As the end of this outdoor cultivation season comes to a close, patients are assured of the high quality and availability of their medicine throughout California. In order to ensure safe access for patients across the state, it is important to protect your garden from theft & vandalism. Based on the calls ASA’s hotline receives, our community faces more break-ins during harvest than any other time of the year. Here are some tips on safe gardening: 

• Use common sense. Fewer plants attract less attention from thieves. Be realistic about the amount of cannabis you will need.
• Compost or eliminate trash off-site in order to keep knowledge about the size of your garden to a minimum. 
• Use extra odor controls during this time of year. 
• Only invite people you trust to your gardening site. Having gatherings where friends-of-friends are welcome greatly increases the risk that someone will divulge information about your garden to the wrong person. 
• Be a good neighbor. If your neighbors trust and respect you, they’re much less likely to gossip about you and your activities.

If you are subject to theft or vandalism, you may want to involve law enforcement. While you are within your rights as a patient in California to cultivate your medicine either individually or collectively, it is important to remember that federal law still prohibits any type of cultivation, distribution, or possession of cannabis for any reason. Keep in mind that local law enforcement may not agree with California’s medical cannabis program, and may contact federal law enforcement. It is a hard decision to make, and involves a lot of variables. Please consider calling ASA’s hotline to discuss your options.For assistance or more information on this matter, please contact ASA’s legal hotline (legalsupport@safeaccessnow.org or 510-251-1856)