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Featured Blog: The Other Problem with the MMRSA

Marijuana bill heads to full state Senate after Health Committee vote; would remove March 1 deadline if passed by governor

California Marijuana Growers Face New Crop of Local Bans

Local

Palm Desert council changes stance on pot delivery (Palm Desert)

Medical marijuana growing limits may be expanded in Tuolumne County (Tuolumne County)

Siskiyou County Volunteers File Cannabis Referendums to Repeal Cultivation Ban (Siskiyou County)

As Supes Move Closer to Marijuana Ordinance, the Planning Commission Expresses Outrage (Humboldt County)

Editorial: Los Angeles needs a new medical marijuana policy (Los Angeles)

Evolving marijuana laws draw conflicting views (Ventura County)

Planning Commissioners talk medical marijuana update (Shasta County)

Local medical marijuana advocate shares his story (Plumas County)

Local Bans in the News

Defying the Ban: Medical Marijuana Patients Find Ways Around Local Bans (Fresno)

Growing, delivering medical marijuana prohibited in Dixon (Dixon)

Blythe reaffirms medical marijuana ban (Blythe)

El Cajon not interested in marijuana (El Cajon)

Santee still says no to pot shops (Santee)

Cannabis in the CV: A Mistake in a New Law Is Causing Some Cities to Panic and Enact Bans on Medical-Marijuana Businesses (Coachella Valley)

Calabasas ups ante on medical pot prohibition (Calabasas)

Indio becomes 2nd desert city to ban medical marijuana (Indio)

County staff seeking ban on medical marijuana cultivation, delivery (Santa Barbara County)

PUBLIC MEETINGS & EVENTS 

January 25, 2016 – Yucaipa City Council Meeting (Yucaipa)
6:00 PM at Yucaipa City Hall, 34272 Yucaipa Blvd., Yucaipa, CA 92399. The City Council will vote on a ban on medical cannabis cultivation. Arrive early to complete a speaker’s card and ask the Council to reject item 13. Email [email protected] or visit http://www.facebook.com/groups/rx420 for more information.

January 27, 2016 - Protecting Access in Your Community: California Local Access Project (Online)
Live at 8:00 PM PT at https://plus.google.com/u/1/b/109193897924528499034/events/ceuqac5qrafph57fkrjd1tuql84  Log in early to install software, if this is your first live Google Hangout event. Cities and counties are rushing to ban commercial medical cannabis activity all over the state. ASA California Director Don Duncan will talk about what you can do to stop or overturn a ban in your community. Other topics include proposed changes to state licensing and regulation, other bills on the table this year, and building local support. Use the Google Hangout link above to ask questions and make comments. You can watch live without interactive features at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9bpBwavBQ8 Be sure to invite friends and loved ones who care about medical cannabis in California.

January 28, 2016 – Berkeley Medical Cannabis Commission Meeting (Berkeley)
6:00 – 10:00 PM at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Avenue, corner of Hearst and MLK Jr. Way. The commission and public will discuss new applications for medical cannabis dispensaries in Berkeley. Visit http://www.cityofberkeley.info/Planning_and_Development/Commissions/Commission_for_Medical_Cannabis/Dispensary_Applications.aspx to see the applications online.

March 18-22, 2016 – National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference (Washington, DC)
All day at the Loews Madison Hotel, 1177 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20005, and the US Capitol Building. The theme this year’s conference is “Our Medicine, Our Safety, Our Rights.” Our goal is to connect advocates, industry workers and leaders, researchers, doctors and others to effect real change for medical cannabis. Get signed up today so that you can be a part of it all. Here is the link to book your hotel: https://www.loewshotels.com/madison/Americans-for-Safe-Access?corpcode=NUC316 or call 1-855-325-6397 and use Reservation ID NUC316 to make your reservations. Be sure to mention the ASA Unity Conference to get the best rate. Make your reservation ASAP!

TAKE ACTION NOW 

Don’t Make CA Patients and Caregivers Get Licenses

The MMRSA requires a state and local license for individual patients who cultivate more than 100 square feet of medical cannabis or for primary caregivers who cultivate medical cannabis in more than 500 square feet (for up to five patients). The licensing requirements apply, even if all of the cannabis is for the patient’s personal medical cannabis use and not for sale. This is an unreasonable and unnecessary burden for legal medical cannabis patients and caregivers. Licensing is likely to be expensive and complicated. Businesses and organizations that work in the field of medical cannabis can be expected to adapt, jump over bureaucratic hurdles, and pay for the cost of licensing. Individual patients and caregivers cannot. Sign this petition asking lawmakers to remove the licensing thresholds for patients and caregivers cultivating medical cannabis for personal use.

Support AB 26 in California: Training for the Medical Cannabis Industry

AB 26 by Assembly Member Jones-Sawyer (D-LA) will require that medical cannabis businesses seeking a license to operate under the Medical marijuana Regulation and Safety Act provide compliance training for employees. ASA strongly support robust training for the professional serving legal medical cannabis patients in California. Sign this petition to support quality and service in the medical cannabis industry. Read more about AB 26 at http://www.safeaccessnow.org/2016_legislation

COURT SUPPORT 

What is Court Support and how do I get involved? 

January 29, 2016 – Court Support for Shelby Lucero (Sacramento)
9:00 AM in Sacramento Superior Court at 9th and H St, Sacramento, CA 95814, United States. Pre-trial haring. Dress in an appropriate manner and obey all courtroom rules to best help the defendant. 

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Find more information and additional listings on The Human Solution Calendar: http://www.thsintl.org/calendar

ASA WEBSITE SPOTLIGHT 

ASA Blog: The Other Problem with the MMRSA

California lawmakers are moving quickly to correct a drafting error in the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act (MMRSA), a trio of bills that will finally license and regulate commercial medical cannabis activity in the state. However, lawmakers are overlooking a serious issue in the bill that directly affects individual patient-cultivators and primary caregivers.

Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the nation’s leading medical cannabis patients’ advocacy organization, is calling on lawmakers to remove licensing requirements from the MMRSA that apply to some personal non-commercial cultivation of medical cannabis. Otherwise, the MMRSA could become an obstacle to personal cultivation – a historic cornerstone of California’s twenty-year old medical cannabis program…

Have something to share?

The “California Weekly Roundup” is a once-a-week email for ASA Members and Friends that focuses on relevant news and important updates, action alerts, meetings and special events. Send items for the California Weekly Roundup to [email protected] before 12:00 PM on Friday to be included in Monday's distribution.