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The California Weekly Roundup will be on summer vacation until Monday, August 15. In the meantime, look for important announcements about upcoming events in California and other news on this list.

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• News 

• Events 

• Take Action Now  
  

• Court Support 

• ASA Website Spotlight  

• Chapter & Affiliate Meetings 

NEWS      

National

A new study finds medical marijuana is reducing the use of other drug prescriptions

Federal agencies may soon start researching medical marijuana

California

Dispensing new medical marijuana regulations

California Supreme Court takes rare move in reviewing Upland medical marijuana battle

Telemedicine Makes It Easy to Get Medical Marijuana

Local

Brace yourselves: Large-scale commercial grows are coming to California’s Emerald Triangle (Humboldt County)

Long Beach wins lawsuit filed over ban on medical marijuana dispensaries (Long Beach)

Cannabis tech accelerator opens in San Diego (San Diego)

Grover Beach Voters Likely to Decide Marijuana Tax (Grover Beach)

Medical marijuana gets the green light (Merced)

L.A. County likely to scrap proposed marijuana tax for homeless services (Los Angeles County)

California’s Best Hash Venerated, Vaped at Chalice Awards (San Bernardino)

Oakland, S.F. Revise Medical Marijuana Regulations in Face of New State Law (SF Bay Area)

City escapes debt after selling its prison to a marijuana grower, OK’ing cultivation (Coalinga)

Rancho Cordova passes the dutchie on dispensary tax revenue (Rancho Cordova)

PUBLIC MEETINGS & EVENTS 

July 26, 2016 – Public Meeting on Proposed Medical Cannabis Changes (San Jose)

6:30 PM at City Hall, Room 118-120, 200 E Santa Clara St, San Jose, CA 95112. The city is seeking public input on proposed changes to the city’s medical cannabis program. Get details online.

July 27, 2016 -Marijuana Town Hall Meeting (Sebastopol)

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm at the Sebastopol Grange, 6000 Sebastopol Avenue, Sebastopol, CA 95472. Supervisor Efren Carrillo will host this town hall meeting to receive input on marijuana regulation in unincorporated Sonoma County. Stakeholders can also complete an online survey. Click here for a list of all five town hall meetings in Sonoma County.

July 28, 2016 -Marijuana Town Hall Meeting (Santa Rosa)

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm at Glaser Center, 547 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95401. Supervisor Shirlee Zane will host this town hall meeting to receive input on marijuana regulation in unincorporated Sonoma County. Stakeholders can also complete an online survey. Click here for a list of all five town hall meetings in Sonoma County.

August 1, 2016 - Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing on Six Medical Cannabis Bills (Sacramento)

10:00 AM in room 4203 in the State Capitol Building in downtown Sacramento. The committee will vote on six medical cannabis bills.

• AB 567 (Gipson) will create a tax amnesty program for medical cannabis businesses and organizations. ASA supports the bill.

• AB 1575 (Bonta) is a cleanup bill for the MMRSA. ASA supports the bill.

• AB 2243 (Wood) imposes a new tax on medical cannabis distributors. ASA opposes the bill.

• AB 2385 (Jones-Sawyer) allows Los Angeles dispensaries qualified under Measure D to obtain state licenses without a city license. ASA has no position on the bill.

• AB 2516 (Wood) creates a new "cottage cultivator" license under the MMRSA. ASA supports this bill.

• AB 2679 (Cooley) expands the reporting requirements and research rules under the MMRSA. ASA has no position on the bill.

You may testify in person at the hearing or send comments to committee members before August 26. The hearing will be broadcast live on CalChannel.

August 2, 2016 -Marijuana Town Hall Meeting (Santa Rosa)

6 pm – 8 pm at Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95403. Supervisor  James Gore will host this town hall meeting to receive input on marijuana regulation in unincorporated Sonoma County. Stakeholders can also complete an online survey. Click here for a list of all five town hall meetings in Sonoma County.

TAKE ACTION NOW 

Join Americans for Safe Access

Membership matters! Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is the nation’s leading medical cannabis patients’ advocacy organization. Our goal is to make medical cannabis legally available for everyone who needs it, and we need your help to make that happen!

ASA members are patients, caretakers, doctors, researchers, attorneys, providers and concerned community members who are helping to overcome barriers to safe and dignified access to medical cannabis nationwide. ASA provides a patient-focused perspective on medical cannabis legislation and regulations. We strive to change state and federal laws to meet the needs of patients.

Tell Senator Grassley to Give the CARERS Act a Vote(National)

Right now the CARERS Act, the most important piece of legislation addressing medical cannabis is being held up by Senator Chuck Grassley. Senator Grassley needs to hear from medical cannabis patients and caregivers who can tell him how important it is that we pass the CARERS Act. Click here to read more about the CARERS Act.

Medical Cannabis Community Survey (Sonoma County)

California voters have authorized the use of cannabis for medical purposes since 1996. Recent legislation has been adopted to provide further regulation of commercial cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and sale of medical cannabis products. These new laws require legal cannabis operations to obtain local permits and state licenses. The following survey is anonymous and confidential and will be used by Sonoma County to evaluate local land use regulations to address cannabis cultivation and related industries.

COURT SUPPORT 

What is Court Support and how do I get involved? 

July 27, 2016 – Court Support for Matt Cyr and Fawn Block (Oroville)

8:30 AM at Butte County Superior Court, 1 Court St., Oroville, CA 95965. Motion to Dismiss. Dress in an appropriate manner and obey all courtroom rules to best help the defendants.

July 28, 2016 - Court Support for Bart Clanton (Oroville)

9:30 AM at Butte County Superior Court, 1 Court St., Oroville, CA 95965. Sentencing Hearing. Dress in an appropriate manner and obey all courtroom rules to best help the defendant.

August 29, 2016 - Court Support for James, Jacob and Logan Benno (Redding)

10:00 AM in Shasta Superior Court at 1655 W St Anx, Redding, CA 96001. Dress in an appropriate manner and obey all courtroom rules to best help the defendant.

Email requests for court support to [email protected] before 12:00 PM on Friday to be included in Monday's Roundup.

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

ASA WEBSITE SPOTLIGHT 

The Medical Cannabis Advocate's Training Center

ASA believes that good policy is created when those who are most affected are at the table. Just because you are medical cannabis patient, it doesn't mean that you automatically have a degree in public policy. ASA has always been committed to demystifying political systems and providing advocates the tools they need to participate in the processes in a meaningful way. Learn all about grassroots organizing, citizen lobbying, media spokesperson training, and much more.

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.