Press Releases
Reenal Doshi
Americans for Safe Access Launches 2018 Medical Cannabis Voter Scorecard - Americans for Safe Access
Contact: Reenal Doshi | reenal@safeaccessnow.org | (202) 857-4272 x4
Washington, DC – Today, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) launched its Vote Medical Marijuana voter guide. The campaign features an interactive online voter's guide that grades members of Congress on their votes and sponsored bills on the issue of medical cannabis legislation.
Debbie Churgai
UCBA Announces Launch of Americans for Safe Access LA Chapter - Americans for Safe Access
Contact: Debbie Churgai | 202-857-4272 x.8 | debbie@safeaccessnow.org (ASA National Office)
Contact: Naomi Seligman | 310-617-4577 | nbseligman@tower26.agency (LA ASA Chapter rep)
LOS ANGELES (Sept 14, 2018) -- The United Cannabis Business Association (UCBA) will join forces with the Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the nation’s largest patient-focused medical cannabis advocacy organization, to launch the first ASA chapter in the Los Angeles area. Many patients in Southern California still face challenges with safe accessing cannabis, despite evidence supporting its efficacy, and policies legalizing such treatments. The new chapter will launch in October.
David Mangone
Illinois Takes Huge Step Forward in Combating Opioid Crisis with Medical Cannabis - Americans for Safe Access
Contact: David Mangone | david@safeaccessnow.org | 202-857-4272 ext. 5
Americans for Safe Access Calls on All States to End Pain, Not Lives by Passing Similar Legislation
Chicago, IL — Today at the Chicago Recovery Alliance, a nonprofit that oversees programs to prevent heroin overdoses, Governor Bruce Rauner (R) signed a bill that could greatly expand access to medical cannabis in the state of Illinois. The bill, SB 336, introduced by state Senator Don Harmon, allows certain individuals who have been given an opioid prescription to trade that prescription in for a medical cannabis card. The bill provides that a doctor may authorize the use of medical cannabis immediately for any patient who qualifies for a prescription of OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin or other opioids.
Jahan Marcu
California Laboratory Achieves National Certification - Americans for Safe Access
For Immediate Release: August 1st, 2018
Contact: Dr. Jahan Marcu | 215-828-9183 | Jahan@safeaccessnow.org
California Laboratory Achieves National Certification
Los Angeles, CA – Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is pleased to announce that Consumer Safety Analytics (AKA CannaSafe) Laboratory of Van Nuys, California has been certified for laboratory analysis of medical cannabis products under ASA’s Patient Focused Certification (PFC) program. PFC is a project of ASA, and the only nonprofit, third-party certification program for the medical cannabis industry based on quality standards issued by the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) and the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP).
David Mangone
FDA Approves First Medicine Derived from Cannabis - Americans for Safe Access
Washington, DC — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a drug that contains an active ingredient derived from the cannabis plant. The drug, Epidiolex, an oral solution containing cannabidiol (CBD), will be the first and only FDA-approved CBD drug on the market. The FDA has approved Epidiolex for use only in the treatment of two rare seizure disorders (Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome), and is the first FDA-approved treatment for patients suffering from Dravet syndrome. While there have been other medications that mimic the natural cannabinoids found in cannabis that have received FDA approval, Epidiolex is the first non-synthetic medication to be derived directly from the cannabis plant. The FDA’s approval of Epidiolex shows that it is possible to make medications from complex plant extracts.
David Mangone
Senators Warren and Gardner Release STATES Act to Respect State Cannabis Laws - Americans for Safe Access
Washington, DC — U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduced the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States Act (STATES Act) to respect state determinations about cannabis policy. The bill was also introduced in the House of Representatives by David Joyce (R-OH) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR).
Debbie Churgai
The World Health Organization Takes First Steps to Reschedule Cannabis - Americans for Safe Access
International Medical Cannabis Advocates Address WHO Committee Set to Advise UN
Geneva, Switzerland — Yesterday, Americans for Safe Access (ASA), along with members of the International Medical Cannabis Patients Coalition (IMCPC), attended and delivered testimony at the 40th meeting of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) being held in Geneva, Switzerland, June 4-7th, 2018.
In a milestone moment for medical cannabis patients, the ECDD will be reviewing and assessing the medical uses and harms of Cannabis, in order to recommend the most appropriate classification to be applied internationally. The agenda of the meeting is dedicated to carrying out pre-reviews of cannabis and cannabis-related substances. Members of ASA and IMCPC produced and delivered 1 Critical Review and 3 Pre-Review reports on Cannabidiol (CBD), Cannabis plant and cannabis resin, Extracts and tinctures of cannabis, and Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which included references and recommendations for the committee to use in their review.
Debbie Churgai
Medical Cannabis Patients, Medical Professionals, Advocates, and Industry Leaders Converge at National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference in D.C. - Americans for Safe Access
May 22 - May 25, 2018
Contact: Debbie Churgai | 202-857-4272 x.8 | debbie@safeaccessnow.org
WASHINGTON, DC — Starting on Tuesday, May 22nd and running until Friday, May 25th, medical cannabis patients, advocates, medical and legal professionals, and industry business leaders will gather at Americans for Safe Access’ (ASA) Annual National Medical Cannabis Unity conference in Washington, D.C. to learn and exchange ideas about how to navigate and steer medical cannabis policy in this ever-changing political landscape.
What: 6th Annual National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference
Where: Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC,
When: Tuesday, May 22nd through Friday, May 25th
This year's conference will focus on the life-saving role that medical cannabis can play in the fight against the Opioid Epidemic. In 2017 ASA launched the End Pain, Not Lives campaign, to help protect current medical cannabis programs, remove barriers for people with pain, chronic pain, and Opioid Use Disorder, and to educate medical professionals, service providers, and patients about medical cannabis and pain.
David Mangone
Americans For Safe Access Responds to Trump’s Commitment to Respect State Cannabis Laws - Americans for Safe Access
Washington, DC — Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) revealed today that in a recent phone conversation with President Trump, the President expressed support for letting states decide their own policies when it comes to cannabis. Senator Gardner has been blocking the confirmation of key nominees to the Department of Justice since Attorney General Sessions rescinded the Cole Memorandum earlier this year. President Trump’s comments to Senator Gardner are in direct contrast of those previously stated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, including "good people don’t smoke marijuana."
David Mangone
Research Continues to Show Benefits of Cannabis in Fighting the Opioid Crisis - Americans for Safe Access
Washington, DC — New research has been released that further highlights the potential role of medical cannabis in combating the Nation’s opioid crisis . Two studies, published on April 2nd by the Journal of the American Medical Association reveal a net decrease in opioid prescriptions in states with medical cannabis laws for Medicare and Medicaid populations.
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