ASA CA Weekly Alertq

**1) Saturday, April 29th, Marysville: Yuba-Sutter ASA Meeting
2) Monday, May 1st, Fresno: Court Support for Joe Fortt
3) Monday, May 1st, Fresno: Court Support for Thunder Rector
4) Wednesday, May 3rd, Palm Springs: City Council to Vote on Extending
Dispensary Moratorium
****5) Tuesday, May 2nd, Merced: Convince Board of Sups Not to Join San
Diego Lawsuit Against 215!**
**6) Friday, May 5th, Oakland: Court Support for Keith Alden****
7) Monday, May 8th, Sacramento: Court Support for Dr. Mollie Fry & Dale
Schafer
8) Monday, May 8th, Ceres: City Council to Vote on Extending Dispensary
Moratorium
9) Tuesday, May 9th, Napa: Court Support for ***Gabriel Strasburg*
**10) Tuesday, May 9th, Sausalito: City Council to Vote on Extending
Dispensary Moratorium
11) Tuesday, May 9th, San Diego: San Diego ASA Meeting
12) Tuesday, May 9th, San Francisco: SF ASA Meeting
13) Tuesday, May 9th, Placerville: City Council to Vote on Revising
Dispensary Ordinance
14) Thursday, May 11th, Sacramento: Sac ASA Meeting
15) Friday, May 12th, Sacramento: Court Support for Vernon Rylee

**
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**1) Saturday, April 29th, Marysville: Yuba-Sutter ASA Meeting**

There is a new ASA chapter starting in the Yuba-Sutter region. Please
attend this first meeting to get involved!

04/29/06 from 4:00-6:00 pm

Yuba County Library
303 2nd Street
Marysville, CA 95901
Held in the Community Room

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**2) Monday, May 1st, Fresno: Court Support for Joe Fortt

**Status hearing at 1:30pm before Judge Anthony W. Ishii in U.S.
District Court, 5th Floor, 1130 "O" Street, Fresno, CA. Despite Joe
Fortt closing the doors to his Bakersfield medical marijuana dispensary,
American Kenpo Kungfu School of Public Health, a day after the Gonzales
v. Raich decision, three places of cultivation were raided and he was
arrested on July 20, 2005. Allegedly, over 2,000 plants were seized and
Fortt was subsequently charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess
more than 1,000 plants. Fortt is currently incarcerated, and faces a
10-year mandatory minimum sentence if convicted.

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**
3) Monday, May 1st, Fresno: Court Support for Thunder Rector**

Status hearing before Oliver W. Wanger in U.S. District Court, 1130 "O"
Street, Fresno, CA. Modesto patient and caregiver Thunder Rector was
arrested on July 18, 2005, as a result of a raid by the Stanislaus
County Sheriff earlier in July. Allegedly, the Sheriff confiscated 49
plants and 235 pounds of marijuana and handed it over to the feds.
Rector is now being prosecuted on federal charges of conspiracy and
manufacturing marijuana with intent to distribute. Rector and his wife
had been providing medical marijuana to patients at the San Francisco
Dispensary the Divinity Tree.

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**4) Tuesday, May 2nd, Merced: Convince Board of Sups Not to Join San
Diego Lawsuit Against 215!
**
> From Aaron Smith, Safe Access Now (fa_smith [at] yahoo.com):

The Merced County Board of Supervisors has directed its staff to join
with San Diego and San Bernardino it their lawsuits against the state
which seek to overturn our decade-old medical marijuana law, Prop 215.

There is still time to get the board to reverse this decision. We need
to get all patients and advocates out to the next board meeting to speak
out against Merced County's heartless attempt to undermine the will of
the voters. The meeting will be held at the County Administration
Building in the City of Merced next Tuesday, May 2nd. The public comment
period at 10am will give us a chance to express our disappointment with
the board's decision. See details below:

Tuesday, May 2nd -- Public Comment: 10am (show up early to get a seat)
2222 M Street
Merced, CA 95340
Map: http://tinyurl.com/pst7p

This is a professional meeting; please dress in business or
business/casual attire.

*Talking Points against Joining the San Diego lawsuit:*

* This lawsuit is not based on legitimate legal grounds. California's
counties, as subdivisions of the state, are required by our State
Constitution to uphold state law over federal law. This has been
confirmed by legal precedence dating back over 100 years.

* In a Federalist system of government, state and federal laws are
allowed to conflict. Proposition 215 has already been to the Supreme
Court three times and has never been overturned.

* California voters overwhelmingly support our state's medical marijuana
laws. It is the job of our representatives to uphold the will of the
voters. This lawsuit is not only an injustice to our democratic system
but a huge slap in the face to the hundreds-of-thousands of legitimate
medical marijuana patients in our state.

* Voters' support of safe and legal access to medical marijuana has only
grown stronger since the passage of the Compassionate Use Act (Prop.
215) in 1996, even among conservatives. According to an independent
field poll conducted in 2004, 74% of Californians believe that patients
should not be arrested for using marijuana as medicine.

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**5) Wednesday, May 3rd, Palm Springs: City Council to Vote on Extending
Dispensary Moratorium

**The Palm Springs City Council has enacted a moratorium and will be
voting to extend it.

If you are a patient or advocate in the area, please go to speak out
against the extension of this moratorium and in favor of a quick
ordinance development. For talking points, click here:
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/moratorium.talking.points.pdf

Please join us in protecting safe access!

6:00p.m. Council Chamber, 3200 East Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs,
California 92262

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**6) Friday, May 5th, Oakland: Court Support for Keith Alden

**Resentencing hearing at 2:30pm before Judge Martin Jenkins in U.S.
District Court, 4th Floor at 1301 Clay Street, Oakland, CA. Sonoma
County patient and caregiver Keith Alden was arrested on May 9, 2001
after a raid on his medical marijuana garden, which supplied him and
other patients. On February 11, 2002, Alden was convicted by a jury of
cultivating more than 100 plants, and sentenced to 5 years probation.
Alden was then re-arrested on July 31, 2002, for cultivating while on
probation. He was later convicted on December 19, 2002 for growing over
900 plants, and sentenced to 44 months in prison. Alden was released on
bail pending appeal in April 2004. After the Raich decision, the Ninth
Circuit Court ruled against Alden on his appeal and remanded his case to
the District Court. Alden is now awaiting resentencing.

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**7) Monday, May 8th, Sacramento: Court Support for Dr. Mollie Fry &
Dale Schafer

**Status hearing at 9:30am before Judge Frank C. Damrell, Jr. in U.S.
District Court, 15th Floor at 501 "I" Street in Sacramento. El Dorado
County Medical marijuana physician Mollie Fry and her husband, attorney
Dale Schafer, were arrested as a result of a September 28, 2001 raid on
their clinic in Cool, California, in which patient records were seized.
After the Raich decision, on June 22, 2005, Fry and Schafer were
indicted for marijuana found on the premises during the raid. Fry is
also facing a separate action by the DEA to revoke her license to
practice medicine.

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**8) Monday, May 8th, Ceres: City Council to Vote on Extending
Dispensary Moratorium

**The Ceres City Council has enacted a moratorium and will be voting to
extend it.

If you are a patient or advocate in the area, please go to speak out
against the extension of this moratorium. For talking points, click
here: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/moratorium.talking.points.pdf

Please join us in protecting safe access!

7:00 p.m. The Council Chambers are located at 2220 Magnolia Street.

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**9) Tuesday, May 9th, Napa: Court Support for ***Gabriel Strasburg

**Support Medical Marijuana Patient Gabriel Strasburg at Trial!
*Tuesday, May 9, 2006 at 8:30am

Cotati patient Gabriel Strasburg was arrested in October 2005 by the
Napa County Sheriff. The Sheriff conducted a questionable search of
Strasburg's vehicle and found 1.5 pounds in his locked trunk. While
placing Strasburg under arrest, the cop said they didn't recognize
medical marijuana in Napa County. Strasburg was charged with
transportation and possession with intent to sell and is going to trial
on May 9. He needs your support. If you're in the area, please attend
his trial.

*Please come and show your support by appearing to witness Gabriel
Strasburg's trial!

*Tuesday, May 9, 2006 at 8:30am
Napa County Superior Court
Department E
1195 3rd Street, Napa, CA

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**10) Tuesday, May 9th, Sausalito: City Council to Vote on Extending
Dispensary Moratorium

** The Sausalito City Council has enacted a moratorium and will be
voting to extend it.

If you are a patient or advocate in the area, please go to speak out
against the extension of this moratorium. For talking points, click
here: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/moratorium.talking.points.pdf

Please join us in protecting safe access!

7p.m. City Hall - Council Chambers 420 Litho St. Sausalito, CA 94965

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**11) Tuesday, May 9th, San Diego: San Diego ASA Meeting

**Our San Diego chapter of ASA has been busy lately and needs you to get
involved. It is time to get involved and protect safe access!

For more info about the chapter, please visit their site:
http://sdasa.4mg.com/index.html

Twiggs Coffee House
4590 Park Blvd.
In the Green Room
7:00-8:00 p.m.

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**12) Tuesday, May 9th, 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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**13) Tuesday, May 9th, Placerville: City Council to Vote on Revising
Dispensary Ordinance

**The Placerville City Council will be voting to revise their dispensary
ordinance. Activists have been meeting with the city and helping to
revise this ordinance. Please speak out and show your support!

Please read the current Placerville ordinance
<http://safeaccessnow.org/downloads/Placerville.pdf>.

**7p.m. City Council Chambers - Town Hall 549 Main Street, Placerville,
CA 95667

****
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**
14) Thursday, May 11th, Sacramento: Sac ASA Meeting

**Sacramento ASA has begun meeting again and they're busy strategizing
on ways to effect local, state and national policies.

The Sacramento medical marijuana community was once extremely active
with Americans for Safe Access. Sac ASA met regularly, organized a huge
rally for Bryan Epis at the Capitol, and did all they could to protect
patients' rights.

Patients and advocates in the Sacramento area are coming together again
to reinvigorate ASA. Please join them at their bi-weekly meetings:

Thursday @ 6:00 p.m.
Capitol Wellness Collective
2400 14th Street, Sacramento

Patients and non-patients are welcome. This is a great opportunity to
get involved with ASA and to work on both local and national campaigns.

For more information, please call 916-325-9000.

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**15) Friday, May 12th, Sacramento: Court Support for Vernon Rylee

**Detention hearing before Judge Edward Garcia in U.S. District at 501
"I" Street in Sacramento. Trinity County patients Vernon and Janet Rylee
were arrested by the Sheriff in August 2003 for allegedly growing more
than 1,000 plants. The Rylee's replanted in spring 2004, and were once
again raided. This time, federal agents confiscated their plants but
were not able to indict. When the 2003 state case was about to go to
trial, on October 18, 2005, the Trinity County District Attorney
dismissed the charges against both defendants. The DA then handed the
case over to the feds, who are now prosecuting Vernon Rylee in federal
court. Rylee is currently incarcerated in Sacramento County Jail, but
may be released on his own recognizance at this hearing.
********

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