top
US
US
Indybay
Indybay
Indybay
Regions
Indybay Regions North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area California United States International Americas Haiti Iraq Palestine Afghanistan
Topics
Newswire
Features
From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature

10/5 in Washington, DC: Stop the War on Medical Cannabis Patients!

by Americans for Safe Access
*WHAT:* RALLY FOR RESCHEDULING MARIJUANA AS MEDICINE
*WHERE*: HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS), WASHINGTON DC
*WHEN:* TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5 2004, 10 AM
*WHO:* PATIENTS, DOCTORS, MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONS & YOU!
*RESCHEDULE MARIJUANA AS MEDICINE &*

*STOP THE FEDERAL WAR ON PATIENTS FOREVER *

*HHS: OUR HEALTH IS IN YOUR HANDS! *

*October 5, 2004, Washington DC *

*WHAT:* RALLY FOR RESCHEDULING MARIJUANA AS MEDICINE
*WHERE*: HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS), WASHINGTON DC
*WHEN:* TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5 2004, 10 AM
*WHO:* PATIENTS, DOCTORS, MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONS & YOU!

*WHAT IS IT?* This rally of medical marijuana patients and medical
associations is to affirm that marijuana DOES have accepted medical use,
and to recommend its immediate rescheduling! Its time that HHS accepts
that Our Health is in Their Hands, and does their job.

*WHY HHS?* To ensure safe access for ALL patients, marijuana must be
rescheduled, and its medicinal value recognized on the federal level.
This will allow the country to have the conversation that is needed
about cannabis therapies - how to get this medicine to patients -
instead of still debating whether or not marijuana is medicine. Health
and Human Services (HHS) has the power to make this change. If HSS
allows that marijuana has medical value, the DEA must recommend
rescheduling. However, in 2001, HHS ruled that marijuana had, "no
currently accepted medical use in treatment". They did not address the
mountain of data recognizing cannabis as a useful treatment, by itself
or as an adjunct to other therapies. This allowed the DEA to reject
rescheduling and gave them implicit permission to raid patients. /Six
months later, the DEA started raiding and closing California
dispensaries. //
/
*WHY OCTOBER?*

A. This is an opportunity to educate the American public on Bush's
record before the election. The Bush/Ashcroft attack on patients was so
unpopular that they have retreated in this election year. We will be
there to remind those voters with short memories about Bush's war on
patients.

B. The next Administration & Congress need to know there is a way to end
the war on patients outside of the legislature. There is a petition for
rescheduling cannabis in front of Health and Human Services right now.
Marijuana can and should be rescheduled by health officials, not
politicians, and this is how it can happen.

C. The Supreme Court will hear the Raich/Monson case after October.
Whether it wins or loses, we need to look ahead to the future of
protecting ALL patients.

*WHAT SHOULD I DO?*

1. COME TO WASHINGTON DC: Drop an email to stacey [at] safeaccessnow.org
<mailto:i [at] safeaccessnow.org> or call 510.486.8083 and give us your name,
address, your phone number, and your e-mail address if you would like to
join us. if you can't come, please contribute to someone else that can!

2. GET YOUR MATERIALS: Download the Community Fundraising materials and
action flyers. <http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=1366>

3. START FUNDRAISING: You will be representing all the medical marijuana
patients from your area who will not be there. Ask the community for
help in
sending you to DC! Personalize and send out the fundraising letter to
everyone in your address book. Track donations with the Pledge Form so
you can thank everyone later, and know when youve met your fundraising
goal.

4. THROW A HOUSE PARTY: Invite over your friends, family, other patients
and others and explain why we need to have marijuana rescheduled. Ask
for donations to support your travel costs. Arrange for a report back
after your return.

5. BRING A SHOW OF HANDS: Activists who can come to DC are asked to
bring handprints from supporters or other patients with their messages
to HHS. We will assemble them together to show our true numbers.

*WHO ARE WE?* Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is the largest national
grassroots coalition working to protect the rights of patients and
doctors to legally use marijuana for medical purposes. Our mission is to
ensure safe, legal access to marijuana for all who are helped by it. We
provide legal training for lawyers and patients, medical information for
doctors and patients, media support for court cases, activist training
to grassroots organizers, and rapid response to law enforcement
encounters. We work with local, state and national legislators to raise
awareness of issues concerning medical marijuana patients. For more
information, call 510-486-8083 or visit http://www.safeaccessnow.org
<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/>

--
Stacey Swimme
Field Manager
Americans for Safe Access
1700 Shattuck Ave. #317
Berkeley, CA 94709
510-486-8083
http://www.safeaccessnow.org

Add Your Comments
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!

Donate

$110.00 donated
in the past month

Get Involved

If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.

Publish

Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.

IMC Network