Join Americans for Safe Access, Veterans Initiative-22, Unite for National Medical Cannabis, & the Pain Foundation in Washington, DC, on May 13–14, 2026, for two days of strategy, advocacy training, and meetings on Capitol Hill. Let’s make sure patient needs are included in federal medical cannabis policy! ASA is hosting advocacy trainings designed to help advocates better understand the current federal landscape, sharpen their policy messaging, and prepare for direct engagement with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Through strategy sessions, campaign onboarding, message development, and hands-on practice, participants will leave better equipped to advance the Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoid Act (MCCA) and other patient-centered reforms.
Whether you are new to advocacy or already organizing in your community, this event is designed to strengthen your voice, deepen your understanding of the federal policy fight, and connect your lived experience to meaningful action.
NOTE: Attendees who register by May 7, 2026, will have their congressional meetings arranged by ASA for Lobby Day. ASA will work to schedule meetings with each participant’s two U.S. senators and member of the House of Representatives, giving advocates a direct opportunity to bring patient-focused medical cannabis policy concerns to Capitol Hill.
Advocacy Training & Lobby Day Agenda
These workshops are designed to help patient advocates sharpen their message, understand the federal landscape, and prepare to apply real pressure on the people who can shape the future of medical cannabis policy.
Wednesday, May 13, 2026, 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM
1:00 PM — Where Are We?
This opening session will ground participants in the current state of federal medical cannabis policy, walk through ASA’s strategic plan, and distinguish meaningful progress from political theater. Together, we will define what this moment requires and where patient advocates must push next.
2:00 PM — Federal Medical Cannabis Landscape Debrief
If we want to change federal policy, we have to understand who holds power, who is blocking progress, and who can still be moved. This session will break down the current political landscape around medical cannabis, identify the lawmakers and institutions that can help create a national medical cannabis program, and take a hard look at the opposition standing in the way. Participants will leave with a stronger sense of where the openings are and how to use them.
3:00 PM — ASA Campaigns Onboarding
ASA’s campaigns are tools for building pressure, growing visibility, and putting patients back at the center of this movement. In this session, participants will get introduced to the Compassionate Candidate, Cannabis Safety Month, and Protecting Patient Access campaigns, learn how each one advances patient-centered federal reform, and explore how to bring these efforts into their own advocacy right away.
4:00 PM — Putting Patients Back in the Policy Narrative
Many of the issues patients face due to federal laws occur outside the public's and policymakers' view. The changes needed at the federal level are complex. These factors make passing federal legislation difficult. Participants will learn how to use their lived experience to make the need for policy changes real, memorable, and impossible to dismiss. The goal is to use personal stories with purpose so elected officials and the media can see the crises patients face every day and be moved to change them.
5:00 PM — Activating the 90%
Most Americans already support medical cannabis. The challenge is turning that broad support into visible, organized pressure. This session will focus on how to get outside the usual cannabis circles, reconnect with tried-and-true organizing tactics, and engage those who agree with us but have not yet been activated.
6:00 PM — ABC's of Citizen Lobbying Training
Citizen lobbying is one of the most powerful tools medical cannabis advocates have. It is one of the most direct ways to make sure elected officials understand who you are, what patients need, and why federal action cannot wait. This practical training will cover the do’s and don’ts of meeting with elected officials and congressional staff, including how to keep conversations focused, use ASA materials strategically, and make every minute count. Participants will also have the chance to practice effectively bringing their experiences into meetings, delivering their ask clearly, and turning a single conversation into the start of a lasting relationship with an ally on Capitol Hill.
GROUP DINNER
Thursday, May 14, 2026
9:00 AM — Lobbying Packets and Logistics
This final prep session is designed to make sure everyone is ready to head to Capitol Hill. Participants will receive their meeting schedules, maps, and day-of instructions to help them get clear on where to go, what to expect, and how to stay connected throughout the day. It is also a final opportunity to regroup, refocus, and make sure every advocate heads into their meetings with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
10:00 AM — Head to Capitol Hill
Register by May 8, 2026, to have your Capitol Hill meetings scheduled by ASA.
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