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The FREE POT! Patients' Rights Rally in Support of Medical Cannabis took place in San Francisco's Civic Center Plaza from 4:20pm to 8:00pm on Friday, September 30th. The event included speakers and musical artists. Dozens of people gathered to dance, check out information tables, and hang out. More info about the event

On September 15th, the SF San Francisco Planning Commission recommended Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi's proposal for the regulation of medical marijuana dispensary clinics. In an Evans-McDonough poll of San Francisco residents that was released September 14, 91% of respondents had said that they support medical cannabis for people whose doctors recommend it. Free Pot! organizers say that this demonstrates that San Franciscans of all backgrounds expect local authorities to stand up for patients' rights and safe access. FREE POT! was sponsored by Americans for Safe Access, HempEvolution.org, the Libertarian Party of San Francisco, and the California Marijuana Party.

Americans for Safe Access reports that the California Highway Patrol (CHP) has abandoned its policy of arresting medical cannabis patients and confiscating their medicine. ASA had filed a lawsuit filed on behalf of six patients. On August 22nd, the CHP quietly changed its policy to officially recognize the rights of lawful patients under California’s Proposition 215.

The CHP has been responsible for over one fourth of all medical cannabis arrests and confiscations that are reported to ASA in California. It had been CHP policy to confiscate all medical cannabis found during traffic stops regardless of whether or not the patient had an ID card or a valid doctor’s recommendation.

ASA says, "The new change in CHP policy is a dramatic step towards protecting medical cannabis patients and caregivers in California. The new policy requires CHP officers to honor state-issued medical cannabis ID cards and letters of recommendations as proof of an individual’s status as a legal patient or primary caregiver... patients and caregivers (will have) vastly more freedom and peace of mind when carrying medication on California’s highways." ASA says that it will now pressure local police departments and county sheriffs to bring their policies into line with the CHP. ASA still plans to pursue the lawsuit, to be sure that patients and caregivers have legal recourse if the CHP fails to uphold the new policy. Read more

More information and background on ASA’s lawsuit | CHP Memo About Revised Policy | Past Indybay Coverage of ASA's Lawsuit Against the CHP

In July, Marc Emery, Michelle Rainey, and Greg Williams (Marijuana Man) were arrested in Canada. When the British Columbia Marijuana Party was raided by the DEA on July 22nd, the BCMP said that it was a "dramatic example of the loss of Canadian sovereignty to the US drug war." The search warrants were authorized at the highest levels of the provincial government in concert with a cross-border US-Canada law enforcement pact authorized by the a US-authored Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters treaty (MLAT) between the US and Canada. The US issued extradition orders for Marc Emery. The DEA and other agencies are claiming that by selling seeds to pot-growing Americans, Emery is engaged in a criminal enterprise with the growers. Petition to the Canadian government against the extradition of Marc Emery.

The DEA and RCMP and perhaps other agencies appear to be coordinating a massive round-up of both Canadians and Americans in a considerable escalation of the drug war. A report on Cannabis Culture magazine's website says that when seeds were sent out in June, they took unusually long to get to people's places. Some 200-300 orders were being intercepted somehow, and held up. The article says that theDEA took photos of unopened envelopes that were in two mail box addresses (since they were not allowed to open mail). However, a number of people have received a form in the mail that asks them to send a Western Union or Money Gram, with a code word and attention to certain people. Anyone who did not put their address anywhere on the outside of the envelope will likely not receive this DEA mail. Read more, including photos of the letters.

The article recommends that people not respond to those messages, and avoid activities that could be seen as illegal. Prosecution would require that those people who get the scam letter from the DEA incriminate themselves by agreeing that they wish to receive seeds, and through acknowldging the letter, prove that they asked for and paid for seeds. They suggest that people not buy seeds at any outlets or online businesses, whether in Canada or the USA, as "The US government and DEA are waging war, and many hundreds of people can still be implicated." People who have received these letters are asked to inform Jodie at cannabisculture.com Marc Emery Direct Seeds is closed for good. No refunds will be given, as the company did not keep records.

A San Francisco Rally for Rescheduling Marijuana will be held at 12pm on Wednesday, October 26th. It will be held at Health and Human Services, 50 United Nations Plaza. (Flyer) Southern California Americans for Safe Access is chartering a bus from San Diego with stops in Santa Ana, the San Fernando Valley, and Santa Barbara. The bus will leave San Diego on the morning of October 25th.
The protest was rescheduled from early October to October 26th. ASA plans to hold protests in Washington, DC; Philadelphia; Dallas; Kansas City; Denver; San Francisco; and Seattle.

Americans for Safe Access is pressuring the Department of Health and Human Services to respond to the formal rescheduling petition submitted by the Coalition for Rescheduling Cannabis in 2002 and the Data Quality Act petition submitted by ASA in 2004. Americans for Safe Access is encouraging people to make their voices heard by signing the Petition for Rescheduling Marijuana, gathering signatures for the Petition for Rescheduling Marijuana, and attending local or national protests on October 26th to "Demand Rescheduling Now!" Read more

Past Indybay Coverage: ASA's Data Quality Challenge to HHS | October 2004 Rally in DC

In late September, the Board of Appeals decided that the best case scenario was to have The Green Cross relocate into another facility in another neighborhood. The Board of Appeals agreed to uphold the suspension for another 6 months while the Green Cross finds an alternate location. The Green Cross's hours were changed significantly as part of the agreement.
A public hearing was held on July 15th to discuss the status of the Green Cross medical marijuana dispensary in San Francisco, which is located on 22nd Street near Guerrero. Neighbors of the Green Cross have complained about traffic violations, drug dealing, lingering marijuana odors and the dispensary’s proximity to schools. They also question why dispensary patients don’t look outwardly sick. Neighbors have also complained that “this business does not benefit the neighborhood,” creates “the potential for drug dealing and theft,” and does not “foster a spirit of local community.” Read the history of Noe Valley neighbors' conflict with the Green Cross

The dispensary's building permit was revoked on June 10th. In preparation for the July 15th hearing, proprietor Kevin Reed went to the Zoning Administrator's office to make copies of documents that had been submitted to the record for the hearing. He found a memo from June 8th that showed that city offices may be acting on petty politics, disregarding their internal policies, and making decisions even before the hearing designed to get input from the neighborhood. It included the statement "We need to revoke the Green Cross' permit." Apparently Supervisor Bevan Dufty had requested that the dispensary's permit be cancelled. Recent statement from the Green Cross

The Zoning Administrator has agreed to continue to receive written comments until Tuesday, July 26th. (Letters related to the appeal process can be submitted to the same office until August 11th). The Green Cross has requested that patients and neighbors write letters to express support for maintaining the permit of The Green Cross. There is also a request that neighbors tell Bevan Dufty and his staff person Amanda Kahn that as their elected official, it was wrong for him to pursue revoking the permit of The Green Cross with the Zoning Administrator. Health care practitioners are also encouraged to write letters of support to the Zoning Administrator. The Green Cross is seeking help in answering the final question that was left at the last hearing: What modifications could be made to ameliorate concerns?

Steve McWilliams committed suicide by overdose on July 12th. Read Steve's Last Words and commentary from his wife. He had been fighting federal charges for growing a small garden for the Shelter from the Storm Collective, in San Diego, was saddened over the Supreme Court decision in the Raich v. Ashcroft case. He was in a lot of pain, since he had been denied access to medical marijuana since his arrest in 2002. He had had to take powerful pharmaceutical opiates, anti-nausea, anti-migraine, etc. drugs in far higher amounts than when he had been able to medicate with marijuana. Apparently these medications were used in the overdose. Read more

Americans for Safe Access put out a call for people all over the US to organize vigils to honor Steve McWilliams for the patient, caregiver, and activist he was. On July 19th vigils were held in 16 or more cities. In San Francisco, a vigil was held at 12 noon at Civic Center Plaza. In Oakland, there was a vigil at 5:20pm before the City Council meeting. There was a vigil in Santa Rosa at 8pm.
More info about Steve's activism and the vigils

June 22nd, 2004: Federal agents raided 3 or possibly 4 medical marijuana dispensaries in San Francisco today. Photos Corporate media has reported that the dispensaries were targeted because they were alleged to be fronts for money laundering; two individuals have been charged with a conspiracy to engage in money laundering. Both IRS and DEA agents were present at the raids. Apparently federal agents, joined by the SFPD, also raided 20 homes and businesses as part of the operation. Some reports say that Oakland police assisted with one raid. It is unclear how many people were arrested, but apparently Dr. Molly Fry, who recommends cannabis to qualified patients, and her husband Dale Schafer, were taken into custody and arraigned in Sacramento. The U.S. Attorney’s office, the DEA, and the IRS held a joint press conference on June 23rd at the federal building in SF: Transcript | Read more

Americans for Safe Access has called for a rally at noon at City Hall on Thursday, June 23rd to protest the raids. ASA plans to push the city to uphold the Sanctuary Resolution that San Francisco Supervisors passed in December 2001. The resolution declared the city a safe haven for medical marijuana patients and caregivers. More rally details

This morning, independent reporter Ann Harrison wrote that the city had suspended planning and building permits for the Green Cross medical cannabis dispensary at 3420 22nd Street. She wrote that the dispensary had refused to shut down and planned to file an appeal with the city.

More SF Medical Marijuana Coverage at Hempevolution.org