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Message from the CA Director - Well done, California

California News

• Veterans Equal Access Amendment Nearly Passes in Milestone Congressional Medical Marijuana Vote (National)
• League of California Cities Report Crucial Doctor Provisions Deleted from Medical Marijuana Bill in Senate Health Committee (California)
• Rural County Representatives of California Report Medical Marijuana Regulatory Bills Advance in the Legislature (California)
• How Should California Test for Marijuana DUIs? (California)
• Boy with autism has his own strain of medical marijuana and is thriving, mother says (California)
• Officials: Pot Growers Worsening California's Drought (California)
• Many Medical Marijuana Users Oppose Legalization of Recreational Use (California)
• Pro-Medical Marijuana Group Sues the City, While Other Group Criticizes the Suit (San Diego)
• Judge puts Fresno County medical marijuana fines on hold (Fresno County)
• SLO City Council to consider tighter law on medical marijuana (San Luis Obispo)
• Colfax medical marijuana proposal fails (Colfax)
• Highland pot dealer arrested (Highland)
• Amazing Medical Cannabis Discoveries (Science)

Events

• Monday, May 5, 0214 – Healdsburg City Council Meeting (Healdsburg)
• Monday, May 5, 2014 – San Pablo City Council Meeting (San Pablo)
• Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - San Luis Obispo City Council Meeting (San Luis Obispo)
• Monday, May 12, 2014 – Bloodganja: Medical Cannabis Movie & Panel (Santa Barbara)
• Wednesday, May 28, 2014 – Sacramento County Board of Supervisors Meeting (Sacramento)

Court Support

• Monday, may 5, 2014 – Court Support for Jason Miller (Sacramento)
• Monday, May 5, 2014 – Court Support for Victoria Mindiola (San Bernardino)
• Monday, May 12, 2014 – Court Support for Joseph Smart & Jimmy Chang (Santa Rosa)

Take Action

• Support SB 1193 in California
• Join Americans for Safe Access (ASA)

ASA Website Spotlight

• Finding Your Voice

ASA Chapter & Affiliate Meetings

• Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - San Francisco ASA (San Francisco)
• Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - Yuba County ASA (Valley)
• Thursday, May 8, 2014 - San Diego ASA (Imperial Beach)
• Thursday, May 8, 2014 - Yuba County ASA (Foothills)

Message from the CA Director

Congratulations to everyone who spoke up in opposition to AB 2500, a bill that would have made it a crime to drive with even a miniscule amount of medical cannabis detectable in your blood. ASA members and allies helped kill this bill in committee on Tuesday. Well done! This is the second time this year that ASA members have rallied to stop bad legislation. We helped kill AB 1588 in March. That bill by Assembly Member Jim Frazier (D-Fairfield) would have made it more difficult to open legal medical cannabis patients’ collectives and imposed fines of up to $10,000. Read more here.

Now it is time to speak up for what we do want. SB 1193, by California Senator Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa), requires law enforcement to return wrongfully-confiscated medical cannabis or to pay the owner reasonable compensation. This bill will make ASA’s landmark return of property victory in City of Garden Grove v. Superior Court of Orange County the law of the land. Scroll down to the “Take Action” section of this email to sign a petition in support of SB 1193.

The fight for safe access is also a local one. The City Council in Healdsburg will have a public hearing on an ordinance that severely limits patient cultivation this afternoon, and the City Council in San Luis Obispo will hear testimony on an ordinance banning virtually all medical cannabis activity on Tuesday. Scroll down to the “Events” section of this email the details. Is your city or county moving to restrict or ban cultivation or distribution? Please let ASA know about hearings, meetings, and votes in advance. We want to help turn out supporters to reverse the trend of banning cultivation and distribution. Send announcements for the California Weekly Roundup to [email protected] before 12:00 PM on Friday to be included in the following Monday's distribution.

Thanks again to everyone who helped defeat AB 1588 and AB 2500. Let’s keep it up!

California News

Veterans Equal Access Amendment Nearly Passes in Milestone Congressional Medical Marijuana Vote (National)
Mike Liszewski, Medical Cannabis: Voices from the Frontlines

Yesterday, Congress narrowly defeated an amendment to the House Military Construction & Veterans Affairs & Related Agencies Appropriations Act (HR 4486) by a vote of 195-222. The "Veterans Equal Access Amendment," offered by Reps. Blumenauer (D-OR), Farr (D-CA), and Rohrabacher (R-CA) would have allowed Veterans Affairs (VA) physicians to fill out written recommendations for medical marijuana to veterans patients they feel could benefit from it in states where medical marijuana is legal. Unfortunately, Congress voted to deny expanded access to health care for military veterans; as many veterans rely on the VA for all of their medical care and may have to pay out of pocket to see non-VA doctors, adding expense and burden to veterans living with chronic pain, PTSD, and other scars of battle.
Read more here.

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League of California Cities Report Crucial Doctor Provisions Deleted from Medical Marijuana Bill in Senate Health Committee (California)
Sierra Sun Times

The bill that went to the Health Committee yesterday provided a solid regulatory framework for implementing the Compassionate Use Act in a way that protects local governments land use authority unconditionally and provides for the authority to effectively provide public safety while ensuring that patients in need of medical cannabis have access.  SB 1262 has been the only bill that had the support of patient advocates, cities and law enforcement and represented a truly health-based approach to the regulation of medical marijuana in California.
Read more here.

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Rural County Representatives of California Report Medical Marijuana Regulatory Bills Advance in the Legislature (California)
Sierra Sun Times

Two bills that seek to develop a state regulatory scheme (albeit in very different manners) to address issues related to medical marijuana were considered in the Legislature this week. Assembly Bill 1894 by Assembly Member Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), and Senate Bill 1262 by Senator Lou Correa (D-Orange) - sponsored by the League of California Cities and California Police Chiefs Association - both gained passage and will advance through the legislative process. RCRC staff testified on both measures, providing concerns and amendment recommendations to both measures.
Read more here.

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How Should California Test for Marijuana DUIs? (California)
LEAP, OB Rag

A bill in the California legislation that would have created per se limits on driving under the influence of specified drugs – like marijuana – based on blood tests even absent other evidence of impairment, AB 2500, just failed in the Public Safety Committee.
Read more here.

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Boy with autism has his own strain of medical marijuana and is thriving, mother says (California)
Catherine Garcia, The Week

Five years ago, a Southern California mother decided that in order to save the life of her son with severe autism, she needed to turn to medical marijuana. Joey Hester-Perez was diagnosed with autism at 16 months, and later with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. His symptoms became worse as he got older, and more and more medications were added to his regimen until he was taking 13 different drugs every day. When Joey was 9 years old, ABC 7 in Los Angeles says, doctors told his mother to plan his funeral.
Read more here.

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Officials: Pot Growers Worsening California's Drought (California)
Jason Devaney, Newsmax

California is in the midst of a serious drought, and some people in the state have an idea of what is making it worse: Marijuana growers. With each marijuana plant requiring an average of six gallons of water a day, according to a McClatchy report, legal and illegal growers are now in the spotlight. Illegal growers using public forests to plant and harvest their crop are also being accused of polluting rivers and streams with harmful pesticides and fertilizers.
Read more here.

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Many Medical Marijuana Users Oppose Legalization of Recreational Use (California)
Sabrina Rodriguez, Fox 40 News

Recreational marijuana is thriving in Colorado; officially legal since January. Close behind is Washington, with recreational sales expected to start in July. There’s speculation that California is next. There’s an assumption those involved in California’s medicinal cannabis fully support recreational legalization, but that’s where some of the biggest opponents are. “I am a marijuana user, a medical marijuana patient, and I do not support legalization,” said a patient and grower, who asked to remain anonymous.
Read more and watch a video here.

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Pro-Medical Marijuana Group Sues the City, While Other Group Criticizes the Suit (San Diego)
City news Service, Times of San Diego

A group of medical marijuana activists have sued the city of San Diego to put a stop to recently passed regulations of dispensaries, but another group is objecting to the lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed in Superior Court by the Union of Medical Marijuana Patients Inc., which calls itself a civil rights organization founded in 2007 in Los Angeles to defend and assert the rights of medical cannabis patients. Their petition for a writ of mandate contends that, according to a study of the zoning regulations passed by the council, “only 30″ dispensaries can possibly exist in the city.
Read more here.

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Judge puts Fresno County medical marijuana fines on hold (Fresno County)
Marc Benjamin, Fresno Bee

 A Fresno County Superior Court judge ruled this week that county officials can't start collecting fines from two property owners who appealed the new medical marijuana cultivation ban. His order affects two properties near Kerman and Del Rey where medical marijuana was discovered and removed. Both cases were heard by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, which approved the fines in March.
Read more here.

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SLO City Council to consider tighter law on medical marijuana (San Luis Obispo)
Annmarie Cornejo, The Tribune

 The San Luis Obispo City Council will consider a new law Tuesday that would put strict limits on medical marijuana users within the city. The ordinance, if passed, would prohibit qualified patients or caregivers — those people with a doctor’s written recommendation — from growing marijuana outside and limit growing indoors to an area of no more than 50 square feet.
Read more here.

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Colfax medical marijuana proposal fails (Colfax)
Reichard Chang, Sacramento Bee

 A proposal to consider allowing medical marijuana dispensaries in Colfax failed in the City Council Wednesday night. Two council members voted in favor, and two voted against the motion, which would have instructed city staff to look into revising the 2009 ordinance prohibiting dispensaries in Colfax. The fifth council member abstained.
Read more here.

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Highland pot dealer arrested (Highland)
Highland Community News

On Thursday, May 1, 2014 at approximately 3:00 p.m., members of the Sheriff’s Marijuana Enforcement Team served a search warrant at the Top Shelf Wellness Center marijuana dispensary at 604 40th St. in the unincorporated area of San Bernardino. The dispensary was being operated in violation of the San Bernardino County ordinance prohibiting marijuana dispensaries and continued to operate in defiance of cease and desist notifications.
Read more here.

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Amazing Medical Cannabis Discoveries (Science)
Zane Foley, Liberty Voice

Within the last decade popular culture and modern scientists have been demanding the further investigation of the marijuana plant, leading to some of the most amazing discoveries regarding medical cannabis. Many of these investigative facts are medically based while others are historical facts that speak to the irony and ignorance to the plants illegal standing throughout most of the United States. Everyday about 6,000 people are experiencing marijuana for the first time, and are calling it by roughly 2,000 different names each day.
Read more here.

Events

Monday, May 5, 0214 – Healdsburg City Council Meeting (Healdsburg)
The Healdsburg City council will hold a public hearing on an ordinance severely limiting the amount of medical cannabis that can be grown indoors and outdoors. The meeting starts at 5:00 PM at Healdsburg City Hall, 401 Grove Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448. See the proposed ordinance here.

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Monday, May 5, 2014 – San Pablo City Council Meeting (San Pablo)
The San Pablo City Council will vote on an ordinance banning cultivation of medical cannabis at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers, 18831 San Pablo Ave., San Pablo, CA 94806. Arrive early to sign up to speak in opposition to agenda item 14. Download the agenda (300+ pages) here.

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Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - San Luis Obispo City Council Meeting (San Luis Obispo)
The San Luis Obispo City Council will hold a hearing on an ordinance banning virtually all medical cannabis activity at 4:00 PM in the Council Chambers at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. See the proposed ordinance here.

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Monday, May 12, 2014 – Bloodganja: Medical cannabis Movie & Panel (Santa Barbara)
Join Director Daniel Boolag for a screening and panel discussion about his new documentary Bllodganja, which examines the trials of a Santa Barbara patient-provider facing federal persecution. The event starts at 12:45 PM at BC Forum, SBCC Campus, 721 Cliff Drive Santa Barbara California, 93109. The event is free. Email [email protected] or call (805) 729-0729 for information.

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Wednesday, May 28, 2014 – Sacramento County Board of Supervisors Meeting (Sacramento)
Save the date. The Sacramento County Board will discuss an ordinance regulating indoor cultivation at this meeting. Details are coming soon. The meeting will be 2:00 – 6:00 PM in Board Chambers at 700 H Street, Suite 1450, Sacramento, CA 95814.

Court Support

What is Court Support and how do I get involved?

Monday, may 5, 2014 – Court Support for Jason Miller (Sacramento)
Please support medical cannabis defendant Jason Miller at 1:30 PM at 720 9th Street, Sacramento, CA 95816. Dress in a professional manner and obey and courtroom rules to best help the defendant. Thanks to The Human Solution for tracking this case.

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Monday, May 5, 2014 – Court Support for Victoria Mindiola (San Bernardino)
Please support Ms. Mindiola’s son, Edward, at 1:30 PM at Superior Court. Dept S-8, 351 N Arrowhead, San Bernardino, CA 92401. Dress in a professional manner and obey and courtroom rules to best help the defendant. Thanks to The Human Solution for tracking this case.

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Monday, May 12, 2014 – Court Support for Joseph Smart & Jimmy Chang (Santa Rosa)
Pleas support these two medical cannabis defendants at their jury trial beginning at 8:30 AM in Courtroom 3 at 600 Administration Dr., Santa Rosa, CA 95403. Dress in a professional manner and obey and courtroom rules to best help the defendants.

Take Action

Support SB 1193 in California

SB 1193 is a bill by California Senator Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) that would require that law enforcement return wrongfully-confiscated medical cannabis or plants or pay the owner reasonable compensation. The bill also simplifies the procedures for handling cannabis and plants seized as evidence. Americans for Safe Access (ASA) supports this bill because law-abiding patients have a right to get their property back.

Sign the petition in support of SB 1193 today. ASA will hand deliver copies of this petition to lawmakers’ offices before key votes in committees and on the floors of the Senate and Assembly. We will also take it directly to the Governor’s office when the bill is ready for his signature.

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Join Americans for Safe Access (ASA)

ASA is the nation’s leading medical cannabis patients’ advocacy organization. The patients, medical professionals, scientists, concerned citizens, and other who comprise ASA are committed to promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research. ASA works in partnership with state, local and national legislators to overcome barriers and create policies that improve access to cannabis for patients and researchers. ASA provides legal training for and medical information to patients, attorneys, health and medical professionals and policymakers throughout the United States. We also organize media support for court cases, rapid response to law enforcement raids, and capacity-building for advocates. Your support makes it all possible. Join ASA or renew your membership today.

ASA Website Spotlight

Finding Your Voice

This is the second in a five part series on ASA’s innovative Medical Cannabis Advocates Training Center, a free online resource for patient-advocacy skills building. This week, we are spotlighting the "Finding Your Voice" section of the website. In order to be an effective advocate, you will need to “find your voice.” The training in this section will help you merge your personal experiences with strategic messages that will help you meet your political goals. In this section: strategic messaging, talking to the media, public speaking, and much more.

ASA believes that good policy is created when those who are most affected are at the table. Just because you are medical cannabis patient, it doesn't mean that you automatically have a degree in public policy. ASA has always been committed to demystifying political systems and providing advocates the tools they need to participate in the processes in a meaningful way. Learn all about grassroots organizing, citizen lobbying, media spokesperson training, and much more using the Medical Cannabis Advocates Training Center.

ASA Chapter & Affiliate Meetings

Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - 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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Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - 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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Thursday, May 8, 2014 - San Diego ASA (Imperial Beach)
The meeting starts at 6:00 PM at 1233 Palm Ave, Imperial Beach, CA 91932. Email [email protected] for more information.

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Thursday, May 8, 2014 - Yuba County ASA (Foothills)
The meeting starts at 7:00 PM at the Willow Glen Restaurant. Email [email protected] for more information.