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On November 2, medical cannabis patients in California will make an important choice at the polls – one that will shape the fight for safe access to medicine for years to come. I am not talking about Proposition 19, the voter initiative that is garnering headlines nationwide. I am talking about the race for California Attorney General.

If Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley wins, it will mean tough times for patients and providers all over the state.



Steve Cooley is leading in the polls, and that should make you worried. If Cooley is elected as our next Attorney General, he will pursue the same anti-medical cannabis agenda we know all too well from his tenure in Los Angeles County. Cooley will likely dismantle the gains made by medical cannabis patients over the past 10+ years, rewrite the Attorney General Guidelines to ban the sales of medical marijuana, continue to raid dispensaries and undermine the full implementation of state law, and work to overturn important legal precedents in the courts.

In short, he will roll back years of progress – putting us on the defensive in California for a long time.

But it does not have to be this way. There are millions of Californians who oppose Cooley’s agenda  - and not just concerning medical cannabis. Cooley opposes marriage equality, considers environmental protection a low priority, and has a spotty record on women’s issues. ASA is organizing a coalition of opposition committed to defeating Steve Cooley. We need to get the word out about Steve Cooley to all of the constituents who are threatened by his agenda. We need to build alliances, get our message in the media, and turn out voters. Most of all, we need your support for the “Not Cooley” campaign right now.

ASA is calling on patients and advocates all over California to register to vote  before October 18, and turn out to the polls on November 2. Together, I know we can make a difference!