Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
ASA's Weekly Roundup
1) Orange County Board of Supervisor Votes on ID Card Program; Follow Up on the West Valley Coop DEA Raid; Stephanie Landa's Blog
Orange County Board of Supervisors Votes to Delay ID Card Program
Although it wasn't the slam-dunk we had hoped for, Orange County 's medical marijuana patients received a small victory on April 17th.
On a 4-1 vote, the Orange County Board of Supervisors directed staff to draft a policy for local implementation of the medical marijuana ID card program. The supervisors also asked that a study be conducted to find out what experiences other counties are having with the program. 35+ activists made time to attend the long board hearing on Wednesday.
Because of enormous grassroots pressure, an all-Republican Board of Supervisors voted to take this small step towards implementing our medical marijuana laws, even in the face of fierce opposition from law enforcement. A special thanks to Aaron Smith from Safe Access Now, Bill Paoli from Orange County ASA, and Orange County ASA as a whole for your tremendous hard work!
While the recent vote was good indication for local patients, it is clear that more work still needs to be done in order to ensure that the law is implemented. If you are an Orange County resident, Please take a few minutes to personalize the message below to send a "thank you" letter to the four Supervisors that voted in favor of drafting a policy for the ID card program. If you are not an Orange County resident, please refer your friends, family, co-workers to the following link below.
Go to ASA : Online Action Center for a letter template and more details on thanking the Supervisors that are fighting for patients rights.
Follow up on West Valley Coop DEA Raid
Last week, the DEA returned to West Valley Coop in Woodland Hills for the second time since the beginning of the year. Forty protesters immediately responded to the scene.
News media were there to document the raid as well.
The DEA seized the collective's medicine and cash.
Two operators and an office assistant were taken from the scene for questioning and released later that evening. It is important to note that in the Los Angeles area, with one exception, the DEA has recently kept their campaign focused on collectives associated with the original 11 raided on January 17th.
Stephanie Landa's Blog
Stephanie Landa, along with Kevin Gage and Thomas Kikuchi were arrested on August 15, 2002 for setting up a medical marijuana garden. The three pleaded guilty to maintaining a place for manufacture. Landa and Gage were sentenced in August 2003 to 41 months and Kikuchi to 37 months. Stephanie is currently serving her sentence and is writing a blog from prison.
Here is the latest excerpt from Stephani Landa's Blog:
The telephone game is the only game that is well-played everyday. One rumor turns into another, from transfers to what is for dinner. It really doesn't matter what's for dinner, because the majority of women hate the food and smuggle what they want to the dorms so they can make their own concoction of something different.
Of course, [ >>>]
Write to Stephanie Landa. Go to ASA : Support Medical Cannabis Inmates for instructions and her address.
Take Action !
2) It's Festival Season! Circulate Petitions in Your Community and at Local Festivals!
Festival season has begun. Mobilize your community around Medical Marijuana issues!
ASA has created a petition calling on Congress to hold hearings on medical cannabis that you can print out and circulate at your work, school, home, church, and in your larger community. Our goal is to collect 50,000 signatures by June 1st. These petitions will be hand delivered to Congress by our National Office staff. Please join in our efforts and begin gathering signatures today!
Print out the
one-sided PDF or the
two-sided PDF of the petition and start gathering signatures. Please send completed petitions to ASA Headquarters:
Americans for Safe Access
Attn: Sonnet Seeborg Gabbard
1322 Webster Street, Suite 402
Oakland , CA 94612
Fax: (510) 251-2036
ASA Chapter and Affiliate Meetings
3) Saturday April 21, Hollywood : Los Angeles ASA Meeting
This Meeting will be dedicated the medical cannabis prisoners who have been locked up for using and cultivating their medicine. We will be writing letters to medical cannabis prisoners launching the Landa - Prisoner Outreach Project.
1pm - 3pm @ California Patients Group
6208
Santa Monica
Blvd
Los Angeles
, CA 90038
For more info, please call LA ASA: (323) 464-7719
4) Tuesday, April 24, San Francisco : San Francisco ASA Meeting
Join SF ASA to discuss and plan for local, state and national issues. Get active locally to protect safe access!
7:00 p.m.
CA Marijuana Party Bookstore
223a 9th St. @ Howard in San Francisco
5) Wednesday, April 25th, Oakland: East Bay ASA Meeting
Join East Bay ASA to discuss strategies for responding to raids, Oakland dispensary regulations, court support, and more.
Please join us and make your voice heard! Refreshments will be served.
Wednesday, April 25th @ 7 pm
Americans for Safe Access Headquarters
1322 Webster Street, Suite 402 , Downtown Oakland
Just a couple blocks from the 12th Street BART station!
For more information or to get involved, contact Rebecca:
Rebecca@SafeAccessNow.org or 510-251-1856 x 308
Please spread the word and pass this on to your East Bay neighbors!
6) Monday, April 30, Mendocino: Mendocino ASA Meeting
All people interested in participating in the formation of a Mendocino County Chapter of ASA are urged to attend a meeting at the Ukiah Brewing Company in Ukiah, Monday, April 30th at 7:00pm.
If you have decided you can no longer sit back and watch the federal government continue its campaign against cannabis therapies in this country or if you want to engage your local government in creating sane polices for cannabis patients and patient's access to cannabis, please attend this meeting at the Ukiah Brewing Company — across from the courthouse at State and Perkins in Ukiah, Monday April 30th at 7:00 pm
7) Tuesday, May 1, Sacramento : Sacramento ASA Meeting
The Sacramento ASA chapter has moved to a new site and date. Please join Sac ASA to plan for the future of safe access locally, statewide, and nationally!
7:00 p.m.
Crusaders Hall
320 Harris Avenue, Suite H
Sacramento, CA
For more information or to get involved, please contact Lanette:
cannacare@earthlink.net
8) Thursday, May 3, San Mateo: San Mateo ASA Meeting
A new chapter of ASA has been formed in San Mateo. Please join them for their second public meeting to discuss dispensary regulations, law enforcement issues, protecting patient and collective growers, and establishing an emergency response plan. Get active locally to protect safe access!
DATE: May 3, 2007
TIME: 7:30-8:30
PLACE: PCRC, 164 South Blvd. San Mateo, CA
Finger foods, desserts, coffee, tea, water
For more information or to get involved, please contact Brent: brent_saupe@yahoo.com
9) Thursday, May 3, Santa Rosa: Sonoma ASA Meeting
When: Thursday from 5pm-7pm
Where: Department of Public Health, 625 5th Street (at Mendocino Avenue) in Santa Rosa
Please join Sonoma's chapter of American's for Safe Access. Patients, supporters, caregivers and friends are
welcome to come share their opinions on what should happen locally, statewide, and nationally. More info 707-332-6556
10) Saturday, May 5, 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! The CVPC meets on the first Saturday of each month, at 11:00 AM . New Location: These meetings will now be held at 1733 Yosemite Ave, Modesto, CA, 95350 . For additional information, contact Shirley Cox, Public Relations Officer for the Central Valley Patients Coalition:
shirley@CompassionateCoalition.org
City and County Hearings
11) Tuesday, April 24, Pleasant Hill: Planning Commission to Hold Hearing on Banning Dispensaries
Pleasant Hill currently has a moratorium on dispensaries and is considering permanently banning dispensaries. Please attend this hearing and speak out for safe access!
You can also submit comments before the hearing. Written comments on the proposed Negative Declaration must be submitted to the Planning Commission no later than 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 20, at 100 Gregory Lane , Pleasant Hill , CA. 94523.
Download
ASA talking points on dispensary regulations, moratoriums and bans.
7:30 p.m.
City Council Chambers
100 Gregory Lane
Pleasant Hill, CA
(The next hearing on this issue will be held on May 7th at
7:30 p.m. before the full City Council.)
Court Support
12) Monday, April 23, Sacramento: Re-sentencing Hearing for Brian Epis
Re-sentencing hearing at 9:30am before Judge Frank C. Damrell, Jr. in U.S. District Court, 15th Floor at 501 "I" Street in Sacramento. 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 . Epis was released on bail August 9, 2004 , pending his appeal, and is currently awaiting his re-sentencing by the District Court.
13) Wednesday, April 25, Los Angeles: Hearing on Lawsuit Against Local Police Cooperation with Feds
MAPP sponsored lawsuit seeks to prevent local police from working with the DEA on medical marijuana enforcement
The Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project (MAPP) has sponsored a lawsuit, with cooperating attorney Ken White, to end the cooperation between local enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). MAPP states that, "The lawsuit seeks to permanently enjoin the California Attorney General from performing any marijuana investigation or enforcement activity under the color of the federal Controlled Substances Act without adequately protecting the rights of qualified persons under California 's Compassionate Use Act and Medical Marijuana Program unless an appellate court declares such laws unconstitutional."
If successful, the lawsuit would end the practice of local police working with the DEA and other federal police agencies to arrest medical marijuana patients. The lawsuit was filed partially in response to the raid by the DEA of the home of medical marijuana patient Gary Silva. During the raid Gary was permanently disabled when he was thrown to the floor as he was opening it for police. MAPP contends that information leading to the raid on Gary 's home was provided to the DEA by the Riverside County Sheriff's office — information that the Sheriff's office knew was false and misleading.
The lawsuit, "Kenneth Michael White v. The Honorable Bill Lockyer" (Case No. BC362858) has a hearing on the Defendant's (Brown's) motion to dismiss (Demurrer) for failure to state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action. The hearing for this motion is scheduled for April 25th at
8:30 a.m. in Department 24 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles ( 111 North Hill St. , Los Angeles 90012 ).
Special Events
14) Friday April 20, Los Angeles : Monte Carlo ASA Benefit Night
Please join LA-ASA for Monte Carlo Night benefit party on Friday, April 20th, at the California Patients Group in Hollywood . Come try your luck with Charity Casino Games like roulette, craps, black jack and more! Don't worry... It's not gambling! It's just a lot of fun with play money to benefit Americans for Safe Access (ASA). There will be some great music, a vaporizer raffle, and the Vapo Bar will be open. Tables open at 9:00 PM on Friday night, and the vaporizer raffle is after midnight . Tickets are $20 for access to all tables or $50 for access to all tables and unlimited use of the Vapo Bar. You can buy tickets at the door or in advance at California Patient Group in Hollywood or Los Angeles Patients and Caregivers Group in West Hollywood . See Home for a map.
Important - You must be a registered member of California Patients Group to attend. Legal medical cannabis patients can use the collectives web site to download a new member registration form. There is no fee to join, but your doctor's letter of recommendation must be verified - so don't wait until Friday night! Visit
California Patients Group - Membership for details.
Come on down to CPG and have some fun while supporting ASA, the nation¹s largest organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research. See you there!
What - Monte Carlo Night Benefit Party
When - Friday, April 20 * 9 PM to 1 AM
Where - CPG, 6208 Santa Monica Blvd. , Hollywood
How Much - $20 or $50
15) Saturday April 28, San Francisco , MAPS Fundraiser: "The Final Frontier"
Brought to you by False Profit and MAPS--the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
ASA's allies at MAPS have been fighting for medical cannabis research for years. Most recently, they've supported Professor Lyle Craker in his attempts to end the monopoly on cannabis production for research. They've made lots of headway with this case, but they need further support to end the monopoly and move medical cannabis research forward.
When: April 28, 2007 , 8pm — sunrise
Where: At a private star trek theme luxury home in San Francisco , CA
Featuring
Keynote By MAPS president Rick Doblin and special guests:
* Stan and Christina Grof
* Ralph Metzner
* Erik Davis
* Anjuli Verma (ACLU Drug Law Reform Project)
* Allen Hopper (ACLU Drug Law Reform Project)
* Matt Baggott
* Dale Gieringer (NORML)
* Angel Raich (Medical Marijuana Patient)
* David Jay Brown (author)
Visionary Live Painting by:
David Heskin & Mars-1
(50% of proceeds on art sales go to MAPS)
Artwork by: Andrew Jones
Music by: Welder (Myspace.com/weldersounds), Dr. Toast (False Profit), Kitty-D (Glitch Mob, Beat Church ), Neptune ( Beat Church , Spiritual Technologies), Auralox (MAPS)
Libations and Food provided by: DogStar Catering Sirius Catering and MAPS' Psychedelic Delicatessen Homepage
Open Bar before Midnight - Cash Bar after Midnight ! Special Chill Space provided by Fuzzy Phillipe
Visit The Final Frontier: to find out more info and to purchase tickets.
* there are 4 floating tiers @ $100, $200, $300, and $400
16) Saturday, April 28, San Diego : Save the Date: Democratic Convention. Tell Democrats to put Medical Cannabis on their Agenda!
This is your opportunity to send a message:
Tell Democrats that we want Pro-Medical Cannabis representation! No taxation without representation!
Ask questions: Will you protect our rights as Medical Cannabis Patients?
What: California Democratic Party Convention
When: Saturday April 28th @ 12pm
Where: At the San Diego Convention Center , 111 W. Harbor Drive in San Diego
Other Info:
Wear a red shirt to show solidarity and to send a message of urgency. Feel free to make and bring your own signs sending our unified message!
For more info contact: ToriMauricio@sbcglobal.net
--
Sonnet Seeborg Gabbard
Field Coordinator
Americans for Safe Access
AmericansForSafeAccess.org
Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is the largest national member-based organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research.
Join us today... AmericansforSafeAccess.org
Headquarters
1322 Webster St Suite 402
Oakland, CA 94612
P: 510-251-1856 ext. 321 F: 510-251-2036
