Patient advocates produce new ads in an effort to educate public, hold federal policymakers accountable Paul Marini | June 16, 2014 Spokane, WA -- The medical marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is running two new 30-second TV advertisements on MSNBC, CNN, and HLN in eastern and central Washington every day this week. The ads draw attention to the... Read more
Patient Focused Certification program brings quality, safety standards to medical marijuana industry Paul Marini | June 11, 2014 Phoenix, AZ & Santa Fe, NM -- Three businesses in Arizona and New Mexico were certified today by a new nationwide program that verifies the quality and reliability of medical marijuana produced, analyzed, and sold. The state-licensed dispensary New Mexicann... Read more
Patient advocates are producing ads in an effort to educate public, hold federal policymakers accountable Paul Marini | June 05, 2014 Washington, D.C. -- The medical marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is running 30-second TV advertisements on MSNBC in Maryland and South Florida over the next few days to draw attention to Members of Congress who opposed medical... Read more
U.S. Senate could vote as early as next week on measure to restrict DOJ funds for medical marijuana enforcement Paul Marini | June 04, 2014 Washington, D.C. -- Medical marijuana patient Larry Harvey, 70, has returned to Washington, D.C. this week to persuade the U.S. Senate to vote for an end to the type of Justice Department (DOJ) enforcement that has resulted in unnecessary federal... Read more
Adoption of Minnesota law coincides with Congressional vote to end federal interference in implementation of such laws Paul Marini | May 29, 2014 St. Paul, MN -- Governor Mark Dayton signed a bill into law today that makes Minnesota the 22nd medical marijuana state. Patient advocates celebrated the passage of SF 2470, which will protect qualified patients from arrest, prosecution, and discrimination, and... Read more
The 219-189 House floor vote forces Obama Administration to end federal attacks in medical marijuana states Paul Marini | May 29, 2014 Washington, D.C. -- In an unprecedented 219-189 floor vote late tonight, the House of Representatives approved the end of funding for Department of Justice (DOJ) enforcement in medical marijuana states. Advocates are hailing the vote as a major victory that... Read more
Advocates complain that aggressive prosecutions and enforcement actions continue despite August 2013 DOJ memo Paul Marini | May 28, 2014 Washington, D.C. -- A bipartisan group of Congressional House members are expected to introduce an amendment later today to the Commerce, Science & Justice (CJS) appropriations bill, which would stop the Department of Justice (DOJ) from using funds to interfere... Read more
Speakers discuss upcoming Congressional vote to restrict DOJ enforcement against medical marijuana patients like the "Kettle Falls 5" Paul Marini | May 06, 2014 Washington, D.C. -- Medical marijuana patient Larry Harvey, 70, who will be tried in federal court next week in Spokane, Washington, is speaking out on Capitol Hill about his prosecution. Harvey will be joined by a bipartisan group of Congressional... Read more
Congressional vote expected this month to restrict DOJ enforcement against state-compliant patients like the "Kettle Falls 5" Paul Marini | May 05, 2014 Washington, D.C. -- Medical marijuana patient Larry Harvey, 70, is traveling to Washington, D.C. this week to persuade Congress to stop funding unnecessary federal prosecutions like his. Harvey is one of the "Kettle Falls 5," a federal medical marijuana case... Read more
Interactive online tool shows how Congress votes on medical marijuana, including yesterday's VHA vote Paul Marini | May 01, 2014 Washington, D.C. -- The medical marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) relaunched its VoteMedicalMarijuana.org website today, an interactive online tool that provides voting statistics and a report card for each Members of Congress. For example, the site provides... Read more