ASA in the News

By Benjie Cooper for the Candid Chronicle

There are many cannabidiol (CBD) products that are readily available in legal markets in 2019, but there are also many differences of opinion regarding how CBD works, what it is useful for, how to use it, and how much to take.

The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill and the FDA’s newfound quest to establish a regulatory system for cannabinoids have also helped contribute to the confusion regarding what is and is not currently legal.

As part of an ongoing effort to help educate the public and provide accurate information about cannabis, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) has released the Patient’s Guide to CBD, which takes an in-depth look at CBD and the current science and culture surrounding it.

The 25-page guide provides information about the endocannabinoid system, CBD’s chemical structure, which forms are available for use, current research, discussing cannabinoids with a physician, and other related topics.

By Jackie Borchardt for the Cincinnati Enquirer

"You didn’t always know what you were getting. The vast majority of people will not get a test done until they are told to get a test done." - Heather Despres

By Georgia Williams for Cannabis Investing News

With the news cycle currently dominated by reports of various countries legalizing recreational marijuana, it’s easy to forget that that road to legalization has been in the works for decades.

Much of the reason countries like Canada have legalized cannabis today stems from the activism, work and longstanding diligence of medical cannabis advocates — people like Steph Sherer, who has spent 20 years speaking about the positive effects of medicinal cannabis.

At the Collision Conference in Toronto, the Investing News Network sat down with Sherer, who is president of Americans for Safe Access (ASA), president and co-founder of the International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute (ICCI) and co-founder of Dioscorides Global Holdings (DGH).

She discussed the long path to medical cannabis legalization in America, how the prevalence of recreational marijuana has affected her advocacy work and her work at DGH, a private equity firm.

By Mike Lewis for the Herald-Mail

Patients of the dispensary will have free access to the Cannabis Care Certification Patient Education Program created by Americans for Safe Access Foundation.

By Justin Windgerter for The Denver Post

Governor has signed bipartisan Senate Bill 13, which easily passed the General Assembly

Colorado doctors will soon be able to recommend medical marijuana to treat any condition they’ve been prescribing painkillers for.

Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday signed Senate Bill 13, bipartisan legislation that easily passed through the General Assembly. The new law, which is scheduled to go into effect Aug. 2, is a win for marijuana proponents although it concerns some addiction doctors.

“Even in states with flourishing nonmedical cannabis markets, it is important to remember that thousands of people count on cannabis as a medicine,” said David Mangone with Americans for Safe Access, a medical marijuana group. He predicts the bill will reduce opioid overdose deaths.

By Kip Hill for The Spokesman-Review

“This medicine has grown on people telling stories of how it helped them. We’re finally at that point where we need to actually put these stories into something quantitative, and look at the numbers and see how it really is affecting people.” -Debbie Churgai

By Benjamin Liong Setiawan for Forbes

Medical cannabis is an area that has many question marks for some and for others has become an essential component of their medical treatment. I sat down with Steph Sherer, the Co-Founder and President of the International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute (ICCI), to help demystify medical marijuana and address some common misconceptions in this two-part series. Headquartered in Prague, ICCI is an international research and educational center for the advancement of cannabis and cannabinoid treatments. Sherer also founded Americans for Safe Access (ASA), which advocates on behalf of patients to ensure safe and legal access to medical cannabis.

By Bill Barlow for Weedmaps News

David Mangone, the director of legislative affairs for the advocacy group Americans for Safe Access, added that affordability remains an issue, and proposed that insurance companies reimburse patients for medicinal cannabis to avoid costs that approach $400 an ounce.

By Josh Jardine for The Stranger

I wish we could sway federal policy with patient stories—and, to a degree, we can on Capitol Hill—but with a regulatory body like the FDA, they’re looking for very specific answers to very specific questions. It’s not like an up/down vote on how many comments in favor and how many comments against [CBD products]. It’s based off the quality and content of the comments.” -David Mangone