San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom issued a letter today to Congressman John Conyers. Jr., Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, urging investigation into the tactics of the Drug Enforcement Administration to undermine California's state medical marijuana laws.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Shona Gochenaur, Executive Director, Axis Of Love San Francisco,
(415) 240-5247, axisoflovesf [at] gmail.com
Degé Coutee, President, Patient Advocacy Network, (323) 334-5282,
patientadvocates [at] riseup.net
http://www.CannabisSavesLives.com

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom Defends Sanctuary City, Medical Cannabis Patients - Urges Congress To Investigate DEA And Open Congressional Hearings

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, April 10, 2008 - San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom issued a letter today to Congressman John Conyers. Jr., Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, urging investigation into the tactics of the Drug Enforcement Administration to undermine California's state medical marijuana laws.

In Newsom's letter, the Mayor expresses his support for the State's medical cannabis laws, San Francisco's patient identification card program and medical marijuana dispensary regulations. He also extends his support to the patients, caregivers, physicians and the landowners who rent to the dispensaries.

Mayor Newsom condemns the DEA for threatening landlords with asset forfeiture and imprisonment and for interfering with the implementation of state and local laws. He is urging Congress to do something about it.

Shona Gochenaur, executive director for Axis Of Love San Francisco, a local medical cannabis patient advocacy and social service organization, who proposed the letter to the Mayor and his staff states, "It was great to work with Mayor Newsom and his team to draft this statement. Patient advocates thank the Mayor for reaffirming our city's sanctuary status, defending our local dispensary regulations and protecting patients' safe and legal access to medical cannabis."

Gochenaur continues that she urges other international cities and sister cities in states with medical marijuana laws and around the country to join Mayor Newsom in defending compassionate use laws and demand Congress take action.

"This is an issue whose time has come," states Degé Coutee, president of Patient Advocacy Network, a medical cannabis education and patient advocacy (501)(c)(3) in Los Angeles, and coordinator of a statewide board of medical cannabis patient advocates. "The Supreme Court writes in the Gonzalez V. Raich decision that this matter should be taken up in Congress. Our local elected officials are asking Congress to do just that. These destructive, aggressive DEA raids cannot continue and be the
norm for how the federal government handles this issue."

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco district office also received a copy of Mayor Newsom's letter to the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee. It is anticipated that her office will express support for their mayor's statement.