Blog

Contents:

• Message from the CA Director: Do you know what's at stake in November?
• State & Local News: California, Fresno County, San Jose, Shasta County, Calaveras County, Monterey, Anaheim
• Public Meetings & Events: San Francisco, Redding, Grass Valley, Lincoln, Nevada City, San Diego, Fresno, Porterville and more 
• Court Support: Sacramento, Redding, and more
• Take Action Now: Register to Vote, Support the Medical Marijuana Organ Transplant Act, and more
• ASA Website Spotlight: Vote Medical Marijuana 2014
• Chapter & Affiliate Meetings: Nevada County ASA, Lake County ASA, and Sacramento NORML

Be sure to join me online for the next live Google Hangout on Thursday, October 16, at 7:00 PM to talk about local ballot measures and what’s at stake for medical cannabis in the November 4 elections. Voters will decide on twelve measures related to medical cannabis in ten different cities and counties this year. There are important legislative races that will help to define next year’s political landscape and an interesting development in the race for Attorney General (see the News section for more details on that).

A live Google Hangout is an interactive event you can join from your computer or mobile device. Click on this link a few minutes early to get signed in for questions and comments:

https://plus.google.com/events/ci81048q7fsdtcqea8acs83boi8

You can also watch the broadcast live on YouTube here, although you cannot ask questions from this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz50lVuqa6Q

Your participation in local and state politics matters, so get informed and get out and vote! You can learn more bout where state and federal candidates stand using ASA’s Vote Medical Marijuana website. Read more about this powerful tool in the Website Spotlight section below.

Remember that the deadline to register to vote at your current address is Monday, October 20. 

California & National News

Medical Marijuana Advocates Survey Federal, State Electoral Candidates Ahead of November Elections (National)
Kris Hermes, Americans for Safe Access

The medical marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) has produced a new 30-second online advertisement to launch its survey drive for for this year's election-cycle educational campaign. The ad will also air on this Sunday's morning cable news programs in Detroit, Philadelphia, Sacramento, South Florida, and Washington State. As part of its groundbreaking "Vote Medical Marijuana" campaign, ASA has sent out more than 2,000 candidate surveys to help patients and the general public make more informed electoral decisions based on candidates' positions on medical marijuana.
Read more here:
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/medical_marijuana_advocates_survey_federal_state_electoral_candidates_ahead_of_november_elections

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Marijuana Advocates Ditch Kamala Harris For Weed-Friendly Republican (California)
Chris Roberts, SF Weekly

Attorney General Kamala Harris has laughed her way out of the good graces of California's marijuana industry. In turn, some of the state's weed players are now backing the AG's Republican challenger.
Read more here:
http://www.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2014/10/08/marijuana-advocates-ditch-kamala-harris-for-weed-friendly-republican

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Pro-Weed Voters Should Not Ignore the Election (California)
David Down, East Bay Express

The deadline to register to vote in the November 4 election is October 20, and cannabis activists are warning that progressives and young voters should not ignore the so-called "off-year" election. Voters in 2014 will, in effect, be deciding if they will continue to be denied access to medical marijuana and whether they will be getting recreational weed stores in 2016, said Ellen Komp, deputy director of California NORML.
Read more here:
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/pro-weed-voters-should-not-ignore-the-election/Content?oid=4092102

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Fresno County's medical marijuana growing ban upheld again (Fresno County)
Marc Benjamin, Fresno Bee

Fresno County has successfully defended its ordinance banning medical marijuana cultivation for the second time, recently earning a dismissal of a suit that sought legal cultivation of medical marijuana. The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union earlier this year.
Read more here:
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/10/03/4159662_fresno-countys-medical-marijuana.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

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San Jose Could Boost Marijuana Fines 5,000% (San Jose)
Chris Roberts and Robert handa, NBC Bay Area

San Jose's medical cannabis clubs are facing a conundrum: shut down by Oct. 17 or face fines. But those $25 fines could be increased to as much as $50,000, under a plan being considered by the city council. Councilmembers on Tuesday decided to put off a decision on the new ordinance by asking staff for a report in 30 days.
Read more and watch a video here:
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/San-Jose-Could-Raise-Marijuana-Fines-5000-277641011.html

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Don't Deny Sick Patients Access to their Medicine (Shasta County)
Don Yost, ACLU of Northern CA

On a recent Saturday, the ACLU of Northern California Shasta-Tehama-Trinity Chapter held its meeting at a local pizza restaurant in Redding. The room was packed with medical marijuana patients deeply frustrated by unfair efforts of local enforcement to deny them access to their medicine.
Read more here:
https://www.aclunc.org/blog/dont-deny-sick-patients-access-their-medicine

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Three arrested trying to rob medical marijuana garden (Calaveras County)
Calaveras Enterprise

Three armed men were arrested near Angel Camp the evening of Saturday, Sept. 27, on suspicion of robbing a medical marijuana garden. Donald Keith Bailey, 30, of Burbank; Robert Merrell Cottrell, 57, of Copperopolis; and Daniel Jeffrey Parsons, 35, of San Lorenzo, were arrested about 9 p.m. at the garden site on MJB Ranch Road off of Pool Station Road.
Read more here:
http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/news/article_002c4f06-4db4-11e4-afc4-e7cbddd2535f.html

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Monterey to hear marijuana dispensary proposal (Monterey)
Philip Molner, Monterey Herald

The recent push for better access to medical marijuana in Monterey County hits the First City on Tuesday — three years after dispensaries were banned. The Monterey City Council will hear a presentation around 4 p.m. from Pebble Beach businesswoman Valentia Piccinini to open a medicinal marijuana dispensary.
Read more here:
http://www.montereyherald.com/localnews/ci_26675921/monterey-hear-marijuana-dispensary-proposal

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Anaheim turning lights off at marijuana dispensaries (Anaheim)
Art Marroquin, OC Register

The city is turning the lights off at medical-marijuana dispensaries that illegally opened across the city in a move to get them to leave. The strategy has worked.
Read more here:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/anaheim-637604-city-marijuana.html

Public Meetings & Events

Monday, October 13, 2014 - 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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Tuesday, October 14, 2014 – Lincoln City Council Meeting (Lincoln)

6:00 PM at Mc Bean Memorial Park, 65 Mc Bean Park Dr., Lincoln, CA 95648. The City Council may vote on an ordinance to ban all medical cannabis cultivation. Contact the City Council in advance at http://ci.lincoln.ca.us/default.aspx?Jpage=11030 The date of this vote is subject to change.

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Tuesday, October 14, 2014 - Shasta County Citizens - Vote No on Measure A (Redding)

6:30 PM at UPEC Event Center, 1800 Park Marina Dr., Redding, CA 96001. Join local voters for a forum on Measure A, the voter referendum to repeal the county’s bad medical cannabis ordinance. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/880299471982128/ for details.

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Thursday, October 16, 2014 – Medical Cannabis in CA: Local Measures & the November Election (Online)

7:00 PM online at https://plus.google.com/events/ci81048q7fsdtcqea8acs83boi8 or on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz50lVuqa6Q. This live broadcast with ASA CA Director Don Duncan will focus on local ballot measures and the November election. There will be time for questions and comments.

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Thursday, October 16, 2014 - San Francisco Planning Commission Meeting (San Francisco)

12:00 PM at City Hall, Room 400, 1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl, San Francisco, CA 94102. The hearing concerns an application for a permit for SPARC, one of the city's finest patients’ collectives. You can speak in support of item #12. Watch the event live on Channel 78 at http://www.sfgovtv.org. Email [email protected] for details.

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Thursday, October 16, 2014 – Benefit for “Yes on Measure S” (Nevada City)

7:00 PM at Miners Foundry Cultural Center, 325 Spring St, Nevada City, California 95959. Join comedian and cannabis personality Ngaio Bealum to support ASA-NC’s Measure S. Guests include Achilles Wheel and Saul Rayo & Cocina Café. Tickets are $20 and proceeds benefit ASA-NC and the Yes on Measure S Campaign.

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Saturday, October 18, 2014 – Potluck in the Park (San Diego)

12:00 PM at Golden Hill Community Park, 25^th and A Street, San Diego, CA 92102. Come celebrate with San Diego ASA! For more info: http://tinyurl.com/ofwsgx7

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Monday, October 20, 2014 – Fresno County Board of Supervisors (Fresno)
9:00 AM at the Hall of Records, 2281 Tulare St., Suite 302, Fresno, CA 93721. The Board will be hearing appeals of the excessive fines imposed on local cultivators. Agendas and contact information: http://www.co.fresno.ca.us/Departments.aspx?id=122

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March 27, 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?

Thursday, October 16, 2014 – Court Support for Heath Phillips (Sacramento)
8:45 AM at Sacramento Superior Court, Dept. 9, 720 9th St, Sacramento, CA 95914. Dress in an appropriate manner and obey all courtroom rules to best help the defendant.

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Monday, October 20, 2014 – Court Support for Mark Shoemaker (Redding)
8:30 AM at Shasta County Courthouse, Dept. 2, 1655 West St, Redding, CA 96001. 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

Register to Vote
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_vr.htm

You must be registered to vote at your current address before Monday, October 20, in order to vote in the November 4 general election. You can register in person or online.

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Join ASA’s New California Discussion List – ASA-CCSA (California)
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/asa-ccsa 

ASA-CCSA is a membership-based email discussion list about local and state medical cannabis legislation, initiatives, referendums, and related litigation in the state of California. Unlike this weekly email, you can respond to messages on ASA-CCSA and share your response with everyone. The purpose of the list is to facilitate dialog and participation by movement and industry stakeholders. Respectful and courteous participation, conversations, and debate are welcome.

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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.

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Join Americans for Safe Access (ASA)
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/join_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 Website Spotlight

Vote Medical Marijuana 2014
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/vote_medical_marijuana2014

Be an informed voter. This is a powerful tool for voters who care about medical cannabis. Find out where candidates stand on the issue, request a voters’ guide, get connected directly with your elected representative, and more. This is also where you will find ASA groundbreaking political ads targeting candidates that oppose safe access. 

ASA Chapter & Affiliate Meetings

Tuesday, October 14, 2014 - Nevada County ASA (Grass Valley)
The meeting starts at 6:00 PM at The Banner Grange, 12629 McCourtney Road, Grass Valley, CA 95949. Email [email protected] for more information. 

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Tuesday, October 14, 2014 – Sacramento NORML (Sacramento)
Held at Perkos Farm Fresh Cafe, 925 3rd Street, Sacramento, California 95814. Visit http://sacnorml.org/ for more information.

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Wednesday, October 15, 2014 - Lake County ASA (Clearlake Oaks)
The meeting starts at 6:30 PM at the Moose Lodge, 15900 East Highway 20, Clearlake Oaks, CA 95423.  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.