ASA CA Weekly Alert

*1) Sign Petitions to Show Compassion for Federal Medical Marijuana
Defendants!
2) Saturday, March 25th, **Garden Valley: El Dorado County AAMC Meeting
3) Monday, March 27th, Sacramento: Court Support for Bryan Epis
**4) Monday, March 27th, Fresno: Court Support for Dustin Costa*
*5) Monday, March 27th, Pasadena: Court Support for Angel Raich
6) Monday, March 27th, San Andreas: Calaveras County to Vote on Medical
Marijuana ID Card Program
**7) Tuesday, March 28th, Los Angeles: County Board of Supervisors to
Vote on Dispensary Regulations*
*8) Tuesday, March 28th, San Francisco: SF ASA Meeting
9) Friday, March 31st, on the Airwaves: 420 Report Radio Show Hosted by
Ed Rosenthal***
10) Thursday-Saturday, April 6th-8th, Santa Barbara: The Fourth National
Clinical Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics
11) Saturday, April 9th, Sacramento: Cannabis at the Capitol
12) Wednesday, April 19th, San Francisco: ASA Birthday Parties

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***1) Sign Petitions to Show Compassion for Federal Medical Marijuana
Defendants!

*Nick Osborne, of the Merced County Patients Coalition, has created
three petitions asking judges to show compassion for federal medical
marijuana defendants. Please visit the links below to sign these
petitions and support our POWs!

Dustin Costa:
http://www.petitiononline.com/freedc/petition.html

Joe Fortt:
http://www.petitiononline.com/Freedom1/petition.html

Thunder Rector:
http://www.petitiononline.com/Freedom2/petition.html

**
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2) Saturday, March 25th, **Garden Valley: El Dorado County AAMC Meeting

*The El Dorado chapter of the American Alliance for Medical Cannabis
meets on the 4th Saturday of each month at the Garden Valley Grange,
4940 Marshall Road, Garden Valley, California. Meetings are
traditionally held between 2:15 and 4:20 p.m.

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*3) Monday, March 27th, Sacramento: Court Support for Bryan Epis

*Non-evidentiary status hearing at 9:30am before Judge Frank C. Damrell,
Jr. in U.S. District Court, 15th Floor at 501 "I" Street in Sacramento.
Bryan Epis was the first medical marijuana patient convicted in federal
court after the passage of California's Proposition 215. Epis was
arrested June 25, 1997, after Butte County sheriff's officers discovered
marijuana plants growing in the basement of his home in Chico. Epis was
released on bail August 9, 2004, pending his appeal.

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*4) Monday, March 27th, Fresno: Court Support for Dustin Costa

*Hearing at 9am before Judge Anthony W. Ishii in U.S. District Court,
2500 Tulare Street, Fresno, CA. Medical marijuana patient and caregiver
Dustin Costa (a.k.a. "DC Greenhouse"), 58, who is president of the
Merced Patients Group, was being prosecuted on state charges stemming
from a March 2004 cultivation arrest by Merced County Sheriffs, when the
state decided to turn his case over to the U.S. Attorney for federal
prosecution. After being re-arrested by federal agents on August 10,
2005, Costa is facing federal charges of cultivation, possession with
intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm. Costa is currently
incarcerated in Fresno.
*
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5) Monday, March 27th, Pasadena: Court Support for Angel Raich*

Hearing at 1:30pm before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals at the
Richard H. Chambers Building, Hearing Room 3, 125 South Grand Avenue,
Pasadena, CA. On October 9, 2002, medical marijuana patients, Angel
McClary Raich and Diane Monson, filed a complaint and motion for
preliminary injunction against then-Attorney General John Ashcroft and
then-DEA Administrator Asa Hutchinson. The case reached the Supreme
Court after Ashcroft appealed the December 2003 federal Ninth Circuit
Court of Appeals decision that ruled in favor of Raich. On June 6th,
2005 the US Supreme Court ruled that federal law enforcement officials
could arrest and prosecute medical marijuana patients. The decision did
not declare the laws of California, or any other medical marijuana
state, unconstitutional, and the federal government still has discretion
not to prosecute patients. On November 23, 2005, Raich filed another
appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court, based on medical necessity and
substantive due process.

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*6) Monday, March 27th, San Andreas: Calaveras County to Vote on Medical
Marijuana ID Card Program

*From Aaron Smith:

Next Monday, March 27th, the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors will
be voting on the implementation of the medical marijuana ID card
program. The ID cards would be voluntary for patients and caregivers to
obtain through the county and serve to further protect them from
detainment, arrest or seizure of their medicine by state and local law
enforcement. If the program is approved by the board, the Calaveras
County health agency will begin accepting applications for the cards on
April 3rd.

It's very important that we fill the board chambers with patients and
advocates backing the program. If you are interested in speaking at your
county's board meeting, please contact Aaron Smith at fa_smith [at] yahoo.com
or (707) 291-0076.

Board Meeting Time and Location:

Monday, Feb. 27th -- 9:00am

CalWORKs Building, Sequoia Room
509 East St. Charles Street
San Andreas, CA 95249
(Large building on the corner of Hwy 49 & Mtn. Ranch Rd.)

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*7) Tuesday, March 28th, Los Angeles: County Board of Supervisors to
Vote on Dispensary Regulations

*The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is holding a public hearing
on regulations for medical cannabis dispensing collectives at the end of
March. We want the regulations to pass virtually unchanged, as they
allow for edibles, on-site consumption and clones! To do so, we must
have strong representation.

Join us to show support for reasonable dispensary regulations and safe
access!

WHEN: Tuesday, March 28th at 9:30am
Breakfast & Briefing at 8:45am
WHERE: Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 W. Temple St., Room 381-B in Downtown LA
WHO: Patients, caregivers, doctors, patient advocates, ASA supporters

Parking is around $15 in the public parking building. For those
interested, we will be carpooling from the LAPCG located at 7213 Santa
Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood. We will be departing at 8:00am sharp. If
you're interested in carpooling, contact Amanda at amarajane [at] yahoo.com
or (310) 279-7424 to make arrangements.

Contact the Supervisors! Speak up for Safe Access!

Call your County Supervisor and tell him or her that you support the
proposed ordinance a/s approved by the Regional Planning Commission/.
Tell your Supervisor to adopt it without amendments.

Visit http://regrec.co.la.ca.us/district/ or call (213) 974-1311 to find
out who your Supervisor is.

Gloria Molina (District 1) -- (213) 974-4111
Yvonne Burke (District 2) -- (213) 974-2222
Zev Yaroslavsky (District 3) -- (213) 974-3333
Don Knabe (District 4) -- (213) 974-4444
Michael Antonovich (District 5) -- (213) 974-5555

For more information or to get involved, please contact Amanda:
amanda [at] safeaccessnow.org

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*8) Tuesday, March 28th, San Francisco: SF ASA Meeting

*It's more important than ever that San Francisco patients join together
to ensure regulations that protect patients' access, rights and privacy.
Join SF ASA to plan for the future of medical cannabis in San Francisco.

7:00 p.m
San Francisco Woman's Building
3543 18th Street #8
Room B

For more info, call Alex: 415-794-1543

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*9) Friday, March 31st, on the Airwaves: 420 Report Radio Show Hosted by
Ed Rosenthal

*The 420 Report airs on KPFA - 94.1 FM Noon --1:00pm the last Friday of
the month. (KPFA can be heard in the Bay Area or streamed on line at
http://www.kpfa.org )

The show features cannabis news, interviews with activists and policy
makers, and musical insights from Ed Rosenthal. Call in comments are
welcomed.

For anyone who cannot tune in on Friday, you can still hear the show. It
is archived at http://www.kpfa.org under Livingroom.

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*10) Thursday-Saturday, April 6th-8th, Santa Barbara: The Fourth
National Clinical Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics*
*
*The Fourth National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics, which
will be held in Santa Barbara, CA on April 6-8, 2006, will present state
of the art cannabis research with faculty from the US, England, Canada,
Spain, Israel, and the Netherlands. Areas to be discussed include the
use of cannabis for pain management, multiple sclerosis, mental health
problems, cancer, glaucoma; use during pregnancy; an overview of the
endogenous cannabinoids and their role in the human body; harm reduction
measures and policy updates.

Multiple members of ASA's Medical and Scientific Advisory Board have
been asked to present. Included in the conference will be Dr. Robert
Melamede's discussion on "Cannabinoids and the Physics of Life," Dr.
Rick Doblin's update on the federal government's obstruction of
privately funded research, and Philippe Lucas' research on "Therapeutic
Cannabis Use During Pregnancy and It's Efficacy Treating 'Morning
Sickness'." In addition, international researchers will present a
diverse range of topics useful to patients, caregivers, researchers, and
physicians. While various issues will be covered, the focus will be
placed on both physical cannabis treatment and the use of cannabis for
emotional or psychological problems.

This is an accredited conference, so attendees are eligible for
Continuing Medical Education credits, among others. Medical
Professionals can obtain professional education credits for learning
about the scientific evidence supporting the therapeutic use of cannabis
from researchers from across the U.S. and around the world. CMEs from
USCF; also CEUs for RNs, LVNs, MFTs and Reg. P. / pharm. D. available.

Join ASA at the 4th National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics:

April 6-8, 2006
Santa Barbara City College, CA
http://www.medicalcannabis.com/conference.htm

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**11) Saturday, April 9th, Sacramento: Cannabis at the Capitol
**

Compassionate Coalition Presents: CANNABIS AT THE CAPITOL, A Medical
Marijuana Rally
California State Capitol, West Steps
Sacramento, CA
12 noon-6 p.m.
Free Admission

Featuring Speakers:

Bruce Mirken - Marijuana Policy Project Communications Director, San
Francisco
Eddy Lepp - Medicinal Cannabis Cultivator, Federal Defendant, Lake County
Mike & Valerie Corral - Wo/men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana
Co-founders, Santa Cruz
Nathan Sands - Compassionate Coalition Chairman of the Board, Sacramento
Barbara MacKenzie - Shelter From the Storm Founder, San Diego
Omar Figueroa - Attorney Specializing in Cannabis Law, San Francisco
Frank Lucido, M.D. - Family Physician, Berkeley
Ryan Landers - Compassionate Coalition Government Affairs Director,
Sacramento
Tony Bowles - President of California Marijuana Party, San Francisco
Mel Sterling - Clinical Professor of Medicine, UC Irvine, Medical
Director, Palliative Care Team, St. Joseph Hospital, Orange
Lynnette Shaw - Libertarian Candidate Lt. Governor, Fairfax
Kris Hermes - Legal Campaign Director, Americans for Safe Access, Oakland

And Music:

Cedar Matyola - Flamenco Guitar
"Daycare" the Rock Band
D.J. Wokstar Spinning Reggae, Dancehall and Ganja Tunes

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**12) Wednesday, April 19th, San Francisco: ASA Birthday Parties
**

**Wednesday, April 19th 2006: ASA Birthday Reception at Richard Wolfe's
New Home in San Francisco from 6:00-9:00 PM (PT)**

This gathering is the premiere of Richard Wolfe's first floor replica of
the "Star Trek Enterprise" and will feature live entertainment,
refreshments and cocktails, and special guest appearances.

**Wednesday, April 19th 2006: ASA Birthday Bash at Cafe Cocomo in San
Francisco from 8:00 PM - 1:00 AM (PT)**

Happy Birthday to ASA! Join us for a rediculously big blowout bash at
one of the most patient-friendly venues in California, Cafe Cocomo
<http://www.cafecocomo.com>. Wednesday night at the club is the
"Ultimate Dance Party," featuring hits from the 70's, 80's, and
90's with half-priced drinks until 9:00 PM. Tickets are $12 for medical
marijuana patients and NORML conference attendees; $20 for the general
public.

//**More information about these events and how to purchase
tickets online coming soon**//

////*//**Please note that the date for ASA's Birthday Reception and Bash
has been changed from Friday, April 21st to Wednesday, April 19th**//*

--
Rebecca Saltzman
Field Coordinator
Americans for Safe Access
p (510) 251-1856 x 308
f (510) 251-2036
http://www.safeaccessnow.org