Blog

Contents:

• Message from the CA Director: What's next depends on you, CA

• State & Local News: National, California, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Yuba County, San Diego, Inland Empire

• Public Meetings & Events: Los Angeles, Marysville, Washington DC

• Court Support: Redding

• Take Action Now: Support the Medical Marijuana Organ Transplant Act, Join the ASA-CCSA Discussion List, Expand the Green Zone

• ASA Website Spotlight: National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference 2015

• Chapter & Affiliate Meetings: San Francisco, East Bay, Lake County

By the time you read this message, it may already be illegal for the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate, raid, arrest, and prosecute medical cannabis patients and providers in California. Congress passed a historic budget bill on Saturday night that includes an amendment removing any funds for federal interference in states with medical cannabis laws. The President could sign it at any time. 

ASA started working on this amendment soon after patients and caregivers established the organization in California in 2002. I want to say a special thank you to everyone who helped us get here!

Is this the end of federal interference and intimidation in California? That depends, in part, on the DOJ, Congress, and the President. But more importantly, it depends on medical cannabis advocates like you. Congress will vote on a new budget in September of 2015. Will they hear from you before then?

We need to see hundreds of Californians in Washington, DC, for ASA’s National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference and Citizen Lobby Day March 27-31. This four-day conference is a chance to celebrate today’s victory and build on our momentum in Congress. ASA will make an appointment for you to meet with your US Representative and Senators on Tuesday, March 31, when you register.

We still have work to do, and ASA still needs your participation and support to finally adopt comprehensive medical cannabis legislation at the state and federal level and bring medical cannabis prisoners home. See you in Washington, DC, to celebrate and move forward!

California & National News

Congress Passes Historic Medical Marijuana Protections In Spending Bill (National)
Matt Ferner, Huffington Post

Congress dealt a historic blow to the United States' decades-long war on drugs Saturday with the passage of the federal spending bill, which contains protections for medical marijuana and industrial hemp operations in states where they are legal.
Read more here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/14/congress-medical-marijuana_n_6317866.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

See a related press release from ASA here:
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/in_an_historic_vote_congress_takes_unprecedented_step_of_ending_federal_state_conflict_on_medical_marijuana

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Justice Dept.: Tribes can legalize pot on reservations (National)
Barrett Newkirk, USA Today

The U.S. Justice Department is giving Native American tribes authority to legalize marijuana on their reservations, telling federal prosecutors the issue needs to be handled on a "government-to-government basis."
Read more here:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/12/doj-tribes-marijuana/20297075/

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California docs: ‘Stop denying organs to marijuana patients’ (California)
David Downs, Smell the Truth

California’s leading medical body voted unanimously over the weekend to help end the practice of denying organ transplants to patients based solely on their lawful medical cannabis use.
Read more here:
http://blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/2014/12/08/california-docs-stop-denying-organs-to-marijuana-patients/

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Mission Marijuana Club Beats Feds, Will Stay Open (San Francisco)
Chris Roberts, SF Weekly

A marijuana club fought the law. And for the first time weed won.Shambhala Healing Center, a city-permitted cannabis dispensary in the Mission District, survived the federal Justice Department's effort to shut it down.
Read more here:
http://www.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2014/12/10/mission-marijuana-club-beats-feds-will-stay-open

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Two L.A. lawmakers target tax certificates for unlawful pot shops (Los Angeles)
Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times

Two Los Angeles lawmakers are pushing to end a controversial city practice of issuing tax registration certificates to medical marijuana shops without determining if they are allowed to operate under a voter-approved crackdown on the businesses.
Read more here:
http://www.latimes.com/local/cityhall/la-me-1210-marijuana-taxes-20141210-story.html

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Yuba County supervisors to mull outdoor pot bans (Yuba County)
Eric Vodden, The Appeal-Democrat

Three ordinances from counties that ban outdoor medical marijuana cultivation will be reviewed by Yuba County supervisors next week as possible examples for tighter local regulations.
Read more here:
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/yuba-county-supervisors-to-mull-outdoor-pot-bans/article_5a3da19a-7d19-11e4-83e1-cb61acb672a3.html

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300 attend Yuba County marijuana law hearing (Yuba County)
Eric Vodden, The Appeal-Democrat

Medical marijuana patients and growers — making up most of a standing-room-only crowd — vociferously told Yuba County supervisors that banning outdoor pot grows is a bad idea.
Read more here:
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/attend-yuba-county-marijuana-law-hearing/article_42499e10-803c-11e4-a23f-076225d88cf2.html

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Wild escape try after pot shop robbery (San Diego)
Pauline Repard and Lyndsay Winkley, U-T San Diego

A bloodied would-be robber who held up an illegal marijuana dispensary clung to the top of a car in a dramatic getaway attempt, witnesses said, only to be arrested by deputies minutes later in Spring Valley Tuesday.
Read more here:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/dec/09/robbery-one-shot-spring-valley/

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Cities channel cash into pot dispensary fight (Inland Empire)
Alicia Robinson, PE.com

Polls show California voters back medical – and even recreational – marijuana. And they may get the chance to legalize it in 2016. But a handful of Inland cities are moving in the opposite direction, spending at least $1.85 million in legal battles to shut down dispensaries.
Read more here:
http://www.pe.com/articles/dispensaries-755497-marijuana-officials.html

Public Meetings & Events

Monday, December 15, 2014 - Marijuana Compassion and Common Sense (Online)

6:00 PM at www.blogtalkradio.com/marijuananews Tune in for this weekly live Internet broadcast about cannabis and medical cannabis issues. You can call in to participate. 

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Tuesday, December 16, 2014 – Los Angeles City Council (Los Angeles)
10:00 AM in Room 340, City Hall, 200 North Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. The City Council will vote on a motion to instruct the Office of Finance to report back on options to limit or discontinue the issuance of tax certificates for collectives that are non-compliant with Measure D. For more information on agenda item #15: file:///Users/donduncan/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Mail%20Downloads/83729480-684D-406F-B94E-22613B72FBFA/clkcouncilagendas392228_12162014.html 

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Tuesday, December 16, 20124 – Yuba County Board of Supervisors (Marysville)
1:30 PM at County Government Center, 915 Eighth St., Marysville, CA 95901. The Board will hold a workshop on medical cannabis cultivation, with an eye towards a ban. Tell them not to ban patient cultivation.

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Thursday, December 18, 2014 – What’s Next for Medical Cannabis in CA? (Online)
This broadcast has been postponed. Keep an eye out for the new date and time in January.

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Wednesday, December 31, 2014 – Last Day to Get the Early-Bird Discount (Nationwide)
Today is the last day to register for the early-bird discount for ASA’s National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference – and to get a free ASA Signature Vape Pen. Don’t forget to book your travel and hotel room at the Lowes Madison early to save even more. 

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March 27-31, 2015 – ASA’s National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference 2015 (Washington, DC)
Join us March 27th – 31stfor the biggest and most important medical cannabis conference yet. Early bird and ASA member discounts are now available. Save money on registration, travel, and lodging by registering now. For more information: http://www.nationalmedicalcannabisunityconference.org 

Court Support

What is Court Support and how do I get involved?

Tuesday, December 16, 2014 – Court Support in People v. Drewson (Redding)
At 1500 court St, Redding, CA 96003. Dress in an appropriate manner and obey all courthouse rules to best help the defendant.

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Find more information and additional listings on The Human Solution Calendar: http://www.thsintl.org/calendar

Take Action Now

Support the Medical Marijuana Organ Transplant Act (California)
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/support_the_ca_medical_marijuana_organ_transplant_act

A patient in California can be denied a life-saving organ transplant solely based on the fact that he or she uses medical cannabis! Legal patients have died after being removed from the organ transplant list, and others are in jeopardy right now. Americans for Safe Access, the nation's leading medical cannabis patients' advocacy organization, proposes legislation to prevent anyone from being denied a transplant because of medical cannabis. Sign this petition to let lawmakers know you support the Medical Marijuana Organ Transplant Act to provide equal access to health care for legal patients.

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Join ASA’s New California Discussion List – ASA-CCSA (California)
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/asa_ccsa_email_discussion_list

ASA-CCSA is a membership-based email discussion list about local and state medical cannabis legislation, initiatives, referendums, and related litigation in the state of California. Unlike this weekly email, you can respond to messages on ASA-CCSA and share your response with everyone. The purpose of the list is to facilitate dialog and participation by movement and industry stakeholders. Respectful and courteous participation, conversations, and debate are welcome.

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Expand the MCD Green Zone (San Francisco) 
https://www.change.org/p/sf-board-of-supervisors-expand-the-mcd-green-zone 

The outdated rules restricting medical cannabis dispensaries to a limited Green Zone of less than 5% of The City of San Francisco have created a clustering problem, and limit access for medical cannabis patients. The current policy has not been updated since 2005. Expanding the existing MCD Green Zone would allow vital medical cannabis dispensaries to locate in more areas of The City of San Francisco.

ASA Website Spotlight

National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference
http://www.nationalmedicalcannabisunityconference.org

ASA’s National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference and Citizen Lobby Day will be March 27-31 in Washington, DC. Unity 2015 is your place to gather with other patients, providers, activists, medical and legal professionals from around the country; to learn best practices, exchange ideas and learn how to navigate medical marijuana in this new political landscape. The conference ends with hundreds of patients and advocates visiting members of Congress. Get more information and register online.

ASA Chapter & Affiliate Meetings

Tuesday, December 16, 2014 - San Francisco ASA (San Francisco)
7:30 PM at Lounge 847, 847 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103. Email [email protected] for more information.

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Wednesday, December 17, 2014 - East Bay ASA (Oakland)
6:30 at 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center, 3288 Pierce Street #108, Richmond, CA 94804. Email [email protected] for more information.

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Wednesday, December 17, 2014 - Lake County ASA (Clearlake Oaks)
6:30 PM at the Moose Lodge, 15900 East Highway 20, Clearlake Oaks, CA 95423. Email [email protected] for more information.

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See all California ASA Chapter Meetings here:
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/california_advocacy 

Have something to share?

The “California Weekly Roundup” is a once-a-week email for ASA Members and Friends that focuses on relevant news and important updates, action alerts, meetings and special events. Send items for the California Weekly Roundup to [email protected] before 12:00 PM on Friday to be included in Monday's distribution.