Ashcroft is gone...Let's renew our commitment to the fight!

Hello ASA supporters,

First Montana, now Ashcroft resigns! Thank goodness for silverlinings!

But Bush, Rove, and Cheney are all still in place...and we do not know what
the future will bring. ASA is hoping that the "political capitol" Bush now
feels he can "spend" does not include a reinvigoration of his war against
medical marijuana. But just in case, ASA is asking all medical marijuana
advocates to prepare for the worst by pledging to participate in ASA's
Emergency Response Campaign.

ASA is asking all Medical Marijuana Advocates to renew their commitment to
the fight for safe and legal access by signing a Pledge of Resistance (if
you have already signed the pledge forward this e-mail to five of your
friends.) The Pledge of Resistance is a commitment to supporting or
actively taking part in actions in the event of federal harassment, closure,
or arrests of medical marijuana patients, dispensaries, or caregivers.

This Pledge is a tool to create a network of resistance against DEA actions
that would deprive patients of their rights to medical marijuana. By signing
and pledging our resistance, we can help support patients’ rights and defend
our democratic will to legalize medical marijuana. Click on the following
link to download forms or sign on-line today!
http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=56

After signing the pledge, download the Emergency Response Plan
http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=1543 and contact other advocates in
your area and decide how your community will respond in the event of a
federal raid.

What a year! The Ninth Circuit’s historic decisions protecting medical
marijuana have resulted in the release of two of our prisoners of the war on
patients: Bryan Epis and Keith Alden. As a result of considerable pressure
by advocates, a presidential candidate even promised a moratorium on federal
raids if elected. Arnold the "Governator" allocated $900,000 to medical
marijuana ID cards, John Ashcroft has retired, and now 11 states have passed
laws creating avenues for safe and legal access for patients.And Americans
for Safe Access has taken an obscure new tool of environmentally-unfriendly
corporations, the Data Quality Act, and used it to directly challenge the
misinformation used by the Department of Health & Human Services to deny the
rescheduling of marijuana as medicine.

While the future of these separate actions are unknown, we are sure that
this movement to create safe access to medical marijuana patients has
started a wave of common sense and justice that will not go backwards. But
we must unite and focus at the tasks at hand. No matter what the next four
years bring, I know we should be excited that we are growing as movement and
preparing ourselves for all that is to come.

Our best tool is truth and our best strategy is to be prepared! This year we
must continue to increase our coalition, we must be commited to standing up
against injustices against all patients, we must continue to push the courts
in our favor, and most importantly WE MUST KEEP UP THE FIGHT!

We can do it!

Steph Sherer
Executive Director
Americans for Safe Access http://www.safeaccessnow.org
1678 Shattuck Ave. #317
Berkeley, CA 94709
phone: 510-486-8083
fax: 510-486-8090

Join the fight for medical marijuana rights!
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