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ASA California Weekly Alert: November 21, 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. ASA & Local Advocates Prevail in Orange County!
b. DEA Raids Long Beach Dispensary
c. Tom Kikuchi Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison*

Take Action
*2. Give Thanks! If You Haven't Submitted Your Testimonial, Please Send it In!*

ASA Chapter and Affiliate Meetings*
3. Tuesday, November 27, San Francisco: San Francisco ASA Meeting and Potluck
Holiday Dinner
4. Wednesday, November 28, Oakland: East Bay ASA Meeting- Last Meeting of the
Year!*
*5. Tuesday, December 4, Sacramento: Sacramento ASA Meeting
6. Wednesday, December 5, Sacramento: Solano Patients' Group Meeting
7. Thursday, December 6, Santa Rosa: Sonoma County ASA Meeting

*Court Support*
8. Thursday, November 29, Indio: Preliminary Hearing for Gary Silva
9. Tuesday, December 4, San Francisco: Oral Arguments in the Last Available
Appeal for the Oakland Cannabis Buyers Cooperative
10. Friday, December 14, Oakland: Pre-Trial Hearing for 4 Tainted Inc. Defendants

*Special Events*
11. Saturday, December 15, San Francisco: ASA Holiday Party

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Weekly Round-Up CA

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*1. a. ASA & Local Advocates Prevail in Orange County!
b. DEA Raids Long Beach Dispensary
c. Tom Kikuchi Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison
*
/a. ASA & Local Advocates Prevail in Orange County!
From California Campaign Director, Don Duncan

/Supervisor Bates has pulled her motion to deny collectives and cooperatives
licenses from the Board’s agenda. The decision stems from input from ASA and her
constituents at and following the October 30th Board of Supervisor’s meeting.
This is great news for patients in that traditionally underserved county, and it
also keeps the statewide momentum flowing towards regulating safe access – not
preventing it. Thanks to all the patients and concerned citizens who chimed in
to make a difference! We must all stay vigilant in case another threat pops up…
so keep your eyes on the Orange County Board of Supervisors and other local
government.

Check out my November 5 blog on the last minute campaign to stop this ban at
http://AmericansforSafeAccess.org/OrangeCountyBlog
<http://safeaccessnow.org/blog/?cat=14>
/
b. DEA Raids Long Beach Dispensary /

DEA agents raided Long Beach Compassionate Cooperative yesterday. ASA is
awaiting further details on the raid. A patient that was there claims that DEA
raided LBCC 5 minutes after they opened yesterday morning. DEA took the medicine
and harassed the volunteers, but we still have not heard of any arrests. Please
post any news on the raid at our forum,
http://www.AmericansforSafeAccess.org/LongBeachRaid

/c. Tom Kikuchi Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison/

Tom Kikuchi, co-defendant along with Stephanie Landa and Kevin Gage, was
sentenced yesterday to two years in a federal prison for violating the
conditions of his federal supervised release. Tom Kikuchi, Stephanie Landa,
and Kevin Gage, a noted Hollywood actor, accepted a plea agreement in 2003.
This case drew attention because San Francisco police apparently turned her and
two others over to federal prosecutors. The three had met with the city’s
district attorney and police officials before beginning cultivation. For more
information about the case and Tom Kikuchi's hearing, read Vanessa Nelson's
article at: http://www.medicalmarijuanaofamerica.../view/166/111/

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Take Action Activist
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*2. Give Thanks! If You Haven't Submitted Your Testimonial, Please Send it In
Today!
*
This holiday season it is important to reflect on all that we are thankful for.
We here at ASA are thankful for all of our members and supporters like you who
have helped promote safe and legal access to medical cannabis. We are calling
on patients, medical professionals, researchers, patients' loved ones, and other
supporters to share how medical cannabis has impacted your life.

Please send a short testimonial explaining how medical cannabis has affected you
and your loved ones to ASA's Field Coordinator, Sonnet Seeborg Gabbard. Let us
know if you would like us to share your story. You can send a letter, e-mail, or
even a video of your story. Let us give thanks this season.

Please send your testimonial to:
Sonnet Seeborg Gabbard
1322 Webster St. Suite 402
Oakland CA 94612
Sonnet@AmericansforSafeAccess.org

Thank you for taking action and have a happy holiday!

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ASA Chapter and Affiliate Meetings activist
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*3. Tuesday, November 27, San Francisco: San Francisco ASA Meeting and Potluck
Holiday Dinner*

Give Thanks! Come to the ASA SF Third Annual Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner on
November 27th, 7:30p.m. at Bowser's Pizza on 11th St. between Folsom and Harrison.

We will discuss and plan our STOP HARASSING PATIENTS Campaign to target public
officials to change bad policy and implement patient-friendly policy by law
enforcement, landlords and other potential sources of harassment. Plus much,
much more!

When: Tuesday, November 27th at 7:30pm
Where: Bowzer's Pizza, 371 11th St in San Francisco

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

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*4. Wednesday, November 28, Oakland: East Bay ASA Meeting- Last Meeting of the
Year!*

Since our last meeting, the East Bay has once more been attacked, as the DEA
raided a dispensary in Hayward. It is time for ASA supporters, patients, and
activists to gather together to put an end to these attacks. Please attend this
important meeting on the 28th.

We plan on finishing our emergency response plan, so we will be adequately
prepared for the next raid in our community. We will also be discussing court
support for the Tainted hearing on December 14th and planning our strategy for
safe access in the East Bay in 2008.

Please join us for the last East Bay ASA meeting of 2007!

When: Wednesday, the 28th at 7:00 pm
Where: ASA Headquarters Office
1322 Webster Street, Suite 402, Downtown Oakland
(Just 2 blocks from 12th St. BART!)

For more information, contact Rebecca: 510-251-1856 x. 308

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*5. Tuesday, December 4, Sacramento: Sacramento ASA Meeting*

Safe access is under attack in the Sacramento area! Please join Sacramento ASA
as we discuss our upcoming campaigns and look at what is on the horizon for 2008
to ensure safe access.

When: Tuesday at 7:00pm
Where: Crusaders Hall
320 Harris Ave. Suite H in Sacramento

For more information, contact Lanette: cannacare@earthlink.net
<mailto:cannacare@earthlink.net>

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*6. Wednesday, December 5, Sacramento: **Solano Patients' Group Meeting*

Solano Patients' Group has decided to combine our meetings with our Sacramento chapter on the first Wednesday of the Month. We will be working on pressing medical cannabis issues.

When: Wednesday, December 5 at 7pm (every first Wednesday of the month).
Where: River City Patient Center located at 1512 C El Camino Ave, Sacramento.

For more information, contact Linda: Linda4SPG@compassionatecoalition.org.


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*7. Thursday, December 6, Santa Rosa: Sonoma County ASA Meeting

*Please join us for December's Sonoma ASA meeting where we will be talking about
our annual Chris Kringle Gift Exchange, Sonoma County Regulations, responding
to Santa Rosa regulations, and discussing the 2008 medical marijuana week.

When: Thursday, December 6th, 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
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*8. Thursday, November 29, Indio: Preliminary Hearing for Gary Silva

*Gary Silva will have a state criminal preliminary hearing on Monday, the 29th.
In March 2006, DEA agents and Riverside County Sheriffs raided Gary Silva's
small medical marijuana collective cultivation site outside of Palm Desert,
California. After hearing a knock at the the door, as Silva (who uses marijuana
for degenerative disk disease and nerve damage) went to open it, DEA agents
violently kicked in the door, dislocating Silva's shoulder, causing lacerations
to his face, sending him to the emergency room of a local hospital. The DEA
confiscated fewer than 80 plants from the private multi-patient collective, as
well as patient records and equipment, arresting no one and assuring Silva that
he would not be charged at all unless he began another cultivation. However, the
DEA later turned the evidence over to Riverside County, and the county District
Attorney charged him in state court with 2 counts of felony cultivation and 3
counts of firearms possession. After several continuances, the judge will
finally hear Silva's Motion to Dismiss and decide whether to dismiss all state
charges or hold him over for trial. Silva has also served a summons and
complaint regarding his personal injury to the Riverside County Board of
Supervisors, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, and several individual
DEA agents. Please come out to Gary's hearing to show the judge that he is part
of our community and we stand behind him. For more information, see this blog
post
<http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2007/10/dea-suedlawsuit-alleges-personal-injury.html>
by Julian Ayrs.

When: November 29, 2007 at 8:30am .
Where: Justice Center
<http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=US&addtohistory=&address=46200+Oas is+Street&city=Indio&state=Ca&zipcode=92201&homesu bmit=Get+Map%3ELarson>,
46200 Oasis St., Indio, CA
*
*Please call the courthouse at to check that the trial is on at (760) 863-8206.

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

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*9. Tuesday, December 4, San Francisco: Oral Arguments in the Last Available
Appeal for the Oakland Cannabis Buyers Cooperative*
*
*The United States government sued the Oakland Cannabis Buyers Club (OCBC) in
federal civil court and sought to get an injunction that would prohibit it (and
five other dispensing collectives) from distributing medical marijuana. On May
15, 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court decided U.S. v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers
Cooperative <http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/US_v_OCBC.pdf>. In that
opinion, the Court dealt a blow to medical cannabis patients by declaring that a
person in federal court may not argue that distribution of cannabis to patients
was a medical necessity. The Court was also very adamant in their opinion that
federal law still criminalize the use and distribution of medical cannabis. In
2002, a U.S. District Court in California, executing this opinion, issued a
permanent injunction against the OCBC, prohibiting it from distributing medical
cannabis. However, the 2001 decision specifically left open several questions,
such as constitutional limitations on federal authority, which will be litigated
in the OCBC's pending appeal in the Ninth Circuit.

When: Tuesday, December 4 at 9:00am
Where: U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, James R. Browning United States
Courthouse, 95 Seventh Street in San Francisco
*
*For more information, contact Sonnet@AmericansforSafeAccess.org

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*10. Friday, December 14, Oakland: Pre-Trial Hearing for Tainted Defendants*

Please come out and show your support for the four former Tainted Inc.
employees. 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.

The court support will start outside of the Federal Building for the Free
Tainted Holiday Protest in front of the Oakland Federal Building! The protest
will happen right before the Tainted plaintiffs' pre-trial hearing. Following
the protest, we will all go in for the hearing. After the hearing supporters
are encouraged to go to the Bulldog, who will be hosting a Free Tainted bake
sale fundraiser. Please mark your calendars. ASA will be announcing more
information in next week's Alert.

When: Friday, December 14th, protest starts at 9:00am, hearing starts at 10:00am
Where: Meet in front of the Oakland Federal Building for the protest. The
hearing will be 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>. For more information on
what you can do to support the defendants, visit www.FreeTainted.com.

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Special Events Closer look
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*11. Saturday, December 15, San Francisco: ASA Holiday Party

*ASA Holiday Party
Join us for fun, food and music!

When: Saturday, December 15, 2007 at 7pm
Where: Pier 23 off of Embarcadero in San Francisco

Get your tickets today! Call 510.251.1856 or visit
www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/HolidayParty

Individual tickets are $50 each, sponsorship opportunities are available. See
the Holiday Party web page for details on sponsorship opportunities, fliers to
distribute, and a download version of the poster at
www.AmericansforSafeAccess.org/HoldiayParty

For more information, contact Kerstin@AmericansforSafeAccess.org