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We’re excited to announce our first round of featured speakers for the 9th Annual National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference April 29-30!

View the full agenda, speaker profiles and register to attend!

One of our major goals for our 2021 National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference is to bring the social and community aspects of past Unity conferences forward into a virtual conference. We want Unity 2021 to be a place for patients, advocates and professionals to meet and have conversations that will inform their work and life going forward. So, let us tell you about some of what we have planned for socializing and networking at Unity 2021!

While the Biden Administration has not publicly advertised how it intends to proceed on cannabis in its first 100 days or beyond, there is a need for the new administration to offer assurances that this administration intends to be proactive on approaching medical cannabis policy solutions to state-licensed cannabis businesses and the patients that rely on them for medicine. Although 36 states have organized medical cannabis access programs over the past 24 years, the federal government remains out of step with the majority of states where medical cannabis policy reforms are already in place.

Each month, Americans for Safe Access publishes a newsletter for advocates that covers important federal, state and local developments, what's happening with ASA, and inspiring stories of local activists. Delivered via email to subscribers, you can also see it each month here on ASA's website.

Check out ASA's March newsletter for news and links on the federal rules for hemp and the cannabis bills pending in many states, as well as the ASA First 100 Days campaign, new webinars, the 2021 Unity Conference agenda, and ASA's updated website.

You'll also hear the story of how many risks patients still face in the activist profile of Katree Saunders in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The newsletter is where you will always find links to ASA Action Alerts -- quick and easy steps you can take to make a difference for medical cannabis patients everywhere -- and a downloadable PDF of the newsletter you can print and share with others.

Despite the fact that 36 states have reformed their laws to provide for safe and legal access to cannabis for qualifying patients, veterans living across these states still face a confusing system of federal and state laws regarding physician engagement and affordable access. For example, veterans who rely on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as their primary healthcare provider are unable to receive medical cannabis recommendations from their doctors even if they live in a state with a medical cannabis program. Veterans who use medical cannabis to treat their condition must also pay for this medication out-of-pocket with no financial support or subsidy from the VA.

Urge VA Secretary McDonough to Allow VA Doctors to Recommend Cannabis

Despite the fact that a wide majority of 36 states have now created comprehensive programs to allow legal access to medical cannabis treatment, there are still vital conflicts in the web of state and federal regulations stemming from remaining federal prohibition. From addressing challenges faced by patients in federally subsidized housing to veterans whose doctors are prohibited from recommending cannabis as a treatment option, the executive branch can accomplish meaningful change for patients without legislative action. That’s why at ASA, we were disappointed when President Biden’s first 100 days plan included no action on cannabis reform. 

This is the first in a series of blogs promoting our new campaign titled: Biden-Harris Can Do It: No Patient Left Behind!. With each blog, we aim to highlight a federal policy conflict that  affects millions of patients across the country who are at risk of being penalized for their cannabis use or are denied safe and legal access altogether. These are issues which can largely be solved through direct action by the Biden administration and his cabinet.

Americans for Safe Access is excited to announce the 9th Annual National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference on April 29-30, 2021. Unity 2021 is the event to learn best practices, exchange ideas, and grow the medical cannabis movement. Attendees will be joined by other patients, caregivers, students, veterans, advocates, and medical and legal professionals from around the country who are working to protect and expand access for all patients. Unity 2021 will be our most accessible yet, with numerous “Pay What You Can” options, guaranteeing that no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

This online conference will feature panel discussions with question time, breakout sessions for attendees, and expert-led workshops. Some panel topics you can expect during this 2 day conference are:

There is a widespread perception that the first 100 days of a new presidential administration are a test of what to expect for the remainder of their term. While the unexpected can always change the course of an administration it is true that for the next 100 days the Biden administration will be focused on the very important task of choosing directors and leaders of agencies and setting policy priorities that will potentially impact the lives of millions of patients.

Early this morning in Vienna, Austria, the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) made a historic decision to adopt the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation to remove cannabis and its resin from Schedule IV under the United Nations (UN) Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961.