Sign the petition for AB 258 and send it to your friends

Posted by 21pc on February 23, 2015

Hand signing petitionI need your help to make sure that the state legislature passes AB 258, the Medical Cannabis Organ Transplant Act, this year. Can you sign ASA’s online petition in support if the bill, and then ask your friends and loved ones to do the same? Our goal is to have more than 1,000 signatures before AB 258 is heard in the Assembly Health Committee as soon as next month.

AB 258 will save lives by preventing discrimination against medical cannabis patients in the organ transplant process. Patients are routinely denied a place on the national organ transplant wait list if they test positive for cannabis use – even doctor-recommended medical cannabis. Legal patients have died after being denied a place on the list and others are in jeopardy right now. AB 258 will prevent unnecessary suffering and avoidable deaths by protecting legal patients.

Thanks for signing and asking your friends and loved ones to do the same. Don’t forget to share this link with your email list and on social media sites:

http://www.safeaccessnow.org/support_the_ca_medical_marijuana_organ_transplant_act

 

ASA California Weekly Roundup: February 23, 2015

Contents:

News

  • Members Of Congress Stand Up For California Medical Marijuana Dispensary (National)
  • Why Is Marijuana A Schedule I Drug? (National)
  • Bill Would Ban Organ Transplant Bias Against Legal Pot Smokers
  • Proceed With Caution: A Warning to Tribes Wanting to Grow Medical Marijuana (California)
  • Police ID security guard killed during gun battle at illegal pot dispensary (San Bernardino)
  • Cypress Hill's B Real Talks Opening His Medical-Marijuana Dispensary, New All-Star 'Mixtape' and 'Ultimate Stoner Lineup' (Santa Ana)
  • Mobile marijuana dispensaries banned in Pismo Beach (Pismo Beach)
  • Upland residents feel duped by medical marijuana petition (Upland)
  • Council Asks for Report on Regulating Dispensaries (Livermore)

Events

  • February 23, 2015 - Marijuana Compassion and Common Sense (Online)
  • March 3, 2015 – Richmond City Council Meeting (Richmond)
  • March 27-31, 2015 – ASA’s National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference 2015 (Washington, DC)

Court Support

  • February 27, 2015 – Court Support for Shelby Lucero (Sacramento)
  • And more

Take Action Now

  • Don't Roll Back Legal Access in Richmond
  • Take the Medical Cannabis Discrimination Survey 
  • Support the Medical Marijuana Organ Transplant Act

ASA Website Spotlight: AB 258 – The Medical Cannabis Organ Transplant Act

Chapter & Affiliate Meetings

  • February 24, 2015 - San Diego ASA (San Diego) 

News

Members Of Congress Stand Up For California Medical Marijuana Dispensary (National)
Matt Ferner and Carly Schwartz, Huffington Post

Three congressional lawmakers from California are accusing the U.S. Department of Justice of overreach in an ongoing crackdown against Harborside Health Center, widely considered to be the largest and one of the most well-respected medical marijuana dispensaries in the nation.
Read more here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/17/congress-medical-marijuana_n_6702128.html

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Why Is Marijuana A Schedule I Drug? (National)
Amy Nordum, International Business Times

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration lists marijuana in the most restrictive of five classes that the agency uses to regulate dangerous drugs. Marijuana is classified as a Schedule I substance, which is the ranking reserved for drugs with the greatest potential for abuse and with no medicinal value.
Read more here:
http://www.ibtimes.com/why-marijuana-schedule-i-drug-1821426

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Bill Would Ban Organ Transplant Bias Against Legal Pot Smokers
Ken Broder, Allgov.com

Norman B. Smith died in 2012 because he smoked marijuana. But it wasn’t the drug that killed him.
Read more here:
http://www.allgov.com/usa/ca/news/controversies/bill-would-ban-organ-transplant-bias-against-legal-pot-smokers-150218?news=855709

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Proceed With Caution: A Warning to Tribes Wanting to Grow Medical Marijuana (California)
Alysa Landry, Indian County Today

California’s Pinoleville Pomo Nation is poised to become the first American Indian tribe to grow medical marijuana, though investors claim at least 100 additional tribes are exploring their options.
Read more here:
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/02/16/proceed-caution-warning-tribes-wanting-grow-medical-marijuana-159208

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Police ID security guard killed during gun battle at illegal pot dispensary (San Bernardino)
Veronica Rocha, LA Times

A security guard was shot to death late Monday after exchanging gunfire with two gunmen who tried to rob an illegal pot dispensary in San Bernardino, police said.
Read more here:
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-security-guard-killed-marijuana-dispensary-20150217-story.html

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Cypress Hill's B Real Talks Opening His Medical-Marijuana Dispensary, New All-Star 'Mixtape' and 'Ultimate Stoner Lineup' (Santa Ana)
Steve Baltin, Billboard

Cypress Hill's B Real (whose real name is Louis Freese) has fame and money, but he still needed a lot of luck for his next business venture outside of music: a medical marijuana dispensary in Southern California's Orange County.
Read more here:
http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6473058/b-real-opens-medical-marijuana-dispensary-mixtape-cypress-hill

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Mobile marijuana dispensaries banned in Pismo Beach (Pismo Beach)
Kaytlyn Leslie, The Tribune

Mobile marijuana dispensaries will no longer be allowed to operate in Pismo Beach, but discussion about regulating marijuana in the city is not over, Mayor Shelly Higginbotham said Tuesday.
Read more here:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/02/17/3495350/mobile-marijuana-dispensaries.html#storylink=cpy

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Upland residents feel duped by medical marijuana petition (Upland)
List Marquez, Daily Bulletin

Several residents are claiming they were misled by petition gatherers of a medical marijuana ballot measure by being told it was an effort to outlaw dispensaries.
Read more here:
http://www.dailybulletin.com/health/20150215/upland-residents-feel-duped-by-medical-marijuana-petition

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Council Asks for Report on Regulating Dispensaries (Livermore)
The Independent

The Livermore City Council will be taking up the issue of medical marijuana dispensaries at a future council meeting.
Read more here:
http://www.independentnews.com/news/council-asks-for-report-on-regulating-dispensaries/article_0c2b3dfe-b794-11e4-b4f3-e3efa567f00f.html

 Public Meetings & Events

February 23, 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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March 3, 2015 – Richmond City Council Meeting (Richmond)
6:30 PM in the Community Services Building, 440 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94804. Sign up for public comments to tell the City Council not to reduce the number of patients’ associations in the city. Action alert and talking points: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/don_t_roll_back_legal_access_in_richmond_ca 

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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?

February 27, 2015 – Court Support for Shelby Lucero (Sacramento)
9:00 AM at Sacramento Superior Court, 720 9th Street, Sacramento, CA 95418. 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

Don't Roll Back Legal Access in Richmond
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/don_t_roll_back_legal_access_in_richmond_ca

The Richmond City Council may vote to reduce the number of medical cannabis patients’ associations in the city on Tuesday. Tell the City Council that patients need more access, not less!

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Take the Medical Cannabis Discrimination Survey (California)
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/ca_discrimination_survey

Medical cannabis patients still face pervasive discrimination when it comes to employment, housing, parental right, and equal access to healthcare. ASA is collecting data about discrimination against legal medical cannabis patients, primary caregivers, and providers to help educate lawmakers and regulators. The 26-question patient survey is up now. Please take a few minutes to answer the mostly yes or no questions.

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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

AB 258 – The Medical Cannabis Organ Transplant Act
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/ab_258

This page has the text of the ASA-sponsored bill to protect medical cannabis patients from discrimination in the organ transplant process. This is also where you will find links to background information, scientific data, and a petition to support the bill. Be sure to check out the video of patients talking about why this legislation matters.

ASA Chapter & Affiliate Meetings

February 24, 2015 - San Diego ASA (San Diego)
6:30 – 7:30 networking, 7:30 meeting starts at Giovanni's Restaurant at 9353 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. San Diego, CA 92123. 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.