ASA California Roundup: December 9, 2013

Posted by 21pc on December 09, 2013

There are at least three public meetings where medical cannabis will be debated this Tuesday – Fresno County, the City of Long Beach, and the City of San Jose. The outcomes of meetings like these matter. Please go and speak up for safe and dignified access. Remember the ABC’s --- be Accurate, be Brief, and be Courteous. Read more about citizen advocacy and local organizing on ASA’s free Online Advocates Training Center, and be sure to email [email protected] before 12:00 PM on Friday to have meetings the following week included in this email.

Contents:
California News

  • Disturbing 2014 Trend: Banning Medical Marijuana Grows (California)
  • Meet America's First Marijuana Mayor: Sebastopol's Robert Jacob (Sebastopol)
  • San Jose to take new shot at limiting medical marijuana shops (San Jose)
  • Medical marijuana law snuffed out by City Council (Napa)
  • Fresno County supervisors to weigh tougher marijuana rules (Fresno)
  • Long Beach medical marijuana law stalled (Long Beach)
  • Father seeks City Council’s help with medical cannabis for his 7-year-old son (Modesto)

Events

  • Tuesday, December 10, 2013 – Fresno County Board of Supervisors Meeting (Fresno)
  • Tuesday, December 10, 2013 – Long Beach City Council Meeting (Long Beach)
  • Tuesday, December 10, 2013 – San Jose City Council Meeting (San Jose)
  • Friday, December 13, 2013 – Sentencing Hearing for Jovan Jackson (San Diego)
  • Friday, December 13, 2013 – ASA Constituent Call: California in 2014 (Statewide)
  • Save the date: April 5-7, 2014 - ASA’s 2nd Annual National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference in Washington, DC.

Take Action

  • Get you ASA Cloud Vaporizer Pen and help support ASA
  • Click to Donate - Raise money just by searching the Internet

ASA Services
Free Online Services

  • Legal Support
  • Publications
  • Raid Center
  • Medical Cannabis Advocate's Training Center

ASA Chapter Meetings

  • Tuesday, December 10, 2013 – Nevada County ASA – (Grass Valley)
  • Tuesday, December 10, 2013 – San Diego ASA
  • Thursday, December 12, 2013 – San Diego ASA (Imperial Beach)
  • Saturday, December 14, 2013 – Yuba County ASA
  • Saturday, December 14, 2013 – Nevada County ASA (Truckee)

California News

Disturbing 2014 Trend: Banning Medical Marijuana Grows
By David Downs in the East Bay Express

A disturbing trend is emerging for 2014: bans on any and all medical marijuana cultivation in California counties opposed to Proposition 215. Fresno County is considering an all-out ban at at an upcoming hearing of the Board of Supervisors. The move comes after a California Appellate Court ruled in November that such bans would be legal, in spite of Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act, which exists to "ensure that seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes…”
Read the full story here.

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Meet America's First Marijuana Mayor: Sebastopol's Robert Jacob
By Chris Roberts in the SF Weekly

Wednesday was not a day to get things done for Robert Jacob. His first day on the job as the mayor of Sebastopol -- a town of 7,500 in Sonoma County, with politics so left-wing that makes Berkeley seem that liberal -- was chock-full of meetings that were interrupted by a barrage of calls from big media outlets. Jacob's selection as mayor during Tuesday's City Council meeting (Sebastopol's chief executive is selected from its part-time council members) is newsworthy, not because he's Mexican-Iranian or gay (which would be news in 99 percent of the rest of America). It's news because Jacob, 36, runs two medical cannabis dispensaries...
Read the full story here.

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San Jose to take new shot at limiting medical marijuana shops
By Mike Rosenberg in the San Jose Mercury news

Bolstered by new legal authority, San Jose leaders are trying again to impose rules that would sharply shrink the number of medical marijuana dispensaries that have proliferated across the city in recent years as officials struggled to regulate them. But even as the San Jose City Council considers new rules Tuesday evening, marijuana advocates are promising once more to collect signatures that would allow voters to overturn them, reigniting a weed war that had been on ice while city leaders awaited key court rulings. The state Supreme Court this spring ruled that cities can regulate medical marijuana shops, prompting the new proposals. Mayor Chuck Reed said there doesn't appear to be support on the council for a complete ban but said the council has a shot at passing rules that block dispensaries near schools, homes and other sensitive areas…
Read the entire story here.

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Medical marijuana law snuffed out by City Council
By Chantal M. Lovell in the Napa Valley Register

Medical marijuana dispensaries have effectively been banned in Napa. More than three years after it unanimously moved to bring a dispensary to Napa, the City Council made a split decision late Tuesday night to scrap the never-implemented law. “For the folks that have a medical reason for it, it’s not that I care less about your need,” Councilman Alfredo Pedroza said. “As policy makers, as elected officials, we have to be able to take a step back, set emotion aside and think critically about what’s before us. ... It’s understanding that our decision has serious consequences…”
Read the full story here.
Read a related Op-Ed by Green Party Spokesperson Spencer Smith in the Napa Valley Register here.

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Fresno County supervisors to weigh tougher marijuana rules (interactive)
By Carmen George in the Fresno Bee

Two revamped marijuana ordinance proposals — one that completely bans marijuana growing in Fresno County — will be before county supervisors on Tuesday. Both revisions are an effort to curtail the emergence of large, dangerous marijuana grows on the Valley floor that have been hotbeds for crime, officials say. The other proposal limits growers to six mature, or 12 immature pot plants. Growing space also can't exceed 120 square feet within either a room of a single-family dwelling, or a detached, covered outdoor structure…
Read the entire story and see related charts here.

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Long Beach medical marijuana law stalled
By Eric Bradley in the Press-Telegram

Writing a medical marijuana law that fulfills the City Council’s goal of providing safe, limited access to the drug is going to take more time.
City Attorney Charles Parkin said he will seek guidance at Tuesday’s council meeting on a way forward after running into problems on requested restrictions.
The challenges, according to his office, are largely created by the council’s request to limit dispensaries to industrial zones, with no more than two per district.
Read the entire story here.

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Father seeks City Council’s help with medical cannabis for his 7-year-old son
By Kevin Valine in the Merced Sun-Star

The father of a child who suffers from seizures hopes to enlist the City Council’s support in making a type of medical cannabis legal in California. Jason David and other parents and their supporters appeared at Tuesday’s council meeting to ask for help. Council members agreed to discuss whether the council would send letters in support of legislation to make it legal to produce a type of medical cannabis with a high concentration of cannabidiol, or CBD. The discussion is scheduled for next week’s council meeting…
Read the entire story here.

Events

Tuesday, December 10, 2013 – Fresno County Board of Supervisors Meeting (Fresno)
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors may vote to ban medical cannabis cultivation. ASA and local advocates are calling for people to speak in opposition to the ban at Tuesday morning’s meeting. The meeting starts at 9:00 AM at Fresno Hall of Records, 2281 Tulare St., Fresno, CA 93721. Visit http://www.FresnoCannabis.org for more information.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013 – Long Beach City Council Meeting (Long Beach)
The Long Beach City Council will discuss a proposed medical cannabis ordinance at their meeting on Tuesday night. Tell the City Council to listen to patients and advocates about the new rules. Arrive early to sign up to speak on agenda item number 25. The meeting starts at 5:00 PM in Council Chambers at 333 West Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90802.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013 – San Jose City Council Meeting (San Jose)
The San Jose City Council will vote on tightening rules related to medical cannabis enforcement at Tuesday night’s meeting. Tell the City Council to include patients’ welfare in the debate an to be reasonable. The meeting starts at 5:00 PM, but agenda item 8.1 is far down the agenda. The meeting is at 200 E. Santa Clara St., San José, CA 95113.

Friday, December 13, 2013 – Sentencing Hearing for Jovan Jackson (San Diego)
9:00 AM in Dept. 54 of the San Diego Courthouse at 220 W. Broadway, San Diego, CA 9210. Read background about Jackson’s case here. http://www.safeaccessnow.org/third_trial_begins_for_san_diego_medical_marijuana_dispensary_operator_after_winning_landmark_right_to_a_defense
Email [email protected] for additional information.

Friday, December 13, 2013 – ASA Constituent Call: California in 2014 (Statewide)
Join ASA members and allies from all over the state for a talk with ASA California Director Don Duncan for a talk about what is on the horizon in California in 0214. The call, which is the first of several over the next few months, begins at 12:00 PM. Call 206-402-0825 and enter access code 1618568# to join the one-hour call.

Do you have a medical cannabis event to share? Send items for the California Weekly Roundup to [email protected] before 12:00 PM on Friday to be included in Monday's distribution.

Take Action

Get you ASA Cloud Vaporizer Pen and help support ASA

Cloud Vapes and ASA have teamed up to offer this very special, limited edition vapo-pen. This high-quality vape pen has an ASA logo and a life time guarantee. Cloud Vapes is donating a portion of proceeds for each retail and wholesale transaction to ASA. ASA Cloud Vaporizer pens make great holiday gifts!

Click to Donate

Help raise money for medical cannabis advocacy – just by searching the Internet! Sign up at Click to Donate and select Americans for Safe Access as your charity. Then just keeping searching.

ASA Services

Free Online Services

  • Legal Support - Legal information for patients, lawyers, and other about medical cannabis laws the legal system.
  • Publications - Education literature and training for patients, activists, and others.
  • Raid Center - Be prepared for a law enforcement encounter, let ASA help you in case of a federal raid, and get text alerts regarding local law enforcement activity.
  • Medical Cannabis Advocate's Training Center - Learn how to be a more effective advocate for medical cannabis and how to build the movement in your community.

ASA Chapter Meetings

Tuesday, December 10, 2013 – Nevada County ASA – (Grass Valley)
6:00 PM at  the Nevada County Contractors Association, 147 Crown Point CT Grass Valley, CA 95945. Email [email protected] for more information.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013 – San Diego ASA
6:30 PM at Giovanni's Restaurant - 9353 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, CA 92123. Email [email protected] for more information.

Thursday, December 12, 2013 – San Diego ASA (Imperial Beach)
6:00 PM at 1233 Palm Ave, Imperial Beach, CA. Email [email protected] for more information.

Saturday, December 14, 2013 – Yuba County ASA
Email [email protected] for time, address, and other information.

Saturday, December 14, 2013 – Nevada County ASA (Truckee)
12:00 PM at 8924 Donner Pass Rd., Truckee CA 96161. Email [email protected] for more information.

See the full calendar here.

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.