ASA in the News

By Sanford Nowlin for the San Antonio Current

Earlier this year, Texas was one of 13 U.S. states and territories to land a failing grade on national medical cannabis advocacy group Americans for Safe Access' 2021 report card. Chief among the state's demerits were restrictive rules that had so far limited it to just two retailers, both located in Austin.
"State legislators should address this critical lack of access," the report noted. "For a state as large as Texas, two retailers in a single city won’t cover it, even with the registry as small as it is."

By Glenda Tyson for lohud

In its annual report on the status of medical cannabis programs across the U.S., Americans for Safe Access, the nation’s largest cannabis patient organization, gave New York a D rating — barely a passing grade, due to especially low in the areas of patient access and affordability. This is certainly nothing to brag about.

By Sophie Wells for Westword

The state's biggest setback in the latest report card was the implementation of House Bill 21-1317, which ASA government affairs director Abbey Roudebush calls the "single biggest rollback of a state medical cannabis program that we have ever seen."

By Sanford Nowlin for the San Antonio Current

While Texas lawmakers did approve an expansion of the state's medical marijuana program during the previous session, the rules remain among the most restrictive in the nation. Earlier this year, advocacy group Americans for Safe Access slapped a failing grade on Texas' program, saying it was neither accessible nor practical.

By Nicolás José Rodriguez for Benzinga

"Americans for Safe Access’ State of the States report has been an important resource for me as I work to ensure all Pennsylvanians have access to medical cannabis,” said PA State Rep Chris Rabb.

By Nicolás José Rodriguez for GreenEntrepreneur

“With a decline in legislative improvements in state medical cannabis programs, millions of patients are left with limited or no access,” said Debbie Churgai, ASA's executive director. “It is ASA’s hope that the report will inspire a renewed commitment to patients by policymakers to improve state laws and end the federal prohibition once and for all."

By Nicole Potter

As for overall performance of California’s cannabis industry, the Americans for Safe Access annual “State of the States” review rated California as a “C+.” With high marks in “Consumer Protection and Product Safety” (154/200) and “Program Functionality” (85/100) and lower marks in “Affordability” (40/100), ranking it average among states in the country.

By Sam Reisman for Law360

The International Cannabis Bar Association and medical cannabis reform advocacy group Americans For Safe Access have urged the Federal Circuit to reverse a Trademark Trial and Appeal Board decision finding that a CBD-infused tea could not register its trademark.

From Heady Vermont

Each year, Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the nation’s largest nonprofit that represents medical cannabis patients, doctors, and researchers, prepares a report that assesses legislative and regulatory improvements in medical cannabis programs across the country.
This comprehensive report provides a detailed analysis of the state of medical cannabis programs in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories on an ‘A’ to ‘F’ scale.
The state of Vermont’s medical cannabis program was rated a “D” in the ASA report.