Blog

Contents:

• Message from the CA Director: One more week...
• State & Local News: News From Communities All Over California
• Public Meetings & Events: CA Citizen Lobby Day & Sonoma Blossom Festival
• Court Support: Westminster
• Take Action Now: Register for the CA Citizen Lobby Day & More
• ASA Website Spotlight: Peace for Patients
• Chapter & Affiliate Meetings: San Diego

One more week... The CA Citizen Lobby Day is just one week away. We need to see a strong showing of support in the Capitol Building next Monday, August 4, to amplify all of the voices from the medical cannabis community at this crucial moment. Key committee votes may happen just days after our lobby day, and final votes on the floor of the Assembly will come soon after. Your lawmakers need to know that this issue matters to voters in their district. Will you be there to speak up?

Register today for the CA Citizen Lobby Day in Sacramento on Monday, August 4. Don’t wait any longer. I only have one more week to schedule appointments for you with your Assembly and Senate offices.

We will be hearing from Senator Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana), the co-author of SB 1262, on Monday morning. We will also be hearing from you. Participants will have a chance to talk to the group about the bills and complete a constituents’ survey about amendments and final positions on legislation. This matters because eleventh-hour amendments in the Assembly Appropriations Committee may have a dramatic effect on SB 1262, the controversial bill that seeks to better regulate doctors and commercial medical cannabis activity in the state. I know many patients and other stakeholders have opinions to share. Now is the time.

There are other important topics on the table, too. SB 1193 by Senator Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) will require law enforcement to pay patients and caregivers reasonable compensation if wrongfully-confiscated medical cannabis or plants are damaged of destroyed. We are also looking for support for ASA’s Medical Marijuana Organ Transplant Act of 2015. This bill will prevent legal patients from being denied a life-saving organ transplant because of their medical cannabis use. We also need to talk about local bans and unreasonable city and county regulations.

It does not matter if you support, oppose, or are undecided on the bills. Your voice is needed in Sacramento at this strategic moment. Do not miss a chance to share your views with other stakeholders, lawmakers, and legislative staff face-to-face.

There will be a light breakfast, legislative briefing, group discussion, citizen lobby training, and more on Monday morning at the Citizen Hotel. We will be coming back to the hotel for a VIP reception honoring Assembly Member Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) after the lobby day.

Register today for the CA Citizen Lobby Day in Sacramento on Monday, August 4. ASA is requesting a donation of $25 to pay for the catering and hotel, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

See you in a week!

California & National News

AHPA Issues Medical Marijuana Manufacturing Guidelines (National)
Natural Products Insider

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) released its medical marijuana manufacturing guidelines to complete its compendium of industry standards, which include regulatory recommendations from seed to sale. A new nationwide program called Patient Focused Certification (PFC), a project of Americans for Safe Access (ASA), aims to bring greater standardization to the medical marijuana industry.
Read more here.

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California Attorney General Candidate Is Pro-Marijuana (California)
Johnny Green, The Weed Blog

When it comes to marijuana law, California is a very confusing place. Cities have their own laws, bans, and ordinances, as do counties, and the State of California itself. Combine that with conflicting and confusing case law, and it’s important to have an Attorney General that is pro-marijuana. Ron Gold is an Attorney General candidate in California who is challenging the incumbent Kamala Harris.
Read more here.

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Pot Politics: Did 500 Stoners Swing Betty Yee's Race for Controller? (California)
David Downs, East Bay Express

This week, former California Assembly leader John Perez conceded the race for State Controller to Board of Equalization member Betty Yee. Democrat Perez had called for a recount after losing the second place spot to Democrat Yee by just five hundred votes in the primary.
Read more here.

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California Pot Farms Use 50% More Water Than San Francisco (California)
Chriss W. Street, Breitbart

Scientists with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are warning that streams harboring endangered salmon and steelhead could go dry because of the heavy water consumption by marijuana growers. During the growing season, California “pot farms” consume 60 million gallons of water a day. That equals 50% more than is consumed by the entire city of San Francisco.  
Read more here.

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Bullock & Salzman: Landlord fights building seizure (Anaheim)
Scott Bullock and Larry Salzman, OC Regiser

Anaheim small-business owner Tony Jalali fled Iran in 1978 for a better life in the land of liberty, but he soon may find his American Dream unconstitutionally taken from him by the city of Anaheim and the U.S. Attorney's Office for Southern California in a ploy that should leave most Americans shaking their heads in disgust. Jalali faces the loss of his well-maintained office building if the city and the federal government get away with an attempt to do an end-run around California laws.
Read more here.

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San Bernardino City Attorney: Medical marijuana dispensary ban ‘futile’ (San Bernardino)
Ryan Hagen, The Sun

City Attorney Gary Saenz wants a council committee to immediately begin studying alternative ways to enforce its medical marijuana dispensary ban, including allowing — and regulating — a small number of dispensaries. “We will present a plan which essentially acknowledges the futility and high cost of attempting to completely eradicate marijuana dispensaries with our current system, by which we will continue to spend hundreds of thousands and eventually millions but will never significantly achieve success,” Saenz said, reading from a prepared statement on Monday.
Read more here.

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Agencies launch raid on marijuana growers on Yurok reservation (Yurok Indian Reservation)
Lee Romney, LA Times

First, the out-of-state license plates came to the upper reaches of the Yurok Indian Reservation, followed by dump trucks of fertilizer and heavy equipment that punched roads into tribal land. Runaway marijuana cultivation had made it unsafe to hike, pray, gather medicine and materials for baskets, or prepare sites for ceremonial dances. Chemical runoff and silt harmed the salmon, and rodenticides poisoned the rare Humboldt marten and weasel-like fisher, which the Yurok consider sacred.
Read more here.

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Editorial: Strong, Martin vote for pot and compassion (Paso Robles)
The Tribune

Bravos and bouquets to Paso Robles City Councilmen Fred Strong and Steve Martin for having the courage to vote against banning mobile delivery of medical marijuana. The proposed ban was presented by city staff as a “housekeeping measure” that would close a loophole allowing mobile sales within city limits.
Read more here.

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Santa Ana Pot Crackdown Begins Anew (Santa Ana)
Alfonso Delgado, OC Weekly

According to a Santa Ana Police Department investigator who spoke with the Weekly, 17 medical marijuana dispensaries were visited by police in the past week. 42 tickets were issued to dispensaries operating in violation of the city's 2007 ban on pot clubs, three of which--Wax City, Emerald, and Wax-R-Us--have now closed. The operation came in the wake of a July 15 city council meeting in which councilmembers voted to appropriate $500,000 for ongoing anti-pot enforcement actions.
Read more here.

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Ordinance to target open-air pot grows (Riverside County)
Jeff Horseman, PE.com

A budding trend in some of Riverside County’s poorest areas worries officials who fear hard-core criminals are turning backyards into drug farms. In the past year or so, more than 200 open-air marijuana grows have popped up in the unincorporated communities of Mead Valley, Good Hope and Meadowbrook, according to county officials. The fenced-in fields dotting the rural landscape are hidden in plain sight.
Read more here.

Public Meetings & Events

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Monday, July 28, 2014 - Marijuana Compassion and Common Sense (Online)
6:00 PM online. Join this weekly Internet radio show covering cannabis and medical cannabis topics. Tune into www.blogtalkradio.com/marijuananews

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Tuesday, July 29, 2014 - Cathedral City Special Meeting of the City Council (Cathedral City)
5:30 PM at 68700 Avenida Lalo Guerrero, Cathedral City, CA  92234. The City Council will reconsider amedical cannabis ordinance and discuss a 15% tax on cannabis transactions - the highest in the state. Arrive early to complete a public speakers card in opposition to item 5 and in support of item 6 on the agenda.

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Monday, August 4, 2014 – CA Citizen Lobby Day (Sacramento)
9:30 AM – 7:30 PM beginning in the Terrace Room, Citizen Hotel, 926 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.  Hundreds of ASA Members and allies will meet in Sacramento for a legislative briefing and citizen lobby day in support for sensible legislation to better regulate commercial medical cannabis activity and protect patients’ rights. California Senator Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) will be our guest speaker on Monday morning, and ASA will honor Assembly Member Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) at a reception that evening. ASA requests a $25 donation for the event, but no one will be turn away for lack of funds. Please register now, so that we can schedule an appointment for you to see you state Assembly Member or Senator.

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Saturday, August 30, 2014 – Sonoma Blossom Festival (Santa Rosa)
2:00 PM – 12:00 AM at the Arlene Francis Event Center, 99 W. 6th Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95401. http://tinyurl.com/l6ym3l2 Music, food, guest speakers, patient area, & more. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. www.FaceBook.com/SonomaBlossomFestival for information.

Court Support

What is Court Support and how do I get involved?

Monday, August 4, 2014 – Arraignment for Scott Alexander (Westminster)
8:30 AM in Courtroom 2 at 8141 13th St., Westminster, CA 92683. Dress in an appropriate manner and obey all courtroom rules.

Take Action Now

Register for the CA Citizen Lobby Day

More than 200 ASA members and allies will participate in the biggest and most important medical cannabis lobby day yet on Monday, August 4, in Sacramento. Register now so that you can be a part of the conversation. There will be a legislative briefing, citizen lobbyist training, special guest speakers, and a reception with lawmakers. ASA will make an appointment for you to meet with your state Assembly Member and Senator when you register. The requested donation is $25, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

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Urge your Senator to pass CJS Medical Marijuana Amendment

The US House of Representatives voted late Thursday (May 30, 2014) night to cut off funding for federal medical cannabis raids, arrests, and prosecutions in states where it is legal. The same CJS amendment must still be introduced in the Senate and pass there as well. We're doing our part by lobbying on Capitol Hill, but we desperately need your help contact your Senators and asking for their support to this amendment. Contact California Senators Feinstein and Boxer today.

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Join Americans for Safe Access (ASA)

This is the final week of ASA’s Spring Membership Drive. Have you joined yet?  Be sure to take advantage of some great membership incentives right now. ASA is the nation’s leading medical cannabis patients’ advocacy organization. The patients, medical professionals, scientists, concerned citizens, and other who comprise ASA are committed to promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research. ASA works in partnership with state, local and national legislators to overcome barriers and create policies that improve access to cannabis for patients and researchers.

ASA Website Spotlight

Peace for Patients

Peace for Patients is ASA’s grassroots campaign to end federal interference and intimidation in states where medical cannabis is legal. You can read ASA’s provocative report, What’s the Cost?, which explores the financial and human cost of federal enforcement. This section also has a petition to sign, a place to share your story, and more. Get involved in Peace for Patients!

ASA Chapter & Affiliate Meetings

Tuesday, July 29, 2014 - San Diego ASA (North County)
The meeting starts at 7:00 PM at Captain Keno's - 158 N Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, CA 92024. Email [email protected] for more for more information.

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.