Press Releases
Anna Zuccaro
ASA Files Petition with DOJ Demanding DEA Correct Misinformation About Cannabis - Americans for Safe Access
WASHINGTON, DC — Americans for Safe Access, a national nonprofit dedicated to ensuring safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research, filed a petition with the Department of Justice (DOJ) today demanding that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) immediately update misinformation about cannabis.The petition is being filed under the rules of the Information Quality Act (IQA, aka Data Quality Act), which requires administrative agencies to devise guidelines that ensure the “quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information” they distribute and to “[e]stablish administrative mechanisms allowing affected persons to seek and obtain correction of information maintained and disseminated by the agency that does not comply with the guidelines.”
Anna Zuccaro
Medical Cannabis Group Responds to Jeff Sessions Appointment as DOJ Head - Americans for Safe Access
Americans for Safe Access cites concerns for medical cannabis patients as Sessions named leader of Department of Justice
Statement from Steph Sherer, executive director of Americans for Safe Access, on President-elect Donald Trump’s appointment of Jeff Sessions to head the United States Justice Department.
Geoffrey Marshall
Americans for Safe Access Responds to 2016 Medical Cannabis Ballot Initiative Victories, Presidential Election Results - Americans for Safe Access
Last night, residents of Florida, Arkansas, North Dakota, and Montana voted on ballot initiatives to legalize the medical use of cannabis. All four of the measures passed making a total of 29 states with medical cannabis laws now in effect. Five additional states - California, Massachusetts, Maine, Arizona and Nevada voted on ballot initiatives that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana. These initiatives were also successful, except for Arizona.
Geoffrey Marshall
Medical Cannabis Training in Frederick Educates Regulators and Cannabis Industry Leaders on Industry Standards, Safety - Americans for Safe Access
FREDERICK, MARYLAND — Starting on Monday, November 7th and running through November 10th, industry experts from Americans for Safe Access (ASA) will hold a training program for medical cannabis growers, manufacturers, retailers and regulators to educate them on the many components of the medical cannabis industry. The training will be held on-site at the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation in Frederick, MD, and for the first time, include remote training options for those who want to take the training but can not travel to Frederick.
Read more here: http://patientfocusedcertification.org
Geoffrey Marshall
Medical Cannabis Training in Sacramento Oct 17-21 Educates Regulators and Cannabis Industry Leaders on Industry Standards, Safety - Americans for Safe Access
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA — Starting on Monday, October 17th and running through October 21st, industry experts from Americans for Safe Access (ASA) will hold a training program for medical cannabis growers, manufacturers, retailers and regulators to educate them on the many components of the medical cannabis industry. The training will be held on-site at the Sutter Square Galleria, in Sacramento, CA, and for the first time, include remote training options for those who want to take the training but can not travel to Sacramento.
The Patient Focused Certification (PFC) program is a third-party certification program for the medical cannabis industry that provides tools to promote the adoption of industry safety standards and regulations, from the growth of the cannabis plant to its consumption. PFC standards are based on those issued by the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) and the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP) Cannabis monograph, making PFC the only training program of its kind.
Read more here: http://patientfocusedcertification.org
Geoffrey Marshall
DC City Council Votes to Lift Rule Limited Medical Cannabis Patients to One Dispensary, Authorizes DOH to License Lab Testing - Americans for Safe Access
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, the DC Council had a First Reading vote on the Medical Marijuana Omnibus Amendment Act of 2016 (B21-210), which would address a number of issues currently hampering the District’s Medical Marijuana Program (MMP). The bill will create lab testing, allow reciprocity, and remove the cultivation center plant count limit for the MMP.
Melissa Wilcox
ASA Releases Comparative Analysis of DEA Marijuana Scheduling Decision - Americans for Safe Access
Today, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) disseminated a report comparing the body of research the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) used as a basis for their decision to keep cannabis (marijuana) as a Schedule I substance, as defined by the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), with available data, including the research ASA used in its independent, peer-reviewed 8-Factor Analysis. The report by ASA titled DEA’s Denial of Existing Medical Cannabis Research: A Peer-Reviewed Comparative Analysis of DEA’s “Denial of Petition to Initiate Proceedings to Reschedule Marijuana,” provides a thorough analysis of the scientific data the DEA relied upon in making its scheduling decision and relevant data they did not include. The comparative analysis was sent to all members of Congress as a way of educating them on the body of available evidence supporting cannabis’s safety and efficacy for therapeutic use.
Elizabeth Collins
DEA Denies Cannabis Has Medical Value, Again - Americans for Safe Access
Washington D.C. - Today, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released its decision to keep cannabis in its current Schedule 1 status. This decision will have substantial implications for the two million patients that currently have access to medical cannabis and cannabis products under state laws. Schedule I status means that the DEA sees no accepted medical use of cannabis.
The Controlled Substances Act requires an 8-Factor Analysis from the HHS upon which the DEA makes it determination for all scheduling, or rescheduling, decisions. Previous efforts to reschedule cannabis have also been blocked by the DEA, who remain the most steadfast in maintaining their opposition to cannabis reform under the Obama administration
Melissa Wilcox
Medical Cannabis A Viable Strategy to Address the Opioid Crisis
Today, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) released the Medical Cannabis Access for Pain Treatment: A Viable Strategy to Address the Opioid Crisis report to educate legislators and health practitioners on the benefits of medical cannabis as a treatment option for the millions of patients suffering from chronic pain. Prescription opioid use has increased dramatically over the last two decades, and in the same period the number of deaths attributed to opioid overdose have quadrupled, creating a national crisis.
In a briefing released earlier this year, President Obama proposed $1.1B in new funding for a multi-pronged approach to address the opioid overdose epidemic. In July, Obama signed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) into law. Many of the provisions in CARA focus on post-addiction strategies for treating drug abuse, heroin use, and overdose prevention strategies. Provisions that focus upstream, including addiction prevention strategies and ways to reduce the amount of opioids prescribed while still ensuring patients receive effective treatment, are underrepresented in the plan. While increasing funding for treatment programs is critical, it is equally important to utilize less harmful, treatment options.
ASA’s report outlines research and data supporting cannabis as an effective treatment option and provides three recommendations:
Melissa Wilcox
Senators Grassley and Feinstein Introduce Bill to Exempt Certain Medical Cannabis Patients From Federal Prosecution - Americans for Safe Access
Washington, D.C. - Today, the Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act (S. 3269) was introduced in the United States Senate, which would ease research barriers and create exemptions from federal law for certain medical cannabis patients. The bill was introduced by four members of the Senate Judiciary Committee - Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Tom Tillis (R-NC). Much of the bill is focused on allowing for institutions of higher education or manufacturers to register with the federal government in order to conduct research on cannabis (marijuana) or cannabidiol (CBD), but it’s the “Safe Harbor” provision that is drawing the attention of medical cannabis patients.
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