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ASA’s California Weekly Roundup is your way to stay on top of medical cannabis news, events, action alerts, court support, and more.

There are only 21 days left until the California Citizen Lobby Day in Sacramento. Get registered today!

Last week ASA…

• Announced a new partnership with a prestigious law firm to provide free legal support to medical cannabis patients.
• Worked with local officials in several cities to improve or adopt local medical cannabis licensing ordinances.
• Started scheduling appointments for California Citizen Lobby Day participants at Assembly and Senate offices.

This week…

• ASA will support a new “cottage license” for small-scale medical cannabis cultivators and oppose a DUID bill in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations (see below). 

Get all the news, events, action alerts, & more...

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• Events 
• Take Action Now  
  
• Court Support 
• ASA Website Spotlight  
• Chapter & Affiliate Meetings 

NEWS      

National

Orrick Partners With Pro-Pot Nonprofit Group

Obama’s Iran-Contra

Is it time to revise our federal drug laws?

US Senate Committee Passes Amendment to Protect Medical Marijuana States from Federal Interference

DEA Green Lights Clinical Trials for Medical Marijuana

Could Marijuana Help Treat Painkiller And Heroin Addiction?

California

Rebecca Kaplan Urges State Legislature to Remove Cannabis Industry Restrictions for Ex-Offenders

California Apartment Association targets medical marijuana users

State Recruits UCSD to Develop Marijuana Sobriety Test

Local

Tehachapi City Council forms medical marijuana committee (Tehachapi)

Pot Cooperative Busted for Tax Evasion, Money Laundering, Illegal Marijuana Sales (Ventura County)

Issue Of Medical Marijuana Cultivation Crops Up For Cities (Cathedral City)

Agoura Hills doubles down on medical cannabis law (Agoura Hills)

Supervisors Extend Ban on Marijuana Dispensaries (San Diego County)

Costa Mesa waits to inhale (Costa Mesa)

Livermore to Consider Delivery Options for Medicinal Cannabis (Livermore)

PUBLIC MEETINGS & EVENTS 

May 2, 2016 - Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation Informational Sessions (Santa Ana)

3:30 and 5:15 PM at Hall of Administration's Board Room, 333 West Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana CA 92701. The Chief of the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation, Lori Ajax, and staff will be in Orange County to provide information to the public about the Bureau and the regulatory process.  All members of the public are invited to participate in these informational sessions.  Please arrive early for registration purposes. Email [email protected] for more information.

May 4, 2016 - Assembly Appropriations Committee Hearing on AB 2516 and AB 2740 (Sacramento)

9:00 AM in room 4202 in the State Capitol Building in downtown Sacramento, CA. The committee will vote on two medical cannabis bills: AB 2516 (Wood) will create a new “specialty cottage” state cultivator license for smaller cultivators. ASA supports this bill because it will increase opportunities for cultivation licensing in the state. AB 2740 (Low) will make it illegal for medical cannabis patients to drive with 5 ng/ml of THC in their blood. ASA opposes this bill because that arbitrarily-low limit will make legal patients into criminals, whether or not they are impaired. Contact committee members in advance to express your support or opposition.  You may watch the hearing live online.

May 4, 2016 - Cultivators Alliance (Los Angles)

11:00 AM at Couture Club, 1640 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028. The Cultivators Alliance represents the interests of medical cannabis cultivators in the Los Angeles area at the city and state level. The organization is working to get city licenses for local cultivators. Monthly membership is $250. Email [email protected] for more information.

May 5, 0216 – Berkeley Medical Cannabis Commission Meeting (Berkeley)

2:00 PM at Berkeley City Hall, 2180 Milvia St, (between Center and Alston), Redwood room, 6th floor. This month's agenda items include: public comment, election of officers, commission's dispensary application recommendations to mayor/ BCC, and cultivation licensing selection process. Regular meeting agenda packet will be posted on-line no later than 7 days prior to the meetings on the MCC’s webpage: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/medicalcannabis/

May 6, 2016 - Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation Informational Sessions (Sacramento)

9:00 AM and 10:30 AM at California State Capitol - 1315 10th St - Room 126, Sacramento, CA 95814. The Chief of the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation, Lori Ajax, and staff will be in Sacramento to provide information to the public about the Bureau and the regulatory process.  All members of the public are invited to participate in these informational sessions.  Please arrive early for registration purposes. Email [email protected] for more information.

May 9, 2016 - Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing on SB 1462 (Sacramento)

10:00 AM in room 4203 in the State Capitol Building in downtown Sacramento, CA. The committee will vote on SB 1462 (Huff), which will authorize the use of an oral swab to test drivers for cannabis use. ASA opposes the bill because the swab is untested and does not measure impairment. Contact the committee members in advance to oppose the bill. You may watch the hearing live online.

May 9, 0216 - “Medicine for Real: Taxation” (Online)

8:00 PM online at https://plus.google.com/events/c71nvd6c190hrdbus895ghot6ts ASA California Director Don Duncan talks about taxing and regulating medical cannabis like medicine, not a vice. Cities, counties and the state are stacking taxes on medical cannabis patients and the industry. Talk about what that means and what you can do. Log on early to get signed in the Google+ for this live interactive event. You can watch live without installing software on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6SGgUpNHFs

May 9, 2016 - Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation Informational Sessions (Los Angeles)

1:30 and 3:15 PM at Junipero Serra Building, 320 W. Fourth St, Los Angeles, CA 90013. The Chief of the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation, Lori Ajax, and staff will be in Los Angeles to provide information to the public about the Bureau and the regulatory process.  All members of the public are invited to participate in these informational sessions.  Please arrive early for registration purposes. Email [email protected] for more information.

May 10, 2016 - Berkeley City Council Meeting (Berkeley)

7:00 PM at the School District Board Room, 1231 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA. Enter on University Ave. The City Council will consider applications for new dispensaries. Arrive early to complete a public speakers card.

May 21-22, 2016 - Cannabis Entrepreneur Summit (Online)

Join ASA California Director Don Duncan and medical cannabis industry experts for this free online forum. Get all the details online.

May 23, 2016 –ASA’s California Citizen Lobby Day 2016 (Sacramento)

8:00 AM Registration and Breakfast, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Lobby Day at the Hyatt Regency, 1209 L St, Sacramento, CA 95814. Registration is now open! Join us for the state’s largest medical cannabis lobby day. Special guest speakers, training, briefing materials, and more. ASA will make appointments for you to meet with your state lawmakers when you register. $40 requested donation. No one turned away for lack of funds. Click here to get more information and register today.

May 23, 2016 – ASA’s California Citizen Lobby Day VIP Reception (Sacramento)

7:00 PM at the Hyatt Regency, 1209 L St, Sacramento, CA 95814. Network and celebrate with elected officials, lobby day participants, and special guests. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar. $20 suggested donation, free for lobby day participants. Click here to get more information.

TAKE ACTION NOW 

Download and Share the California Citizen Lobby Day Poster (California)

Help us spread the word about the state’s largest medical cannabis lobby day on Monday, May 23, in Sacramento. Download this 8.5x11 inch color poster (.pdf file, 3.9 MB) and print one or more copies to share. Ask if you can put one up at your local patients’ collective, doctor’s office, or other public place. Do you want fliers to pass out, too? Email [email protected] to have some mailed right away. 

COURT SUPPORT 

What is Court Support and how do I get involved? 

None this week. Send court support requests to [email protected] before noon on Friday to be included in Monday’s California Weekly Roundup. 

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

ASA WEBSITE SPOTLIGHT 

California Citizen Lobby Day 2016

Join Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the nation’s leading medical cannabis patients’ advocacy organization, for our annual California Citizen Lobby Day on Monday, May 23, in Sacramento. You will be part of the state's largest medical cannabis lobby day - with more than 300 patients, advocates, providers, industry works, and other stakeholders. This is your chance to talk face-to-face with lawmakers and regulators about patients' rights, taxation, and commercial regulation. Special guest speakers include: Lori Ajax, Chief of the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation; An-Chi Tsou, Senior Policy Advisor at the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation; Steph Sherer, Executive Director of Americans for Safe Access; Don Duncan, California Director of Americans for Safe Access.

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.