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Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, California! I hope you are all having a safe and healthy holiday. There is good news and bad news at the local level in this week’s California Weekly Roundup. The good news is that the Pinoleville Pomo Nation, a Native American tribe in Mendocino County, will soon start cultivating medical cannabis on tribal land. And I am also happy to see the City of San Diego continuing its march towards safe and legal access in Southern California.

Unfortunately, there is bad news for patients in other communities. The City of Vallejo just voted to close all of the patients’ collectives there, and Kern County is suing local providers. You will also see a short piece this week about plans to ban outdoor cultivation in Redding.

While the prospects for medical cannabis look good for the state on the long term, patients and providers are still stuck in crosscurrents at the city and county level. Local advocacy is still important, and I want to help you succeed in your hometown. You can use ASA’s free online Medical Cannabis Advocates Training Center to learn advocacy skills, craft a strategy, and build a coalition. You can also use this weekly email blast to let others know about community meetings, city council meetings, and other important events. Just send an email to [email protected] before 12:00 PM on Friday to be included in Monday's distribution.

ASA California Weekly Roundup: January 19, 2015

Contents:

News

• Is pot as bad as LSD? Heroin? Judge to rule on 1970 law (California)
• Native American Tribe in California Announces Plan to Grow Medical Marijuana (Mendocino County)
• S.D. City Council Takes Step Toward Open Marijuana Shops (San Diego)
• Council orders all medical marijuana dispensaries closed (Vallejo)
• County suing five more pot shops (Kern County)
• Medical marijuana dispensary initiative aims to overturn bans in Upland (Upland)
• Cadd to ask Redding council to ban outdoor medical marijuana gardens (Redding)
• Cannabis crusader asks: Isn’t it time that regulated medical pot shops came to your town? (Orange County)

Events

• January 20, 2015 – Yucca Valley Town Council Meeting (Yucca Valley)
• January 20, 2015 – Redding City Council Meeting (Redding)
• February 4, 2015 – Latino Community Outreach Meeting (Los Angeles)
• February 21, 2015 – Latino Community Outreach Meeting (San Diego)
• March 27-31, 2015 – ASA’s National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference 2015 (Washington, DC)

Court Support

• January 20, 2015 – Court Support for Douglas Street (Placerville)
• And More

Take Action Now

• Support the Medical Marijuana Organ Transplant Act
• Join Americans for Safe Access (ASA)
• Join ASA’s Email Discussion List

ASA Website Spotlight: The California Campaign for Safe Access

Chapter & Affiliate Meetings

• January 20, 2015 – San Francisco ASA (San Francisco)
• January 21, 2015 – East Bay ASA (Richmond)
• January 21, 2015 – Lake County ASA (Clearlake Oaks)
• January 25, 2015 - Nevada County ASA (North San Juan)

News

Is pot as bad as LSD? Heroin? Judge to rule on 1970 law (California)
Maura Dolan, Los Angeles Times

In a rare examination of federal marijuana law, a U.S. judge in Northern California has decided to rule on the constitutionality of a 1970 act that classifies marijuana as a dangerous drug akin to LSD and heroin.
Read more here:
http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-marijuana-lsd-heroin-controlled-substances-act-20150113-story.html#page=1

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Native American Tribe in California Announces Plan to Grow Medical Marijuana (Mendocino County)
Max Cherney, VICE News

A Native American tribe from the renowned California marijuana-growing region known as the Emerald Triangle has announced a plan to open a 2.5-acre indoor growing facility on their land.
Read more here:
https://news.vice.com/article/native-american-tribe-in-california-announces-plan-to-grow-medical-marijuana

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S.D. City Council Takes Step Toward Open Marijuana Shops (San Diego)
Mirna Alfonso, La Jolla Patch

The City Council Tuesday rejected 11 appeals of a city staff determination that applications to operate legal medical marijuana dispensaries in San Diego are exempt from provisions of the California Environmental Protection Act.
Read more here:
http://patch.com/california/lajolla/sd-city-council-takes-step-toward-open-marijuana-shops

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Council orders all medical marijuana dispensaries closed (Vallejo)
John Gladden, Vallejo Times-Herald

After two years of debate – and almost four hours of discussion Tuesday night – the Vallejo City Council finally made a decision about medical marijuana dispensaries operating within the city of Vallejo.
Read more here:
http://www.timesheraldonline.com/general-news/20150114/council-orders-all-medical-marijuana-dispensaries-closed

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County suing five more pot shops (Kern County)
Kern Golden Empire

The county is suing five more pot shops in an effort to shut them down. The lawsuits were filed Monday against Genuine Empathy, Greenery Lounge, Organic Caregivers Center, Medical Alternative Supply House Corporation, and Platinum Wellness.
Read more here:
http://www.kerngoldenempire.com/story/d/story/county-suing-five-more-pot-shops/21113/1evq0zKyv0KBqxwI14stNA

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Medical marijuana dispensary initiative aims to overturn bans in Upland (Upland)
Liset Marquez, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

The California Cannabis Coalition said Wednesday it had collected enough signatures to force a special election to overturn the city’s ban on medical marijuana dispensaries.
Read more here:
http://www.dailybulletin.com/health/20150114/medical-marijuana-dispensary-initiative-aims-to-overturn-bans-in-upland

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Cadd to ask Redding council to ban outdoor medical marijuana gardens (Redding)
Jenny Espino, Redding.com

With a ban on outdoor medical marijuana grows in place in unincorporated Shasta County, it seemed only a matter of time before the topic came up in Redding.
Subscribe to read the full story here:
http://www.redding.com/news/local-news/cadd-to-ask-redding-council-to-ban-outdoor-medical-marijuana-gardens_28895130

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Cannabis crusader asks: Isn’t it time that regulated medical pot shops came to your town? (Orange County)
Jordan Graham, OC Register

Attorney Randall T. Longwith sits behind the desk in his spacious, brick-walled Fullerton office like a general in a war room, flanked by zoning maps of the cities where he’s aiming to bring medical marijuana dispensaries next.
Read more here:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/marijuana-648409-cities-longwith.html

Public Meetings & Events

January 19, 2015 - 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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January 20, 2015 – Yucca Valley Town Council Meeting (Yucca Valley)
6:00 PM in the Yucca Room at the Community Center at 57090-29 Palms Highway, Yucca, CA 92284. The town council will consider a voter initiative to allow legal medical cannabis collectives in the city. Look for the agenda here: http://www.yucca-valley.org/townhall/meetings.html

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January 20, 2015 – Redding City Council Meeting (Redding)
6:00 PM in the Council Chambers located at 777 Cypress Avenue, Redding, CA 96001. The City Council may discuss a ban on outdoor medical cannabis cultivation. The item is not yet on the agenda. Check on the status here: http://reddingcityca.iqm2.com/Citizens/calendar.aspx

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February 4, 2015 – Latino Community Outreach Meeting (Los Angeles)
Time to be announced. Buds and Roses Collective, 13047 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, CA 91604. Es una platica in espanol para educar pacientes y sus cuidadores en el uso de Marijuana Medicinal y sus derechos legales. La education necesaria sobre la Marijuana Medicinal para poder hacer una difirencia en si comunidad. Correo Electronico [email protected] para poder obtener mas informacion. (Spanish language event.)

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February 21, 2015 – Latino Community Outreach Meeting (San Diego)
Time to be announced. Chicano Park, beneath the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, where Route 75 crosses Logan Ave. in San Diego. Es una platica in espanol para educar pacientes y sus cuidadores en el uso de Marijuana Medicinal y sus derechos legales. La education necesaria sobre la Marijuana Medicinal para poder hacer una difirencia en si comunidad. Correo Electronico [email protected] para poder obtener mas informacion. (Spanish language event.)

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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?

January 20, 2015 – Court Support for Douglas Street (Placerville)
1:00 in Department 7, El Dorado Superior Court, 2850 Fairlane Court, Placerville, CA 95667. Dress in an appropriate manner and obey all courtroom 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 Americans for Safe Access (ASA)
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/join_asa

Why should you join Americans for Safe Access (ASA)? Because membership matters! ASA is the nation’s leading medical cannabis patients’ advocacy organization. Our goal is to make medical cannabis legally available for everyone who needs it, and we need your help to make that happen!

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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.

ASA Website Spotlight

California Campaign for Safe Access
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/california_campaign_for_safe_access

The California Campaign for Safe Access is ASA's oldest state campaign. There are more legal patients, providers, and recommending physicians in California than any other state. More than 1.5 million have safe, reliable, and dignified access to medicine in the state, but significant challenges remain. Learn about ASA’s work in California - including the Medical Cannabis Organ Transplant Act and other legislation - in this section of our website.

ASA Chapter & Affiliate Meetings

January 20, 2015 – 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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January 21, 2015 – East Bay ASA (Richmond)
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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January 21, 2015 – Lake County ASA (Clearlake Oaks)
The meeting starts at 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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January 25, 2015 - Nevada County ASA (North San Juan)
The meeting starts at 2:00 PM at the North San Juan Senior Center, 29190 State Hwy 49, North San Juan, CA 95960.  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.