Blog

Contents:

• Message from the CA Director: Sign the petition for organ transplant patients
• State & Local News: National, California, San Francisco, Riverside County, San Luis Obispo
• Public Meetings & Events: Placerville, Santa Rosa, Washington DC, and more
• Court Support: Redding, Santa Ana, Los Angeles
• Take Action Now: Expand the Green Zone (SF), Join the ASA-CCSA Discussion List, Support the Medical Marijuana Organ Transplant Act
• ASA Website Spotlight: Legal
• Chapter & Affiliate Meetings: San Francisco, Yuba County, Sonoma County

Voters in California legalized medical cannabis when they approved the Compassionate Use Act eighteen years ago. We have come a long way since then, but we still have important work to do here in California. Legal patients face pervasive discrimination in employment, housing, parental rights, and access to health care. ASA and other advocates are working hard to change this, and we need your help to do it.

One of the most tragic examples of discrimination is when patients are denied a life-saving organ transplant because they use medical cannabis. Legal patients must often choose between getting the transplant they need or the relief they have come to expect from medical cannabis. Sometimes patients suffer needlessly to get on the national organ transplant list or stay on it. In other cases, they simply cannot get a needed transplant. At least one ASA member died after he was dropped from the list.

There is no law in California that prevents legal medical cannabis patients from being denied an organ transplant. We can change that next year, if you help. Can you take a couple of minutes right now to sign our petition supporting a proposed bill to prevent discrimination against legal medical cannabis patients in California? ASA will be taking the petition to lawmakers soon. State Assembly Members and Senators need to know that voters statewide support this bill when they are deciding on the 2015 legislative agenda in the next few weeks.

http://www.safeaccessnow.org/support_the_ca_medical_marijuana_organ_transplant_act

Sign the petition and ask your friends to do it, too!

California & National News

New bill would allow the VA to recommend medical marijuana for patients (National)
Elizabeth Wax-Thibodeaux, Washington Post

Arguing that medical marijuana may help wounded warriors with anxiety and stress disorders to “survive and thrive,” Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) have introduced legislation that would allow Department of Veterans Affairs’ doctors to recommend the drug for some patients.
Read more here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2014/11/25/new-bill-would-allow-the-va-to-recommend-medical-marijuana-for-patients/

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Shunned by banks, legitimate pot shops must deal in risky cash (California)
David Pierson, Los Angeles Times

The suppliers arrive at one of the nation's largest marijuana dispensaries carrying hundreds of pounds of cannabis in duffel bags, knapsacks and baby diaper totes. They leave with those same carriers stuffed with wads of cash.
Read more here:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-marijuana-banking-20141128-story.html#page=1

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California Case Could Be A Pivotal Moment In Ending The War On Marijuana (California)
Sean Nevins, Mint Press

On Jan. 14, 2015, one of the most important criminal cases regarding the status of marijuana as a Schedule I substance will be heard at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.
Read more here:
http://www.mintpressnews.com/california-case-pivotal-moment-ending-war-marijuana/199225/

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The hottest pot store in San Francisco (San Francisco)
Josh Lipton and Mark Berniker, 25 CNBC

It's referred to as the Apple store of pot shops. Sparc is one of the premier medical marijuana dispensaries in San Francisco. Founded in 2009, Sparc now serves up to 400 customers a day who can pay $300 for an ounce of marijuana.
Read more here:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102212794

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Marijuana growing penalties move ahead (Riverside County)
Jeff Horseman, PE.com

New penalties for growing marijuana in unincorporated parts of Riverside County moved forward Tuesday, with the Board of Supervisors approving guidelines that include an exemption for medical marijuana patients who grow their own pot.
Read more here:
http://www.pe.com/articles/marijuana-755012-county-fees.html

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Felony charges against the remaining six of the Doobie Dozen have been dismissed (San Luis Obispo)
Colin Rigley, New Times

Four years after San Luis Obispo County law enforcement officers scooped up 12 people in a large-scale sting against medical marijuana operations, the last of the defendants are now able to walk away from their felony charges.
Read more here:
http://www.newtimesslo.com/news/11720/felony-charges-against-the-remaining-six-of-the-doobie-dozen-have-been-dismissed/  

Public Meetings & Events

Monday, December 1, 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 2, 2014 – El Dorado County Board of Supervisors (Placerville)
9:00 AM at 330 Fair Lane, Placerville, California 95667. El Dorado County Board of Supervisors will be meeting to discuss a ban on outdoor cultivation in El Dorado County. Tell them no at the meeting or visit https://www.facebook.com/events/195455580625186/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular for information about how to oppose the ban in advance.

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December 13-14, 2014 – The Emerald Cup (Santa Rosa)
Visit the premier outdoor cannabis contest and exposition at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds for music, speakers, great company and more. Visit http://theemeraldcup.com for information and tickets.

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Thursday, December 18, 2014 – What’s Next for Medical Cannabis in CA? (Online)
7:00 PM online. Join us for the last live Google Hangout of the year to talk about what is on the horizon for medical cannabis in 2015 – voter initiatives, legislation, litigation, and more. Look for links to the live online broadcast soon.

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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 1, 2014 – Settlement Conference for James, Jacob, and Logan Benno (Redding)
2:00 PM in Department 1 at 1655 West St, Redding, CA 96001. Dress in a professional manner and obey all courtroom rules to best help the defendants.

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Friday, December 5, 2014 – Court Support for Jason D. Andrews (Santa Ana)
8:30 AM at 700 W Civic Center Dr., Santa Ana, CA 92701. Dress in a professional manner and obey all courtroom rules to best help the defendants.

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Monday, December 8, 2014 – Court Support for Noah Kleinman (Los Angeles)
9:00 AM at 312 N. Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Dress in a professional manner and obey all courtroom rules to best help the defendants. 

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

Take Action Now

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.

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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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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.

ASA Website Spotlight

Legal
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/legal

This section provides patients, attorneys, and pro se defendants with legal resources, including information on: how to become a patient, rights and responsibilities, landmark legal decisions, how to defend a medical marijuana case, return of property, and civil issues such as employment, housing, and child custody.

ASA Chapter & Affiliate Meetings

Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - San Francisco ASA (San Francisco)
The meeting starts at 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 3, 2014 - Yuba County ASA (Valley)
The meeting starts at 7:00 PM at Rivers Edge Pub, 1 E. 12th Street, Marysville, CA 95901. Email [email protected] for more information.

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Thursday, December 12, 2014 - Sonoma ASA (Santa Rosa)
The meeting starts at 5:00 PM at Arlene Francis Center, 99 West 6th Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95401. 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.