ASA in the News
Geoffrey Marshall
Activists push for medical marijuana on Capitol Hill - Americans for Safe Access
By Alana Austin for WLIX
"I have children that one day may have cancer and I don't want them popping pills all the time. This is 100 percent better alternative," - Amy Catterton
Geoffrey Marshall
Activists see marijuana as solution to opioid crisis - Americans for Safe Access
By Willis Scott for KSNT News
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Bleeding Kansas Advocates along with Americans for Safe Access are hosting vigils to honor people who die from opioid overdose. Around 90 people die from an opioid overdose each day.
Geoffrey Marshall
Dr. Jahan Marcu: Science-Based Cannabis Education Is Essential - Americans for Safe Access
By Jesse Carpender for Cashinbis
Commercialization of cannabis has increased the need for quality control and science-based education within the industry. The Patient Focused Certification Program, a project of Americans for Safe Access, aims to address both of these needs.
Jahan Marcu, Ph.D., has helped set worldwide standards for the cannabis industry as director for the Patient Focused Certification Program. Dr. Marcu is also Chief Scientific Officer for Americans for Safe Access. He serves on the board of directors of the International Association for Cannabinoids as Medicine (IACM). He received his Ph.D. for significant contributions to the study of the structure and function of the CB1 receptor, and the role of the endocannabinoid system in bone.
For Marcu, science-based education is essential to cannabis businesses.
“Consistency and quality of information is a liability for operations if staff are providing information to patients that is not based in scientific literature,” he said.
Geoffrey Marshall
Republican Senator Wants to Make Marijuana Easier to Study - Americans for Safe Access
By Gillian Mohney for Healthline
Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah has introduced a bill to relax medical marijuana research regulations.
“On the one hand, it’s a political victory. I think having a bill that even touches on the subject from Orrin Hatch is considered a win, but on the other hand, we’re of the mind the research is there, the research is done.[Medical marijuana] programs have been around for 20 years. A research bill was more appropriate in the late 1990s and early 2000s.” - David Mangone, JD
Geoffrey Marshall
Michigan’s war on pot - Americans for Safe Access
By Larry Gabriel for the Detroit Metro Times
Another reason I think that much of our government leadership doesn't believe marijuana is medicine is that in all of the legislating that has been done, there has been nothing calling for medical qualifications or standards — or anything else regarding the medical side of this. (Americans for Safe Access has a Cannabis Care Certification program you can learn about at CannabisCareCertification.org).
Geoffrey Marshall
Americans For Safe Access Fights the Good, Long Fight - Americans for Safe Access
By Joanne Cachapero for MG Magazine
Marijuana advocacy organization Americans for Safe Access warns the struggle is real.
Americans for Safe Access Executive Director Steph Sherer has the chops of someone who’s been an advocate for a long time—fifteen years so far, and no stopping is in sight for her or the organization. Based in Washington, D.C., ASA lobbies and advocates on behalf of medical marijuana patients, cultivators, manufacturers, and retailers.
There’s never a dull moment in the American capital, according to Sherer, especially under the current administration. “I think the cannabis industry has two amazing things going for it right now that have nothing to do with [the White House],” she said, laughing.
Geoffrey Marshall
Americans For Safe Access Provides Sessions With Input On Cole Memo - Americans for Safe Access
By Johnny Green for Weed News
“President Trump and the Department of Justice need to consider the ramifications before modifying or repealing the Cole memo. For the past three years, state sponsored medical cannabis programs have operated under the guidance of this memorandum, and state governments have painstakingly worked to keep their programs within these guidelines. States are working in conjunction with the DOJ, not in contradiction as it sets up a workable framework that balances the interests of medical cannabis patients and federal enforcement priorities. With 91 Americans a day dying from opioid overdose, and states with medical cannabis programs seeing a nearly 25% decrease in these deaths, it is more crucial than ever that the Federal Government not remove the guidance that is currently working.” - Steph Sherer
Geoffrey Marshall
Senate Committee takes step to protect patients - Americans for Safe Access
By WCL New Service for The Leaf Online
“This success of the Leahy medical cannabis amendment acknowledges, yet again, that the federal government should not interfere with state medical cannabis programs. The passage of the Leahy medical cannabis amendment also shows that Senate support exists for the central elements of the CARERS Act. The CARERS Act would make the protections in Leahy medical cannabis amendment permanent and create a much needed framework for research and federal and state cooperation.” -Steph Sherer
Geoffrey Marshall
Free certification for US cannabis labs to help fight opioid epidemic - Americans for Safe Access
By Brian Owens for Chemistry World
Ensuring that America’s medical marijuana is reliable and of high quality will help patients and drive down opioid use in the country, according to Americans for Safe Access
A group dedicated to improving access to and the safety of medicinal cannabis in the US is offering its certification programme free of charge to cannabis testing labs to help fight the country’s opioid epidemic.
The Americans for Safe Access (ASA)’s Patient Focused Certification (PFC) programme is intended to be a mark of quality for cannabis testing labs, and to help them prepare for ISO 17025 accreditation – the main international standard for demonstrating the technical competence and accuracy of testing and calibration labs, says Jahan Marcu, director of the certification programme.
Geoffrey Marshall
How Medical Marijuana Could Help John McCain With Glioblastoma - Americans for Safe Access
By Ray Stern for the Phoenix New Times
"But this is not to say if you could smoke cannabis it will cure your brain cancer. What we know is that, in animal studies, for rats and mice, we can cure cancer with cannabis or cannabis combined with chemotherapy." - Jahan Marcu
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