[ASA Field]

*Weekly Roundup*

1) ASA Releases Dispensary Regulation Report at League of California
Cities Convention in San Diego
*
ASA Chapter Meetings*

2) Tuesday, September 12th, San Diego: SD ASA Meeting
3) Thursday, September 12th, Sacramento: Sac ASA Meeting
4) Saturday, September 16th, Hollywood: Los Angeles ASA Meeting
5) Thursday, September 21st, Fullerton: Orange County ASA Meeting
6) Thursday, September 21st, Guerneville: Sonoma ASA Meeting
7) Saturday, September 23rd, Modesto: Central Valley Patients Coalition
Meeting

*City & County Hearings*

8) Monday, September 11th, Livermore: City Council to Vote on Extending
Dispensary Moratorium
9) Tuesday, September 12th, San Diego: City Council to Return From
Recess and Patients Demand Action
10) Wednesday, September 13th, Riverside: Planning Commission to Review
Dispensary Ordinance
11) Tuesday, September 26th, Fairfield: Solano County Board of
Supervisors to review implementation of State ID Card
*
Court Support
*
12) Tuesday, September 26, 2006 Fresno: Joe Fortt Trial before Judge
Anthony W. Ishii in U.S. District Court

*Special Events*

13) Tuesday, September 12th, Los Angeles: ASA Executive Director Steph
Sherer speaks at DPA Panel -

Ten Years of Medical Marijuana
14) Monday, September 18th, San Francisco: The Cannabis Comedy Festival
ASA Benefit
and
Tuesday, September 26th, Sacramento: The Cannabis Comedy Festival
ASA Benefit

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*Weekly Roundup*
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*1) ASA Releases Dispensary Regulation Report at League of California
Cities Convention in San Diego*

ASA has a new report showing why California's medical marijuana
dispensaries are a benefit to both patients and local communities. The
23-page report was released at a press conference in San Diego on
Thursday, September 7, as part of the annual League of California Cities
convention. It details the impact of regulatory ordinances in cities
around the state, based on information collected over nine months from
local officials involved in the process.

Three of those local officials, Oakland City Councilmember Desley
Brooks, Santa Rosa Councilmember Lee pierce and Santa Cruz City
Councilmember **** Rotkin were on hand at ASA's San Diego press
conference to describe how their cities had arrived at regulations and
the positive results they've seen.

Two San Diego TV stations ran segments about the report and press
conference, stories ran in two newspapers---both the San Diego Union
Tribune and the North County Times---and KQED, the San Francisco
National Public Radio affiliate did a segment on the report in its
morning drive-time slot.

In addition to the information gleaned from nine-months of interviews
with city officials about the effects of regulatory ordinances, the
report covers some of the political background and current legal status
of dispensaries and outlines the important issues to consider in
drafting dispensary regulations. It describes how regulated dispensaries
help revitalize neighborhoods, bring new customers to neighboring
businesses, and reduce crime in surrounding areas.

Amanda Reiman, Ph.D., of the University of California, Berkeley was also
present at the press conference to discuss her recent research findings
on why and how cannabis dispensaries benefit patients. Those findings
are also summarized in the ASA report. Among the benefits for patients
are access for the most seriously ill and injured, a safer environment
for patients than having to buy on the illicit market, and improved
health through social support services.

ASA distributed copies of the report to city officials attending the
California League of Cities conference. ASA national staff and San Diego
members were on hand at the convention to talk to officials about how
best to implement state law and meet the needs of the patient community.

Copies of the report may be downloaded from the ASA website at
http://www.americansforsafeaccess.or...spensaries.pdf

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*ASA Chapter Meetings*
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*2) Tuesday, September 12th, 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 (858) 278-5880 for more info.

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*3) Thursday, September 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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*4) Saturday, September 16th, Hollywood: Los Angeles ASA Meeting*

1pm - 3pm @ California Patients Group
6208 Santa Monica Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90038
Join the LA ASA chapter to celebrate their 1 year anniversary!
For more info, please call LA ASA: (323) 464-7719

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*
5) Thursday, September 21st, Fullerton: Orange County ASA Meeting*

7:00 p.m. @ 1520 W Commenwealth Ave, in Fullerton
Please come to discuss local law enforcement problems and campaigns to
address this and other issues!
For more info, please call ****: (949) 246-9395 or email
adamwithasa@gmail.com

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*6) Thursday, September 21st, 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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*7) Saturday, September 23rd, 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. 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 Darian Burnham, Secretary for the Central Valley
Patients Coalition - JollyD_CA@yahoo.com

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*City & County Hearings
*
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*
8) Monday, September 11th, Livermore: City Council to Vote on Extending
Dispensary Moratorium*

The City of Livermore has had a moratorium on dispensaries for the past
year. On September 11th, the City Council will be
voting on extending the moratorium for another year.

Please speak out and encourage the council to develop dispensary
regulations, instead of continuing the moratorium for
another year.

Please download ASA talking points
<http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?list=type&type=212> on dispensary
regulations, moratoriums & bans.

7pm City Council Chambers 3575 Pacific Avenue

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*9) Tuesday, September 12th, San Diego: City Council to Return from
Recess and Patients Demand Action*

When: The hearing is Tuesday at 2:00p.m. We are meeting in front of 202
C St. at 9:30a.m.
Where: Council Committee Room (12th Floor), City Administration Building
202 C Street

Mass Silent Action: details to be discussed at 9:30a.m. in front of 202
C St.

ASA has launched a full-scale campaign to restore safe access to San
Diego through an aggressive, grassroots mobilization of local patients,
supporters, and others in the community. The lack of understanding of
access issues by both the public and the city council has resulted in a
crisis situation, harming those that need help the most. Since San Diego
is a city known for its progressive stance on medical cannabis, this
campaign strategically focuses on educating the City Council on the
gravity of the situation and bringing them to task on their obligation
to restore access for patients, their constituents, by developing and
adopting regulations for medical cannabis dispensaries. Patients are
encouraged to arrive at 9:30a.m. to participate in the mass action.

For information about how to get involved in the San Diego Campaign for
Safe Access, go to
www.safeaccessnow.org/sandiego
<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3673>
<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3673>or email Wendy at
WendyChristakes@yahoo.com

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*
10) Wednesday, September 13th, Riverside: Planning Commission to Review
Dispensary Ordinance

*When: Sept. 13 at 9:30 a.m.
Where: City Council chambers, 78-495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta

The Riverside Board of Supervisors has pushed the current draft of the
ordinance to the Planning Commission after local patient advocates
complained of insufficient notice of the hearing and not being included
in the process.

Among the provisions in the current draft are mandatory requirement of
the State issued Medical Cannabis Identification card, notice to
property owners 1/2 mile (2640 ft) from the dispensary site, prohibits
edibles, prohibits on-site consumption in or 100 ft from a dispensary,
and registration with the Sheriffs Department.

Please show up and support patient input in the regulatory process!

For more information, please contact the Marijuana Anti-Prohibition
Project at (760) 799-2055 or email lanny@marijuananews.org..

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*11) Tuesday, September 26th, Fairfield: Solano County Board of
Supervisors Meeting*

When: Tuesday 8:30a.m.
Where: 675 Texas Street, Fairfield CA.

Solano County is one of the biggest violators of the State's medical
marijuana laws with law enforcement officers and local city government
thumbing their noses at medical marijuana patients and providers,
refusing to acknowledge state law.

Please come to speak to the Board of Supervisors and let them know
implementation of state law is not a choice!

For more information, please contact Linda at
Linda4SPG@compassionatecoalition.org or call (707) 635-3752.

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*Court Support*
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*
12) Tuesday, September 26, 2006 Fresno: Joe Fortt Trial before Judge
Anthony W. Ishii in U.S. District Court*

Trial before Judge Anthony W. Ishii in U.S. District Court, 5th Floor,
2500 Tulare Street, Fresno, CA. Despite Joe Fortt
closing the doors to his Bakersfield medical marijuana dispensary,
American Kenpo Kungfu School of Public Health, a day
after the Gonzales v. Raich decision, three places of cultivation were
raided and he was arrested on July 20, 2005.
Allegedly, over 2,000 plants were seized and Fortt was subsequently
charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess
more than 1,000 plants. Fortt is currently incarcerated, and faces a
10-year mandatory minimum sentence if convicted.

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*Special Events*
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*
13) Tuesday, September 12th, Los Angeles: Drug Policy Alliance of
Southern California presents:

Ten Years of Medical Marijuana*

When: September 12th Dinner at 6 PM. Panel discussion 6:30-8 PM
Where: 610 S. Ardmore Ave. Los Angeles

Regulations, raids and lawsuits: California under Prop 215,
California's 10-year old Compassionate Use Act. Where will be in five
years and how will we get there?

With Dale Gieringer, Cal NORML; Steph Sherer, ASA; Don Duncan,
long-time 215 activist & dispensary operator; and Rebecca Bernhardt
from the ACLU.

RSVP to Yazmin at ytrujillo@drugpolicy.org - (213) 201-4780

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*
14) Monday, September 18th, San Francisco: The Cannabis Comedy Festival
ASA Benefit
and
Tuesday, September 26th, Sacramento: The Cannabis Comedy Festival ASA
Benefit*

Join Americans for Safe Access <http://www.safeaccessnow.org/> as we
laugh our way to safer access to medical marijuana at this year's
Cannabis Comedy Festival at the Punchline Comedy Club
<http://www.punchlinecomedyclub.com/>!

All-Star Comedians* Jasper Redd*, *Joe Bartnick*, and Host *Ngaio*
*Bealum* will have you doubled over in laughter as they point out the
irony, hilarity, and hypocrisy of our nation's marijuana policy.

*TWO GREAT SHOWS!*

*Monday September 18th at the Punchline in **San Francisco** - AND -
Tuesday, September 26th at the Punchline in **Sacramento**.*

Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and the show starts at 8:00 p.m.. There is a two
drink minimum and door proceeds go to ASA.

*Tickets are only $20!*

*Click HERE to buy your tickets online!
<http://www.punchlinecomedyclub.com/>*

*ABOUT THE COMEDIANS: *

*Ngaio Bealum *is best known for hosting the /High Times/ Comedy events,
but just "Google" this guy and you will find comedy clips that will make
you laugh so hard it hurts. /Comedy Central /Comedian *Jasper Redd* is
just plain funny, while you may recognize *Joe Bartnick* from Dave
Attell's Insomniac Tour or his weekly radio show "Big Balls on Sports"
on the /American Radio Network./* *

*WHERE:*

The San Francisco Punchline is located at 444 Batter Street in San
Francisco between Washington and Clay.

The Sacramento Punchline is located at 2100 Arden Way Suite 225 in the
Howe 'Bout Arden Center.

*ABOUT THE PUNCHLINE:*

The Punchline Comedy Club is one of the most prestigious comedy clubs in
the nation, featuring national acts and the best of local talent. The
clubs offer a full bar and food with intimate seating. Capacity is 200
so we recommend buying your tickets pre-sale.

*BUY YOUR TICKETS:*

Tickets for both shows are available online at www.Punchline.com
<http://www.punchline.com/> or by calling the Punchline directly (For
the San Francisco Show call 415-397-PLSF and for the Sacramento show
call 916-925-5500). You can also buy your tickets directly from ASA by
stopping by the office at 1322 Webster Street Suite #402 in Oakland, CA
or by phone at (510) 251-1856.

Unsold tickets will be available at the door.