Community

Patients and advocates will gather for a peaceful protest in front of a training luncheon in Montebello entitled “Eradicating Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County” on Thursday, October 8. Please join us to tell the Los Angeles County District Attorney, Los Angeles City Attorney, and local law enforcement to abandon plans to eliminate safe access to medical cannabis in the county. We have fought too hard for safe access to see it rolled back by ideologues who oppose all access in the county!

What: Peaceful Protest in Montebello – “Implementation, Not Eradication!”

When: 10:30 AM * Thursday, October 8, 2009

Where: At the entrance to the Montebello Country Club, at the intersection of N. Garfield Ave. and Via San Clemente (near the 60 Freeway)

Info: ASA Forum / Protest in Montebello - Thurs 10/08/09

Bring signs and banners! Invite you friends and loved ones to join us in Montebello next week, and forward this message to your email lists.

Thank you!

The Greater Los Angeles Caregivers Alliance congratulates Carmen “Nuch” Trutanich, our new City Attorney, on his victory. Tuesday May 19th, the residents of Los Angeles spoke and choose a City Attorney that has promised to work for the people of Los Angeles .

Shortly after the primary election, GLACA representatives met Mr.Trutanich and his campaign manager, Jane Usher, at a neighborhood council meeting. At that meeting a dialogue began that led to GLACA endorsing Mr. Trutanich and supporting him in this election.

“We were able to turn out hundreds of voters for Mr. Trutanich,” stated Jennifer Ferrell, spokesperson for GLACA. “We are very proud of the turn out from our community. Our grass roots style campaign of emails, on-line blogs, phone calls and discussions with our members helped to push Mr. Trutanich into victory.”

The grassroots campaign was just that. Reaching out to the medicinal cannabis community through the internet and one on one conversations. Grass roots or not, GLACA was able to bring a hundreds of voters to the polls on Tuesday. The desire for safe access is extremely important to the several hundreds medicinal cannabis patients and advocates in Los Angeles as shown by the number of voters that turned out to support Trutanich and his campaign.

The Greater Los Angeles Caregivers Alliance is a voluntary group of Medicinal Cannabis Collective operators who have organized to develop and promote a set of safety and operational protocols for medical cannabis collectives in the city. For several years GLACA has advocated for permanent regulations that would protect safe access here in Los Angeles . Rocky DeGadillo, the current City Attorney, has been unable to produce a sensible ordinance that the City Council could enact. His office seemed more willing to perpetuate a problem rather than address it together with the community.

“The process of enacting permanent regulations has taken far too long,” said Jennifer Ferrell, “We look forward to having a City Attorney that will listen to the community and enact sensible permanent regulations.”

By DEVLIN BARRETT
Associated Press Writer
Published: Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2009 - 12:58 pm
Last Modified: Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2009 - 3:26 pm
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric Holder signaled a change on medical marijuana policy Wednesday, saying federal agents will target marijuana distributors only when they violate both federal and state law.

That would be a departure from the Bush administration, which targeted medical marijuana dispensaries in California even if they complied with that state’s law.

“The policy is to go after those people who violate both federal and state law,” Holder said in a question-and-answer session with reporters at the Justice Department.

Medical marijuana advocates in California welcomed the news, but said they still worried about the pending cases of those already in court on drug charges.

California law permits the sale of marijuana for medical purposes, though it still is against federal law.

Holder did not spell out exactly who no longer would face the prospect of raids by the Drug Enforcement Administration. But he was quick to add that law enforcement officers will target anyone who tries to “use medical marijuana laws as a shield” for other illegal activity.

“Given the limited resources that we have, our focus will be on people, organizations that are growing, cultivating substantial amounts of marijuana and doing so in a way that’s inconsistent with federal and state law,” the attorney general said.

Advocates and government officials had been waiting since President Barack Obama was sworn into office for a clear signal on what the new president’s drug policy would be toward medical marijuana. As a candidate, he repeatedly promised a change in policy in situations in which state laws allow the use of medical marijuana.

Yet shortly after Obama took office, DEA agents raided four dispensaries in Los Angeles, prompting confusion about the government’s plans.

Thirteen states have laws permitting medicinal use of marijuana. California is unique among them for the presence of dispensaries, which are businesses that sell marijuana and even advertise their services. Legal under California law, such dispensaries are still illegal under federal law.

Kris Hermes, a spokesman for national medical marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access, said he welcomed Holder’s perspective.

“It signals a new direction and a more reasonable and sensible direction on medical marijuana policy,” he said.

Still, Hermes said his Oakland-based organization was concerned about the fate of more than two dozen California medical marijuana cases currently pending in federal court.

“There remains a big question as to what the federal government’s position is on those cases,” Hermes said. He pointed specifically to the case of Charles Lynch, who was federally convicted for running a medical marijuana dispensary collective in San Luis Obispo County last year.

Hermes said Lynch could face decades in prison when he is sentenced Monday even though his clinic had been compliant with state law.

Washington, D.C. - Speaking at a press conference on Feb 25 with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Michele Leonhart, and reiterating a position made by the White House following DEA raids in California on February 4, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters that ending federal raids on medical marijuana dispensaries “is now American policy.” The Attorney General’s comments are the latest sign of a sea change in federal policy that prohibits the use of medical cannabis in the thirteen states that have enacted such laws. Advocacy organization Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is hosting a conference call for media to find out more about the need for policy change.

What: Media conference call in response to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder statements on ending DEA raids on medical marijuana dispensaries “now American policy”
When: Thursday, February 26, 2009 @ 12:00 PM Pacific (PST)
Where: Conference Call # - (800) 762-6085, Confirmation Number: 990488
Who: Medical marijuana patients and dispensary operators who were targeted in DEA raids, and ASA Executive Director Steph Sherer.

In response to a reporter’s questions about DEA raids at medical marijuana facilities in California, Holder said, “What the President said during the campaign… is now American policy.”

Seventy-two million Americans live in states where medical cannabis is legal, but federal law prohibits its use under any circumstances. More than 100 Americans are currently facing prosecution, sentencing, or serving time in prison for medical cannabis offenses right now. ASA hopes the emerging change in federal policy will signal an end to prosecutions and bring those already serving time for medical cannabis offenses home to their families.

“There has been a lot of collateral damage in the federal campaign against medical marijuana patients,” said Steph Sherer, Executive Director of Americans for Safe Access, the nation’s largest medical cannabis advocacy organization. “We need to stop the prosecutions, bring the prisoners home, and begin working to eliminate the conflict between state and federal medical marijuana laws.”

ASA provided recommendations for a new national medical marijuana policy to President Obama and the 111th Congress earlier this year.

Bios for participants in the call:
Steph Sherer is a medical cannabis patient who founded Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the largest national member-based organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research in 2002.

Larry Epstein operates a legal medical cannabis dispensing collective in Marina del Rey, CA, that was raided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on February 4, despite President Obama’s statements on the campaign trail indicating a change in federal policy.

Heather Poet operates a medical cannabis dispensing collective in Santa Barbara, CA. The DEA has pressured her landlord to evict the collective using threats of prosecution and civil asset forfeiture. Her case prompted US Representative Lois Capps (D-CA) to ask Attorney General Eric Holder to stop any and all prosecutions of property owners on February 16.

Charles C. Lynch was convicted in August 2008 of operating a medical cannabis dispensing collective in Morro Bay, CA. Like all federal medical cannabis defendants, he was not allowed to present evidence about medical cannabis or the fact that he was obeying state law at his trial. He faces decades in prison at his sentencing on March 23.

For more information:
Video of Eric Holder’s statement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjZeW2fcQHM
Policy Recommendations sent by ASA to President Obama: www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/PresidentialRecommendations
Congresswoman Lois Capps Letter to Attorney General Eric Holder: www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/CappsLetter

PRESS RELEASE
Americans for Safe Access
For Immediate Release: February 5, 2009

White House Responds to DEA Raids, Vows to End Policy

Washington, DC — White House Spokesman Nick Shapiro reacted to new Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) raids at medical cannabis collectives in California, saying he expects President Obama to end that policy when a new DEA Administrator is seated. “The president believes that federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws, and as he continues to appoint senior leadership to fill out the ranks of the federal government, he expects them to review their policies with that in mind,” Shapiro said.

The statement puts the Department of Justice and the DEA on notice of a change in federal policy, and indicates that continued raids may not be tolerated. “Americans for Safe Access acknowledges President Obama’s continued pledge to end federal interference with state medical marijuana laws,” commented Caren Woodson, Director of Government Affairs. “We look forward to working with the President and his Administration to enact long-term policies that support safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research.” Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the nation’s largest medical cannabis advocacy organization, sent policy recommendations aimed at harmonizing federal and state law and encouraging research to President Obama and Congress earlier this year.

Shapiro’s statement followed a groundswell of public opposition and critical media following a DEA raid in South Lake Tahoe on January 22 and four simultaneous raids in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday. ASA members and other medical cannabis advocates responded with thousands of phone calls to the White House and an Internet campaign on the President’s web site, Change.gov, asking the President to fulfill his repeated campaign pledges to not use federal resources to interfere with state medical marijuana laws.

Medical cannabis raids intensified under former President George W. Bush, with more than one hundred paramilitary style raids, new indictments, and letters threatening property owners who rent to medical cannabis facilities with prosecution and civil asset forfeiture. “More than 72 million people live in a state that has enacted laws that authorize the limited use and distribution of cannabis for therapeutic use,” Woodson said. “The White House’s comments have provided patients and their loved ones a sense of relief, and we hope the President and our Attorney General will keep this pledge in mind when considering appointments to the DEA and Office of National Drug Control Policy.”

For interviews with medical cannabis patients impacted by federal raids, defendants facing prosecution or sentencing, doctors, and researchers, contact Media Specialist Kris Hermes at (510) 681-6361 or Director of Government Affairs Caren Woodson at (202) 857-5350.

Comments by Obama on ending medical marijuana raids: http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080323/NEWS/803230336

ASA medical marijuana recommendations for President Obama: http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/PresidentialRecommendations

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With over 30,000 active members in more than 40 states, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is the largest national member-based organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research. ASA works to overcome political and legal barriers by creating policies that improve access to medical cannabis for patients and researchers through legislation, education, litigation, grassroots actions, advocacy and services for patients and the caregivers.