Accomplishments

Expanded Access Across US

In just six years, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) has become the largest organization in the country working solely on medical cannabis - with more than 30,000 members in dozens of cities working on our campaigns and projects!

Educating Patients, Policymakers, and the Public

ASA is now the nation's leading resource for up-to-date information on medical cannabis issues. To date, ASA has helped some 9,000 patients navigate the legal system, distributed general information and patient-focused materials to more than 50,000 patients, provided court support for 60 medical marijuana cases, conducted hundreds of trainings for more than 10,000 patients and advocates, organized over 2,000 meetings with elected officials, passed 29 regulations permitting medical cannabis dispensaries in California, organized more than 20 days of action concerning federal policies, and generated 200,000 calls and emails to Congress. In six years, ASA has generated more than 5,000 stories in the media.

Major Accomplishments

• ASA successfully filed suit against California Highway Patrol, the largest law enforcement agency in the state, compelling CHP to stop confiscating patients' medical cannabis and otherwise comply with the mandates of Proposition 215.
• ASA works with elected officials to enact sound ordinances regulating medical cannabis dispensing collectives (dispensaries). So far, 24 cities and 7 counties have given dispensaries protection and legitimacy under local law.
• ASA turned the tide of media bias and indifference with a professional, proactive media strategy, making medical cannabis a page-one story nationwide. ASA is framing the national discourse on medical cannabis issues.
• ASA has provided outreach services to countless collectives, including legal training, peer counseling, and media spokesperson training.

ASA's Six-Year History & Timeline

• February 2008: Sponsors California bill introduced by Assemblyman Mark Leno that would protect the rights of hundreds of thousands of medical marijuana patients in California from employment discrimination
• November 2007: Wins California Appellate Court case, protecting California patients from unlawful seizures of medicine and ordering law enforcement to return seized medicine
• November 2007: Chief Counsel Joe Elford argues before the California Supreme Court in Ross v. RagingWire, an employment rights case
• October 2007: Organizes hundreds of patients to rally in front of California Governor Schwarzenegger's Los Angeles offices, culminating weeks of advocacy that resulted in 50,000 postcards sent to the Governor, as well as hundreds of phone calls and emails, all urging him to take action to defend patients’ rights
• June-September 2007: Helps block an attempt to undermine state medical cannabis laws in the US Senate by talking to key lawmakers and legislative staff and organizing allied groups in the HIV/AIDS community
  
• April 2007: Co-sponsors the largest annual HIV/AIDS constituent-based federal advocacy and education event in the US, training hundreds of HIV/AIDS advocates to lobby for medical cannabis issues
• March 2007: Chief Counsel Joe Elford files successful vindictive prosecution motion in the federal case of Ed Rosenthal, leading to the dismissal of the majority of his charges
• February 2007: Files a lawsuit against the federal government demanding that the FDA and HHS stop spreading misinformation on medical cannabis and correct the information the have published
• January 2007: 500 patients and advocates rally outside the Los Angeles federal building, in protest of continued DEA raids
• October 2006: Activists protest in front of DEA marijuana conference in San Diego
• October 2006: Launches TV commercial campaign in San Diego area
• September 2006: State lawmakers and ten state and national medical organizations file amicus briefs with CA Supreme Court in support of ASA's employment case
• September 2006: Releases report on dispensaries at convention of city officials; several city council members speak in support of dispensaries at press conference
• August 2006: Helps Kern County pass medical cannabis regulations
• July 2006: Hinchey Amendment to stop DEA raids on patients receives record number of votes in Congress
• June 2006: Sues Butte County over cultivation ban
• May 2006: Los Angeles ASA helps to pass progressive medical cannabis ordinance in Los Angeles County
• May 2006: Sues city of Emeryville and wins; city pays patient $15,000 for destroyed medical cannabis
• Mar 2006: Congress calls on GAO to research DEA expenditures on medical cannabis
• Feb 2006:Granted cert by CA Supreme Court to argue medical cannabis employment case
• Jan 2006: Organizes HopeNet support press conference
• Jan 2006: Protests follow San Diego lawsuit against state
• Oct 2005: National protests against HHS for delay on DQA
• July 2005: Organizes nationwide memorials in response to the death of Steve Mc Williams
• Jun 2005: Works with AG and others to clarify the impact of the Supreme Court ruling
• May 2005: CA training tour prepares activists for implementing dispensary regulations
• Apr 2005: Sues the City of Fresno
• Dec 2004: Begins "Motion for Return of Property" campaign by suing the City of Emeryville
• Aug 2004: Bryan Epis released from prison!
• May-Jun 2004: Trains over 600 California public defenders on defending medical marijuana patients
• Mar 2004: Creates the "Raich" defense in federal cases
• Oct 2004: Files Data Quality Act petition and protests at HHS
• Nov 2003: Protests Drug Czar tour in several cities
• Feb 2003: Organizes "Evict the DEA" actions
• Jan-Apr 2003: Organizes juror's revolt in Ed Rosenthal case
• Jan 2003: Launches Epis billboard campaign
• Jan-Feb 2003: Completes a regional student training tour
• Oct-Nov 2002: 26-city "Know Your Rights" training tour
• Oct 2002: Organizes California stakeholder conference
• Sep 2002: Mobilizes over 1,000 activists to protest the 10-year federal sentence of patient Bryan Epis
• 2002-2007: Implements "National Emergency Response" actions nearly a dozen times, following DEA raids
• 2002-2007: Organizes court support for more than 30 federal defendants
• Jun 2002: Orders DEA to "cease and desist" in 55 cities
• Apr 2002: Launches with a 1200 sq. ft banner drop in San Francisco