Press Releases

Letter signed by eighteen federal legislators says marijuana's current status "makes no sense"

Paul Marini | February 12, 2014

Washington, D.C. -- Eighteen Members of Congress joined together today in calling on President Obama to use his authority to reclassify marijuana from its current position as a dangerous drug, alongside heroin and LSD, with no medical value. A letter...

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Obama Administration and Congress can each reclassify marijuana for medical use

Paul Marini | January 31, 2014

Washington, D.C. -- Medical Marijuana advocates are telling President Obama he has the power to reclassify marijuana after he said today it is up to Congress. In an exclusive CNN interview, President Barack Obama responded to a question about the...

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Severely ill Jerry Duval lacks medical care while serving 10-year prison sentence, also pursues compassionate release

Paul Marini | January 22, 2014

Cincinnati, OH -- Michigan medical marijuana patient Jerry Duval and his son Jeremy, who are serving 10 and 5 years in prison, respectively, after being convicted in April 2012 without a defense in federal court, will argue their appeal Thursday...

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Representative Sherry Appleton Joins With Coalition of Patient Advocates to Defend Washington’s Medical Cannabis Law

Paul Marini | January 13, 2014

Seattle, WA -- Patients, doctors and caregivers have formed a powerful coalition to keep medical cannabis from being eliminated in the face of Initiative 502 implementation -- and to prove they mean business, the group has introduced a bill on...

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Jose Gutierrez was brutally arrested in April 2012 during peaceful protests, then convicted of assault himself

Paul Marini | January 09, 2014

Oakland, CA -- A medical marijuana activist and journalist who was brutally arrested in April 2012 during federal raids on multiple licensed businesses in Oakland will be sentenced Friday. Despite video evidence of the brutality leveled against Jose Gutierrez, he...

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Independent certification will benefit patients, healthcare providers, and regulators implementing medical marijuana laws

Paul Marini | December 17, 2013

Washington, D.C. -- Patient advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) launched a new nationwide program today that will certify the quality and reliability of medical marijuana products sold at licensed businesses. Patient Focused Certification (PFC) is the only nonprofit,...

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Scientific data, standards put to rest the notion that medical marijuana is a dangerous drug with no medical value

Paul Marini | December 12, 2013

Washington, D.C. -- Patient advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is hosting a Google Hangout today at 5:30pm PT (8:30pm ET) with a panel of leading medical and scientific experts to discuss by video the new cannabis monograph from...

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American Herbal Pharmacopoeia monograph lays scientific foundation for quality assurance and expanded research

Paul Marini | December 11, 2013

Washington, DC -- In an historic move, the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP) released the first installation of a two-part Cannabis monograph yesterday that classifies cannabis (marijuana) as a botanical medicine, alongside many other widely accepted Complementary and Alternative Medicines. Written and...

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Historic, unprecedented vote illustrates political strength, legitimacy of medical marijuana community

Paul Marini | December 04, 2013

Sebastopol, CA -- In an unprecedented move, the Sebastopol City Council voted yesterday to seat Vice Mayor and medical marijuana community leader Robert Jacob as Mayor of Sebastopol. Jacob, 36, founder and executive director of Peace in Medicine, two licensed...

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Patient advocates call on Congress to adopt binding changes to new federal policy

Paul Marini | November 25, 2013

Washington, DC -- Medical marijuana advocates Americans for Safe Access (ASA) issued a report today that analyzes the Obama Administration's latest enforcement guidelines for federal prosecutors in states that regulate medical marijuana distribution. The report, "Third Time the Charm? State...

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