$30 or $50 for duo. Patients only!

For more info, please call LA ASA: (323) 464-7719

Tickets sold at:

LAPCG: (323) 882-6033
CPG: (323) 464-7052
The Higher Path: (213) 484-1001
Earth Collective: (323) 668-7633
CCSC: (818) 506-7207

[Pitjustice]

Cool! Good work ASA its time to organize.