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The California Assembly Health Committee will vote tomorrow on AB 258, ASA-sponsored legislation that will help to reduce needless suffering and preventable death by protecting medical cannabis patients from discrimination in the organ transplant process. Patients are routinely denied a place on the national organ transplant list when they test positive for cannabis use – even legal doctor-recommended medical cannabis. Patients have already died after being removed from the list, and others are in danger right now.

AB 258, by Assembly Member Marc Levine (D-San Rafael), will prevent anyone from being denied an organ transplant based solely on his or her legal medical cannabis use. We need your help today to be sure this important bill gets over this first legislative hurdle.

If you have not done so already, sign the petition to support AB 258. If you have already signed, please recruit at least one more person to join you.

There is no time to lose. I will be presenting the final count to the committee tomorrow at 1:30 PM in room 4202 in the State Capitol Building. You can watch the hearing online at http://www.calchannel.com

ASA California Weekly Roundup: April 6, 2015

Contents:

News

• Justice Department says it can still prosecute medical marijuana cases (National)
• Congressmen Say DOJ's Interpretation Of Their Medical Marijuana Amendment Is 'Emphatically Wrong' (National)
• Fired-Up Pot Patients, Parents Trade Tips to Prevent Confiscation of Kids (National)
• Pot Is Making California’s Epic Drought Worse (California)
• California Drought: Illegal Marijuana Plants Dry Out Rivers, Kill Coho Salmon (California)
• B-Real of Cypress Hill Wants to Bring Dr. Greenthumb to Santa Ana (Santa Ana)
• Medical marijuana controversy playing out in Livermore (Livermore)
• Pot delivery ban proposed (Canyon Lake City)
• Pot dispensary sues El Dorado County over raid (Diamond Springs)
• LB medical marijuana task force to take on challenges of new ordinance (Long Beach)
• C.J. Dablo, Signal Tribune
• CBD-Rich Cannabis Versus Single-Molecule CBD (Science)

Events

• April 7, 2015 - Assembly Health Committee Hearing on AB 258 (Sacramento)
• April 7, 2015 – Senate Health Committee Hearing on SB 165 (Sacramento)
• April 7, 2015 – Senate Public Safety Committee Hearing on SB 305 (Sacramento)
• April 8, 2015 – Senate Health Committee Hearing on SB 140 (Sacramento)
• April 11, 2015 – Marijuana and the Environment: Regulation and Responsibility in California (Eureka)
• April 14, 2015 – Senate Public Safety Committee Hearing on SB 303 (Sacramento)
• April 14, 2015 – Assembly Business and Professions Committee Hearing on AB 266 (Sacramento)
• April 15, 2015 – Assembly Agriculture Committee Hearing on AB 243 (Sacramento)

Court Support

• April 6, 2015 – Court Support for Brandon Smith (Vista)
• April 8, 2015 – Court Support for Jeffery and Andrea Sarbak (Pleasanton)
• April 10, 2015 – Court Support for Jacob & Sierra Macias (Oroville)
• And more

Take Action Now

• Support the Medical Marijuana Organ Transplant Act
• ASA-CCSA Email Discussion List

ASA Website Spotlight

• Citizen Lobbying: Influence your elected legislators

Chapter & Affiliate Meetings

• April 7, 2015 - San Francisco ASA (San Francisco)
• April 9, 2015 - San Francisco Brownie Mary Democratic Club (San Francisco)
• April 9, 2015 - Yuba County ASA (Foothills)

News

Justice Department says it can still prosecute medical marijuana cases (National)
Timothy M. Phelps, LA Times

The Justice Department says a congressional restriction on medical marijuana enforcement does not apply to individual cases like proceedings against three dispensaries in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Read more here:
http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-medical-marijuana-abusers-20150401-story.html

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Congressmen Say DOJ's Interpretation Of Their Medical Marijuana Amendment Is 'Emphatically Wrong' (National)
Matt Ferner, Huffington Post

The lawmakers behind a recent congressional amendment protecting medical marijuana operations in states where the drug is legal strongly rebuked the Department of Justice for trying to continue to crack down on some medical marijuana businesses.
Read more here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/03/doj-medical-marijuana_n_6997016.html

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Fired-Up Pot Patients, Parents Trade Tips to Prevent Confiscation of Kids (National)
Steven Nelson, US News and World Report

About a dozen parents and medical marijuana activists gathered in the nation’s capital Monday to share horror stories and advice on how to shield families from authorities who wield the power to take away their children.
Read more here:
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/03/31/fired-up-pot-patients-parents-trade-tips-to-prevent-confiscation-of-kids

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Pot Is Making California’s Epic Drought Worse (California)
Dan Mitchell, Time

Marijuana growers in Northern California are worsening local effects of the historic drought that has gripped the state for the past four years, according to a new study from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Read more here:
http://time.com/3763966/pot-is-making-californias-epic-drought-worse/

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California Drought: Illegal Marijuana Plants Dry Out Rivers, Kill Coho Salmon (California)
Kathleen Calderwood, International Business Times

As California confronts its worst drought in a millennium, illegal marijuana operations are sucking up more and more of the water supply, leaving some of the state's wildlife high and dry.
Read more here:
http://www.ibtimes.com/california-drought-illegal-marijuana-plants-dry-out-rivers-kill-coho-salmon-1863840

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B-Real of Cypress Hill Wants to Bring Dr. Greenthumb to Santa Ana (Santa Ana)
Nick Schou, OC Weekly

At about 7 a.m. on March 20, a fire alarm went off inside a nondescript warehouse in the 1100 block of East 17th Street in Santa Ana, near the 5 freeway. It's unclear if someone pulled the alarm or if something else triggered the device, but there was apparently no fire inside the building.
Read more here:
http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2015/04/b_real_cypress_hill_dr_greenthumb_santa_ana_marijuana_cannabis_collective.php

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Medical marijuana controversy playing out in Livermore (Livermore)
Jeremy Thgomas, San Jose Mercury News

As a steady stream of patients, young and old, approached the doors of the Tree of Life medical marijuana collective, Ramin Ahmed stepped outside, waved and apologized.
Read more here:
http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_27846843/medical-marijuana-controversy-playing-out-livermore

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Pot delivery ban proposed (Canyon Lake City)
Michael J. Williams, Press-Enterprise

A burgeoning mobile medical marijuana industry is prompting the Canyon Lake City Council to consider banning such businesses from operating within the city.
Read more here:
http://www.pe.com/articles/mobile-763537-city-marijuana.html

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Pot dispensary sues El Dorado County over raid (Diamond Springs)
Peter Hecht, Sacramento Bee

The former operator and members of a Diamond Springs marijuana dispensary are suing El Dorado County to recover seized marijuana, medical records and financial documents taken in a Sheriff’s Department raid last year.
Read more here:
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article16836542.html

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LB medical marijuana task force to take on challenges of new ordinance (Long Beach)
C.J. Dablo, Signal Tribune

Despite lawsuits and controversy over the years, Long Beach city officials are still pressing forward in a quest to find a way for medical-marijuana dispensaries and cultivation sites to co-exist with residents and businesses.
Read more here:
http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/?p=26998

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CBD-Rich Cannabis Versus Single-Molecule CBD (Science)
Martin A. Lee, Project CBD

A groundbreaking study from Israel has documented the superior therapeutic properties of whole plant CBD-rich Cannabis extract as compared to synthetic, single-molecule cannabidiol (CBD).
Read more here:
http://www.projectcbd.org/news/whole-plant-cbd-rich-cannabis-better-medicine-than-single-molecule-cbd/?utm_source=Project+CBD+Subscribers&utm_campaign=7860b75138-Newsfeed_4_1_21054_1_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8439c35f49-7860b75138-233789169

 Public Meetings & Events

April 7, 2015 - Assembly Health Committee Hearing on AB 258 (Sacramento)
1:30 PM in Room 4202 in the State Capitol Building on 10th Street between L & N Streets, Sacramento, CA 95814. The committee will hear testimony on AB 258 (Levine), which will prevent discrimination against legal medical cannabis patients in the organ transplant process. See http://www.safeaccessnow.org/2015_legislation for more information.

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April 7, 2015 – Senate Health Committee Hearing on SB 165 (Sacramento)
9:30 AM in Room 4203 in the State Capitol Building on 10th Street between L & N Streets, Sacramento, CA 95814. The committee will hear testimony on SB 165 (Mooning), which will increase civil penalties for some cannabis cultivation. See http://www.safeaccessnow.org/2015_legislation for more information.

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April 7, 2015 – Senate Public Safety Committee Hearing on SB 305 (Sacramento)
9:30 AM in Room 4203 in the State Capitol Building on 10th Street between L & N Streets, Sacramento, CA 95814. The committee will hear testimony on SB 305 (Bates), which will enhance penalties related to manufacturing concentrates. See http://www.safeaccessnow.org/2015_legislation for more information.

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April 8, 2015 – Senate Health Committee Hearing on SB 140 (Sacramento)
1:30 PM in Room 4203 in the State Capitol Building on 10th Street between L & N Streets, Sacramento, CA 95814. The committee will hear testimony on SB 140 (Leno), which will regulate e-cigarettes and vaporizer pens. See http://www.safeaccessnow.org/2015_legislation for more information.

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April 11, 2015 – Marijuana and the Environment: Regulation and Responsibility in California (Eureka)
9:00 AM at the Red Lion Inn, 1929 4^th Street, Eureka, CA 95501. This is a day-long conversation about regulating medical cannabis cultivation with Assembly Member Jim Wood, ASA PFC Director Kristin Nevedal, and others. RSVP in advance to reserve a seat to [email protected]

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April 14, 2015 – Senate Public Safety Committee Hearing on SB 303 (Sacramento)
9:30 AM in Room 3191 in the State Capitol Building on 10th Street between L & N Streets, Sacramento, CA 95814. The committee will hear testimony on SB 303 (Hueso), which will reduce the amount of cannabis required to be kept as evidence from ten pounds to two pounds and make other simplifications to the evidence handling process. See http://www.safeaccessnow.org/2015_legislation for more information.

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April 14, 2015 – Assembly Business and Professions Committee Hearing on AB 266 (Sacramento)
9:00 AM in Room 447 in the State Capitol Building on 10th Street between L & N Streets, Sacramento, CA 95814. The committee will hear testimony on AB 266 (Cooley), which will license and regulate commercial medical cannabis activity and more. See http://www.safeaccessnow.org/2015_legislation for more information.

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April 15, 2015 – Assembly Agriculture Committee Hearing on AB 243 (Sacramento)
1:30 PM in Room 126 in the State Capitol Building on 10th Street between L & N Streets, Sacramento, CA 95814. The committee will hear testimony on AB 243 (Woods), which will require that indoor and outdoor medical cannabis cultivation to be conducted in accordance with state and local laws and best practices related to land conversion, grading, electricity use, etc. See http://www.safeaccessnow.org/2015_legislation for more information.

Court Support

What is Court Support and how do I get involved?

April 6, 2015 – Court Support for Brandon Smith (Vista)
9:00 AM in Dept. 5 of the Vista Courthouse located at 325 S. Melrose Dr., Vista, CA 92081. Dress in an appropriate manner and obey all courtroom rules to best help the defendant.

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April 8, 2015 – Court Support for Jeffery and Andrea Sarbak (Pleasanton)
2:00 PM at 5672 Stoneridge Dr., Pleasanton, CA 94588. Dress in an appropriate manner and obey all courtroom rules to best help the defendants.

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April 10, 2015 – Court Support for Jacob & Sierra Macias (Oroville)
1:30 PM at 1 Court St, Oroville, CA 95965. Dress in an appropriate 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

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 AB 258, the Medical Marijuana Organ Transplant Act, to provide equal access to health care for legal patients.

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ASA-CCSA Email Discussion List
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/asa_ccsa_email_discussion_list

There are thirteen medical cannabis bills in the state legislature this year, cities and counties are moving to regulate or ban collectives, and there are big battles for medical cannabis in the courts right now. Sign up for the California Campaign for Safe Access email discussion list to talk with patients, advocates, industry workers, and other stakeholders about what’s happening at the local, state, and federal level. This email discussion list is the primary place that ASA publishes information about state legislation, including bills about organ transplants, commercial regulations, vape pens, and cultivation rules.

ASA Website Spotlight

Citizen Lobbying: Influence your elected legislators
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/training_citizen_lobbying

The best outcomes for legislation happen when those affected by bills at the local, state, and federal level have a voice in the conversation. That is why empowering our grassroots base is a high priority for ASA. Patients, caregivers, providers, industry workers, and other stakeholders can watch the video and use the step-by-step instructions in our workbook to learn how best to influence elected officials. Your effective participation is needed now to get the best outcome for legislation pending in Congress, more than a dozen medical cannabis bills in the state legislature, and local ordinances all over the state. 

ASA Chapter & Affiliate Meetings

April 7, 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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April 9, 2015 - San Francisco Brownie Mary Democratic Club (San Francisco)
6:00 PM at 948 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94103.

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April 9, 2015 - Yuba County ASA (Foothills)
The meeting starts at 7:00 PM at the Willow Glen Restaurant. 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.