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The California Citizen Lobby Day is just one month away. Get registered now so that we have time to schedule an appointment for you with your state Assembly Member and Senator on Monday, June 15. We are requesting a $25 donation to help defer the costs of the event, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

This year’s lobby day is actually two days. We will have two workshops on Sunday, June 14, designed to support local advocacy. ASA Director of Patient Focused Certification Kristin Nevadal will be talking about challenges and solutions for regulating medical cannabis cultivation. Advocates can use this expert information to help stem the tide of city and county cultivation bans. I will also be presenting a workshop on using voter initiatives to adopt medical cannabis ordinances or repeal bans.

The workshops are from 1:00 to 5:00 PM on Sunday. You need to buy tickets in advance, because workshop space is limited to 100 people. Tickets are $15 for one workshop of $25 for both. Register, see the full schedule, and get all the event details online at http://californiacitizenlobbyday.org

Scroll down for all the medical cannabis news, events, action alerts, court support, and chapter meetings. 

ASA California Weekly Roundup: May 11, 2015

Contents (Scroll down for details and links):

News

• California
• Local

Events

• May 11, 2015 – Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee Hearing on AB 821 (Sacramento)
• May 11, 2015 – Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing on SB 212 and SB 305 (Sacramento)
• May 19, 2015 – Know Your Rights Training at Nevada County ASA Meeting (Grass Valley)
• May 28, 2015 – Legislating Compassion: Passing and Implementing Good Medical Cannabis Laws (Online)
• June 14-15, 2015 – California Citizen Lobby Day 2015 (Sacramento)

Court Support

• May 14, 2015 - Court Support for Andrea and Jeffrey Sarbak (Pleasanton)
• More

Take Action Now

• Sign the Petition to Ask Your Representatives to Sign on to the Senate CARERS Act! (National)
• Tell President Obama his next DEA Administrator should match your position on medical cannabis (National)
• Stop Incarcerating Parents for Victimless Marijuana Crimes (Sonoma)

ASA Website Spotlight

• CA Lawmakers: Medical Cannabis Is Medicine for Real (Video)
• California Citizen Lobby Day

Chapter & Affiliate Meetings

• May 14, 2015 - San Francisco ASA (San Francisco)
• May 14, 2015 - Yuba County ASA (Valley)

News

Follow @ASAdonduncan on Twitter for medical cannabis news and more.

Legislature considering plans to regulate medicinal pot shops, growers (California)
http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-medical-marijuana-20150430-story.html

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Calif. Lawmakers Considering Statewide Rules for Medical Marijuana (California)
http://www.californiahealthline.org/articles/2015/5/5/calif-lawmakers-considering-statewide-rules-for-medical-marijuana

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California Legislature considering plans to regulate medical marijuana shops, growers (California)
http://sacramento.suntimes.com/sac-news/7/138/71259/regulate-medical-marijuana/

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California State Assembly Passes Medical Marijuana Organ Transplant Bill (California)
http://www.theweedblog.com/california-state-assembly-passes-medical-marijuana-organ-transplant-bill/

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Placer County Holds Off on Banning Pot Grows (Placer County)
http://fox40.com/2015/05/05/placer-county-holds-off-on-banning-pot-grows/

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Eureka City Council Votes to Allow Two Medical Marijuana Dispensaries (Eureka)
http://lostcoastoutpost.com/2015/may/5/eureka-city-council-may-5-2015/

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The healing powers of hash oil (San Diego)
http://www.sdcitybeat.com/sandiego/article-14160-the-healing-powers-of-hash-oil.html

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David Goldstein Investigation: Dozens Of Shut-Down Pot Shops Reopen Under New Names (Los Angeles)
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/04/28/david-goldstein-investigation-dozens-of-shut-down-pot-shops-reopen-under-new-names/

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County considers rules for growing marijuana at home (Riverside County)
http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/politics/politicalinsider/2015/05/02/political-insider-riverside-county/26735849/

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Modesto dad credits cannabis oil with saving his son's life (Modesto)
http://sacramento.suntimes.com/sac-news/7/138/71755/modesto-dad-credits-cannabis-oil-saving-sons-life

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Sonoma Co. Man Gets Year In Lock-Up For Pot, Money Laundering, Weapons (Sonoma County)
http://patch.com/california/rohnertpark-cotati/sonoma-co-man-gets-year-lock-pot-money-laundering-weapons

 Public Meetings & Events

May 11, 2015 – Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee Hearing on AB 821 (Sacramento)
1:30 PM in Room 126 in the State Capitol Building. The committee will hear testimony and vote on AB 821 (Gipson), which will exempt terminally ill patients from state sales tax. ASA supports AB 821. Visit http://www.safeaccessnow.org/2015_legislation for more information.

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May 11, 2015 – Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing on SB 212 and SB 305 (Sacramento)
10:00 AM in Room 4203 in the State Capitol Building. The committee will vote on two medical cannabis bills related to manufacturing concentrates. SB 212 (Mendoza) will increase sentences for people convicted of manufacturing concentrated cannabis with a volatile solvent (like butane) within 300 feet of an occupied residence. SB 305 (Bates) would increase sentences for manufacturing concentrated cannabis where someone under 16 years old lives or is injured by the process. ASA opposes both bills in favor of comprehensive safety regulations. Visit http://www.safeaccessnow.org/2015_legislation for more information.

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May 19, 2015 – Know Your Rights Training at Nevada County ASA Meeting (Grass Valley)
6:00 PM at Golden Empire Grange, 11283 Grange Ct, Grass Valley, CA 95945. ASA California Director Don Duncan will host a free Know Your Rights Training for Nevada County ASA members and friends.

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May 28, 2015 – Legislating Compassion: Passing and Implementing Good Medical Cannabis Laws (Online)
7:00 PM online (link TBA). Join ASA California Director Don Duncan for a live online broadcast to discuss how to adopt and implement local and state laws that are beneficial to medical cannabis patients and other stakeholders. Topics include how to read and analyze legislation, crafting amendments, understand the political processes, using the tools you have, and more.

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June 14-15, 2015 – California Citizen Lobby Day 2015 (Sacramento)
1:00 – 5:00 PM Sunday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Monday at the Library Galleria, 828 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. 5:30 PM VIP Reception in the Ballroom at the Citizen Hotel, 926 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. ASA will bring hundreds of medical cannabis patients and advocates to Sacramento for workshops on changing local law, special briefings on state bills, training, and face-to-face meetings with lawmakers and staff. Register now for the biggest and most important medical cannabis citizen lobby day yet. Workshops $25 (including materials), Lobby Day $25 requested donation (no one turned away for lack of funds). Registration is open now at http://CaliforniaCitizenLobbyDay.org 

Court Support

What is Court Support and how do I get involved?

May 14, 2015 - Court Support for Andrea and Jeffrey Sarbak (Pleasanton)
2:00 PM at Gale-Schenone Hall of Justice, 5672 Stoneridge Dr. # D, Pleasanton, CA 94588. Dress in an appropriate manner and obey all courtroom rules to best help the defendants. Jeff Sarbak · [email protected] · 925 525 8072.

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

Take Action Now

Sign the Petition to Ask Your Representatives to Sign on to the Senate CARERS Act! (National)
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/senate_carers_act_petition

For the first time ever, we now have comprehensive medical marijuana legislation in the U.S. Senate.  Sign the Petition below to urge your senators to protect safe access and patients right by signing onto the CARERS Act.

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Tell President Obama his next DEA Administrator should match your position on medical cannabis (National)
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/tell_president_obama_his_next_dea_administrator_should_match_your_position_on_medical_cannabis

With the impending resignation of DEA Administration Michele Leonhart, President Obama will need to select a new official to head up the Drug Enforcement Agency. Under Leonhart, the DEA raids against state-legal medical cannabis dispensaries and cultivators skyrocketed. Leonhart also proved to be a roadblock to marijuana rescheduling, and was a vocal supporter of escalating drug war violence. Please take a moment and send this sample email below to President Obama urging him to select a new DEA Administration who will share his views that physicians should be able to offer medical cannabis therapy to their patients. 

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Stop Incarcerating Parents for Victimless Marijuana Crimes (Sonoma)
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/stop-incarcerating-parents.fb51?source=c.fb&r_by=12947975

Yarrow Kubrin, father of two small children, is facing four and a half years in prison for medical cannabis cultivation. Sign this petition asking Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch and Probation Director Robert Ochs to stop recommending prison sentences for victim-less crimes related to cannabis.

ASA Website Spotlight

CA Lawmakers: Medical Cannabis Is Medicine for Real (Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WcVy_Tr4SI

This online broadcast with ASA California Director Don Duncan was recorded live on May 7. The video explores the need and strategy for effectively framing the issue of medical cannabis for lawmakers. These are important topics for citizen advocates, especially those who will be participating in the California Citizen Lobby Day in June. 

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California Citizen Lobby Day
http://californiacitizenlobbyday.org

Get all the details, tentative agenda, and registration information, and more on this new webpage for the California Citizen Lobby Day, June 14-15, in Sacramento, CA. This will be ASA’s biggest and most important lobby day yet in California. We will be discussing regulating cultivation, using local initiatives, and more than a dozen bills in the state legislature. ASA will make an appointment for you to see your state Assembly Member and Senator on Monday, June 15, when you sign up.

ASA Chapter & Affiliate Meetings

May 14, 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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May 14, 2015 - 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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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.