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| Ca. Weekly Alert The weeks most important news and events |
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02-19-2008, 10:55 AM
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| WT Regular  Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oakland, CA Co-Op: Non Vendor: no Patient: yes
Posts: 1,044
Rep Power: 370     | ASA CA Weekly Alert 2-15-08 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ASA California Weekly Alert: February 15, 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *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. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Weekly Round Up* 1. Showing Schwarzenegger the Way Take Action *2. Take Action for Medical Marijuana Awareness Week if you Haven't Yet** *Chapter and Affiliate Meetings* 3. Saturday, February 16, Los Angeles ASA Meeting 4. Tuesday, February 19, Sacramento: ASA Affiliate Compassionate Coalition Meeting 5. Thursday, February 21, Arcata: Humboldt County ASA Meeting 6. Tuesday, February 26, San Francisco: San Francisco ASA Meeting 7. Wednesday, February 27, Oakland: East Bay ASA Meeting *City and County Hearings* 8. Tuesday, February 19, Fullerton: City Council to Discuss a Dispensary Ordinance *Court Support* 9. Sacramento: Sentencing Hearing for Jeff Sanderson is Rescheduled to March 3rd 10. Friday, February 22, Fresno: Evidentiary Hearing for California Healthcare Collective *Medical Marijuana Week Activities* 11. Saturday, February 16, Los Angeles: LA ASA Meeting and Special Guest Speaker, Jahan Marcu 12. Saturday, February 16, Oakland: Civil Disobedience Training for Emergency Response 13. Saturday, February 16, Oakland: Medical Marijuana Movie Matinee 14. Sunday, February 17, San Francisco: SF ASA 215 Party 15. Saturday, February 23, Sacramento: Sacramento Medical Marijuana Patients Art Show Special Events 16. Save the Date: April 4-5, 2008: Patients Out of Time Fifth National Conference -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly Round Up -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Showing Schwarzenegger the Way This morning, the San Francisco Chronicle published an op-ed piece <http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/15/ED0UV1RNP.DTL&hw=medical+marijuana&sn=001&sc=1000> authored by California Senator Carole Migden and Board of Equalization Chairwoman Betty Yee decrying the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) crack down on medical cannabis and the impact it has on property owners, state coffers, and legal patients. The letter urges the federal government to "back off and respect state compassionate use laws that authorize a network of responsible, law abiding and tax-paying medical marijuana providers." This is a far cry from the usually sensationalized rhetoric to which we are more accustomed, and is a breath of fresh air -- and common sense -- for patients and their loved ones statewide. Senator Migden introduced Senate Joint Resolution 20 <http://safeaccessnow.org/blog/www.americansforsafeaccess.org/downloads/SJR_20.pdf> into the State Legislature this month calling for an end to the federal interference that she says costs the state millions of dollars in lost revenue, forces medical cannabis providers underground, and harms legal patients. If adopted, the resolution will send the strong message to Washington, DC, that California lawmakers remain committed to fully implementing the 1996 voter initiative that legalized medical cannabis in the state and to ending federal persecution of patients and providers. Board of Equalization Chairwoman Betty Yee joined the Senator in criticizing the impact the DEA raids, saying that federal interference and intimidation cost the state millions of dollars in lost tax revenue and badly needed jobs. As Chairwoman of the elected body charged with assessing and collecting sales tax for the cash-strapped state, Yee has a special interest seeing to it that medical cannabis facilities remain open and pay their fair share <http://safeaccessnow.org/downloads/Sales_Tax1.pdf>. She worries, however, that providers will be forced to close their doors or move underground to avoid federal attacks -- a very real concern. The significance of having a State Senator and the Chairwoman of the Board of Equalization speak out on behalf of medical cannabis should not be missed. Elected officials are just now feeling the hardship caused by DEA interference -- which escalated to new heights last year with more than 50 raids, several indictments, and more than 300 letters threatening property owners who rent to medical cannabis facilities with prosecution and civil asset forfeiture. US House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers is finally getting some high-level support for his stance against the DEA tactics and promised investigation <http://www.americansforsafeaccess.org/article.php?id=5329>. The op-ed piece was timely, appearing in Migden and Yee's hometown paper on the same day the ASA Chief of Staff Rebecca Saltzman, Legal Director Kris Heremes, and I met for the first time with representatives from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's' office to discuss federal interference and what the Governor can do to help. It is too soon to know if the Governor will take visible action in response to ASA's grassroots campaign, but Senator Migden and Chairwoman Yee are certainly pointing him in the right direction. With today's op-ed, these two leaders join police veteran and Los Angeles City Councilmember Dennis Zine, Orange County Supervisor Chris Norby, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, Santa Cruz Mayor Ryan Coonerty, and thousands of medical cannabis advocates in calling on the Governor to defend patients' access and the will of voters <http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=5029>. We may be approaching a sea change in the state and federal debate over medical cannabis, but what happens from here depends on whether or not grassroots advocates can persuade the Governor and Legislature to put their considerable clout behind Representative Conyers' effort to stop DEA interference in California. Local and state leaders should stand up... and the Governor should lead the way. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Take Action -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *2. Take Action for Medical Marijuana Awareness Week if you Haven't Yet** If you haven't participated in Medical Marijuana Awareness Week actions this week, take action today! Visit: www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/MMJWeek and participate in each day's action alert. We are rounding out the sixth annual Medical Marijuana Week, held during the week of 2/15 to commemorate the passage of Proposition 215, California's medical cannabis law. Please take action now! Below is a list with links to each day's action Monday- www.AmericansforSafeAccess.org/MMJWeekMonday Tuesday-www.AmericansforSafeAccess.org/MMJWeekTuesday Wednesday-www.AmericansforSafeAccess.org/MMJWeekWednesday Thursday-www.AmericansforSafeAccess.org/MMJWeekThursday Friday-www.AmericansforSafeAccess.org/MMJWeekFriday Saturday and Sundat-www.AmericansforSafeAccess.org/MMJWeekSunday For a list of all the actions go to www.AmericansforSafeAcess.org/MMJWeek -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter and Affiliate Meetings -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *3. S**at**urday, February 16, Los Angeles ASA Meeting *The next LA-ASA meeting will be at 1:00 PM on Saturday, February 16. We will be talking about our Emergency Response plans, local regulations, and the latest news in the statewide campaign. We will also be hosting a special guest for an exciting presentation. Please see the "Medical Marijuana Week Events" section below for more information. What: LA-ASA Meeting When: 1 PM * Saturday, February 16, 2008 Where: Patient ID Center, 470 S. San Vicente Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048-4107. (The cross street is Drexel, between Wilshire & 3rd St.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Tuesday, February 19, Sacramento: ASA Affiliate Compassionate Coalition Meeting There are several medical marijuana activities over the next month. Please come and find out how you can get involved. We will be discussing Medical Marijuana Awareness Week, upcoming campaigns, reaching out to condition-based groups and many more events on the horizon. When: Tuesday the 19th at 7:00pm Where: Crusaders Hall 320 Harris Ave. Suite H in Sacramento For more information, contact Nathan at: nathan@CompassionateCoalition.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Thursday, February 21, Arcata: Humboldt County ASA Meeting *The Humboldt County Chapter of Americans for Safe Access will be meeting Thursday, February 21, 2008 at 6 p.m. in the community recreation room of the Bayview Courtyard Senior Housing Complex at 550 Union Street, Arcata. ASA of Humboldt meets on the third Thursday of every month. Park across the street in the Arcata Community Center parking lot. Limited Handicapped parking is available on site. All interested persons should call (707) 445 8154 or email asa-humboldt@sbcglobal.net for further information. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Tuesday, February 26, San Francisco: San Francisco ASA Meeting Please join San Francisco ASA as we reflect on Medical Marijuana Awareness Week and prepare for upcoming events. *When: Tuesday, Feb. 26th at 7:30pm Where: Bowzer's Pizza, 371 11th St in San Francisco For more info, contact Alex: aaafranco@yahoo.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. Wednesday, February 27, Oakland: East Bay ASA Meeting *Come join East Bay ASA as we follow up on our civil disobedience training from Medical Marijuana Awareness Week. When: Wednesday the 27th at 7:00pm Where: 1322 Webster St. Suite 402 (2 blocks from 12th St. BART station) Oakland, CA For more information contact Rebecca@AmericansforSafeAccess.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- City and County Hearings -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8. Tuesday, February 19, Fullerton: City Council to Discuss a Dispensary Ordinance* After voting 3 to 2 against a ban on dispensaries the Fullerton City Council will be discussing the development and implementation of a dispensary ordinance. Please come out and show your support for safe access. Download ASA's talking points about dispensary regulations. <http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=2717> What: Fullerton City Council Meeting When: Beginning at 5:00 PM * Tuesday, February 19, 2008 Where: 303 West Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton, CA 92832 For more information, contact Don@AmericansforSafeAccess.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Court Support -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9. Sacramento: Sentencing Hearing for Jeff Sanderson is Rescheduled to March 3rd Please see next week's Weekly Alert for more details. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10. Friday, February 22, Fresno: Evidentiary Hearing for California Healthcare Collective This hearing is subject to change based on witness availability. After the City of Modesto failed to shut down the California Healthcare Collective by banning dispensaries, it called in the DEA. On September 27, 2006, the DEA raided the collective and arrested four people (owner-operators Luke Scarmazzo and Ricardo Montes and two staff members) on charges of distribution of marijuana and conspiracy to distribute. Scarmazzo and Montes were also charged with possession of firearms and money laundering. Later, an additional five people were indicted, bringing the total to nine people being prosecuted by the federal government. In the raid, the DEA allegedly seized more than 100 pounds of marijuana, one thousand plants, multiple firearms, and more than $200,000 in cash. The raids were the result of a 15-month investigation between the DEA and the Modesto Police Department. Since Judge O'Neill finally decided to release Monica Valencia on bail after 7 months in federal prison, all defendants have been released on bail pending trial. Recently, Bradley Heinmiller, Bradley Wickliffe and Stephen DeMattos have pled guilty to avoid trial, and only six defendants (Scarmazzo, Montes, Valencia, Lucky Boissiere, Jose Malagon, and Antonio Malagon) remain. The trial confirmation hearing is expected to occur on March 14, 2008 at 8:45am, and the trial is expected to begin on April 15th, 2008 at 9am. For more info, see Vanessa Nelson's article <http://www.medicalmarijuanaofamerica.com/content/view/155/1/> When: Friday, the 22nd at 1:15pm Where: Before Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill in U.S. District Court (E.D., CA) 2500 Tulare Street, Fresno, CA. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Medical Marijuana Awareness Week Events -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **11. *Saturday, February 16, Los Angeles: LA ASA Meeting and Special Guest Speaker, Jahan Marcu *Medical cannabis researcher Jahan Marcu will be our special guest speaker on February 16. Jahan is currently investigating cannabinoid synergy at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, and effectively translates complex scientific concepts to a lay audience. As the youth member of ASA's Medical and Scientific Advisory Board, Mr. Marcu represents the future of cannabinoid research, and is developing international networks of key cannabis researchers. He has served as a volunteer for ASA since 2003. He has lectured on the subject of cannabinoids at Cannabis Cooperatives and at New College of California. At San Francisco State University, he investigated the therapeutic applicability of whole plant cannabinoid ratios, correlating these ratios to effects reported by medical cannabis patients and in clinical trials. He is currently completing his Bachelor of Science in Cellular and Molecular Biology at San Francisco State University. What: LA-ASA Meeting with special guest speaker, Jahan Marcu When: 1 PM * Saturday, February 16, 2008 Where: Patient ID Center, 470 S. San Vicente Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048-4107. (The cross street is Drexel, between Wilshire & 3rd St.)* Visit http://www.ASAaction.org to find a map and public transit information. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12. Saturday, February 16, Oakland: Civil Disobedience Training for Emergency Response* What: Civil Disobedience Training for Emergency Response When: 12-2pm Where: 1322 Webster Suite 402 in Oakland, CA For more information, contact Rebecca@AmericansforSafeAccess.org or call (510)251-1856. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13. Saturday, February 16, Oakland: Medical Marijuana Movie Matinee* What: Medical Marijuana Film Festival When: 2-9pm Where: 4770 Telegraph, 48th and Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley Movies to be announced. More info available on nberkhills@sbcglobal.net -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14. * Sunday, February 17, San Francisco: SF ASA 215 Part**y** *Celebrating California's State Law, Prop 215 inspiring Medical Marijuana Awareness Week Featuring: Live Music and DJ's: Reggae, Hip Hop and Latin Beats. Door Prizes, Community Awards and Much Much More... When: 8:00pm Where: 2700 16th Street at Harrison Other Details: $10 Admission. Hemp Ale & Cuban Food Available For information check out sf.safeaccessnow.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *15. Saturday, February 23, Sacramento: Sacramento Medical Marijuana Patients Art Show* More details to come.... The Brick House 2837 36th Street Time TBA For more information contact: 916-325-9000 All of this information is available at SF ASA's website: sf.safeaccessnow.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Special Events -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *16. Save the Date: **April 4-5, 2008**: Patients Out of Time Fifth National Conference *Question: Have you registered for the Patients Out of Time national conference yet? If not, please register today <http://www.MedicalCannabis.com/registration>! Save the date for the Fifth National Patients Out of Time conference for April 4th and 5th. For more information and to register visit www.MedicalCannabis.com/registration <http://www.MedicalCannabis.com> The Patient Out of Time Conference will feature patients, activists, doctors, and researchers gathering to discuss the latest research on medical marijuana. This important conference only happens once every other year, so if you are a patient, doctor, researcher, and/or supporter, we strongly encourage you to look into attending the conference, which will be held at Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula. |
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02-19-2008, 02:00 PM
| #2 (permalink) |
| Guest
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| Re: ASA CA Weekly Alert 2-15-08 Is there an ASA mailing list I can get on that sends out an alert every time a dispensary is busted? That would be gravy.  |
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02-20-2008, 05:58 PM
| #3 (permalink) |
| WT Regular Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oakland, CA Co-Op: Non Vendor: no Patient: yes
Posts: 1,044
Rep Power: 370 | Re: ASA CA Weekly Alert 2-15-08 Yes! I recommend signing up for our DEA raid alert system, and you'll receive an email and text message anytime a dispensary in your area is being raided. You can sign up here: www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/RaidAlert |
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