Protecting Safe Access in California
Dear ASA Supporters,
On Thursday, ASA activists took a critical step in our campaign to urge Governor Schwarzenegger to stand up for patients’ rights. Over 300 medical cannabis supporters from around the state gathered with colorful signs and banners in front of the Governor’s Los Angeles office, chanting “Support patients’ rights, stand up and fight."
Brian Perry, LA City Council Member Dennis Zine's spokesperson, read a powerful statement at the rally, saying to the Governor, "I would like to ask you to call on the President, Congress, and the DEA to end the federal raids and intimidation of legitimate medical marijuana patients and providers." Orange County Supervisor Chris Norby also sent a statement calling for the Governor to act. Other speakers joining me included ASA Executive Director, Steph Sherer and Michael Martin, a former medical marijuana edible manufacturer who was recently raided by the DEA.
We are hoping the rally will be the tipping point that we have been waiting for. This campaign has included generating over 40,000 postcards to the Governor, as well as hundreds of phone calls and emails, all urging him to take action to defend patients’ rights. It also followed a successful meeting I had with Governor Schwarzenegger’s Chief Advisor for Health and Transportation, to ask that the Governor stand up against the Bush Administration’s attack on patients and providers. ASA prepared extensive materials for the Governor’s office, detailing the problems patients and providers face and explaining what the Governor could do to help. You can find all of these documents at the bottom of hte page ofwww.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/StandUp.
Thursday’s rally and the entire campaign have been very successful, but ASA is not content to stop here. We are employing several strategies to keep California patients and providers safe, including:
Coalition Building – Networking and coordinating with individuals and other organizations to build the state coalition promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research. Special focus will be paid to the fields of health care and condition-based advocacy.
Legislation – Working with chapters and affiliates across the state to pass local ordinances and support state-wide legislative efforts, covering issues such as sales tax, child protective services, dispensary regulations, police policies, and non-cooperation with federal law enforcement.
Constituent Lobbying – Training and coordinating citizen lobbyists to engage with local and state officials using professional skills and strategic messaging.
Public Education – Publishing reports, position papers, press releases, media advisories, editorials, booklets, and other materials needed to educate citizen-lobbyists, elected officials, and the electorate.
Capacity Building – Training and mobilizing the grassroots constituency through local chapters and affiliates, as well as skills-based training events and materials.
Emergency Raid Response – Organizing and publicizing emergency response actions in response to federal and local law enforcement activity.
Organizing Collectives - ASA has seeded autonomous alliance of collectives in Sacramento, Berkeley, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and Orange County with the purpose of developing and implementing self-regulatory models for collectives.
Proactive and Reactive Litigation – Litigating groundbreaking cases dealing with return of property, employment discrimination, and collective bans.
Thank you to everyone who has participated in ASA’s statewide campaigns. You have made all of our successes possible, and we look forward to your future participation to help keep this movement strong.
Please look out for future messages from ASA on ways you can help to protect access and patients in California.
Sincerely,
Don Duncan
Interim California Campaign Director
Americans for Safe Access
P.S. The only way we can continue work like this here in California is with support from people like you. Please visit www.AmericansforSafeAccesss.org/Donate today to become a member of ASA.
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Americans for Safe Access is the nation's largest organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research.
Dear ASA Supporters,
On Thursday, ASA activists took a critical step in our campaign to urge Governor Schwarzenegger to stand up for patients’ rights. Over 300 medical cannabis supporters from around the state gathered with colorful signs and banners in front of the Governor’s Los Angeles office, chanting “Support patients’ rights, stand up and fight."
Brian Perry, LA City Council Member Dennis Zine's spokesperson, read a powerful statement at the rally, saying to the Governor, "I would like to ask you to call on the President, Congress, and the DEA to end the federal raids and intimidation of legitimate medical marijuana patients and providers." Orange County Supervisor Chris Norby also sent a statement calling for the Governor to act. Other speakers joining me included ASA Executive Director, Steph Sherer and Michael Martin, a former medical marijuana edible manufacturer who was recently raided by the DEA.
We are hoping the rally will be the tipping point that we have been waiting for. This campaign has included generating over 40,000 postcards to the Governor, as well as hundreds of phone calls and emails, all urging him to take action to defend patients’ rights. It also followed a successful meeting I had with Governor Schwarzenegger’s Chief Advisor for Health and Transportation, to ask that the Governor stand up against the Bush Administration’s attack on patients and providers. ASA prepared extensive materials for the Governor’s office, detailing the problems patients and providers face and explaining what the Governor could do to help. You can find all of these documents at the bottom of hte page ofwww.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/StandUp.
Thursday’s rally and the entire campaign have been very successful, but ASA is not content to stop here. We are employing several strategies to keep California patients and providers safe, including:
Coalition Building – Networking and coordinating with individuals and other organizations to build the state coalition promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research. Special focus will be paid to the fields of health care and condition-based advocacy.
Legislation – Working with chapters and affiliates across the state to pass local ordinances and support state-wide legislative efforts, covering issues such as sales tax, child protective services, dispensary regulations, police policies, and non-cooperation with federal law enforcement.
Constituent Lobbying – Training and coordinating citizen lobbyists to engage with local and state officials using professional skills and strategic messaging.
Public Education – Publishing reports, position papers, press releases, media advisories, editorials, booklets, and other materials needed to educate citizen-lobbyists, elected officials, and the electorate.
Capacity Building – Training and mobilizing the grassroots constituency through local chapters and affiliates, as well as skills-based training events and materials.
Emergency Raid Response – Organizing and publicizing emergency response actions in response to federal and local law enforcement activity.
Organizing Collectives - ASA has seeded autonomous alliance of collectives in Sacramento, Berkeley, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and Orange County with the purpose of developing and implementing self-regulatory models for collectives.
Proactive and Reactive Litigation – Litigating groundbreaking cases dealing with return of property, employment discrimination, and collective bans.
Thank you to everyone who has participated in ASA’s statewide campaigns. You have made all of our successes possible, and we look forward to your future participation to help keep this movement strong.
Please look out for future messages from ASA on ways you can help to protect access and patients in California.
Sincerely,
Don Duncan
Interim California Campaign Director
Americans for Safe Access
P.S. The only way we can continue work like this here in California is with support from people like you. Please visit www.AmericansforSafeAccesss.org/Donate today to become a member of ASA.
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Americans for Safe Access is the nation's largest organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research.
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