ASA CA Weekly Alert

**Take Action!
**
1) State - Vote on June 6th! Read the Drug Policy Forum of California's
Election Guide
**
ASA Chapter Meetings
**
1) Saturday, June 3rd, Yuba City: Yuba-Sutter ASA Meeting
2) Sunday, June 4th, Chico: Butte County ASA Meeting
3) Thursday, June 8th, Sacramento: Sac ASA Meeting
4) Tuesday, June 13th, San Diego: San Diego ASA Meeting
5) Tuesday, June 13th, San Francisco: SF ASA Meeting
6) Thursday, June 15th, Fullerton: Orange County ASA Meeting
7) Thursday, June 15th, Guerneville: Sonoma ASA Meeting
**
City & County Hearings

**1) Tuesday, June 6th, Marina: City Council to Vote on Extending
Dispensary Moratorium
**
Court Support
**
1) Monday, June 5th, Fresno: Court Support for Dustin Costa
2) Friday, June 9th, San Diego: San Diego v State of California Hearing
3) Monday, June 12th, Santa Ana: Court Support for Michael Teague

*Special Events*

1) Friday-Sunday, June 2-4, Marysville: Music that Matters Festival -
Benefit for ASA!
**
**
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*Take Action!*/****/**
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*1) State - Vote on June 6th! Read the Drug Policy Forum of California's
Election Guide*

Remember to vote on June 6th! If you don't know your polling place,
please visit the California Secretary of State's website
<http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_ppl.htm>.

If you're unsure about candidates' views on medical marijuana, please
read the Drug Policy Forum of California's 2006 Primary Election Guide
<http://www.drugsense.org/dpfca/elect2006.06.html>.

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*ASA Chapter Meetings*
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**1) Saturday, June 3rd, Yuba City: Yuba-Sutter ASA Meeting

**Our regular Yuba-Sutter ASA Meetings will now be held at Clark Avenue
Coffees of Yuba City. The ASA meetings will be held on the back patio
area. Plenty of parking too! (Weather permitting, the meetings may be
moved inside due to heat or cold)

Our regular, ongoing meetings will now be held on the first and third
Saturday of each month. The meetings will begin at 2:15 PM and end at
4:20 PM. The address is 101 Clark Avenue, Yuba City, CA 95991

For further information please call: 530-531-5592 or email us at:
cannabisadvocate [at] gmail.com

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*2) Sunday, June 4th, Chico: Butte County ASA Meeting*

Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the largest political, medical, legal
support organization in the U.S. upholding medical marijuana laws and
patient rights, now has a local chapter in Butte County! We meet on the
first Sunday of every month at Mountain Mike's Pizza Parlor on the
corner of 5th St. and and Walnut in Chico at 2:15. This meeting is
largely social and informational.

Find out how you can make a difference in our county, state, country,
and world via peaceful, yet vital, activism on the part of legitimate,
seriously ill patients and their caregivers. There are flyers, info
booklets, and local satellite meetings are being formed to help patients
better deal with their disabilities and improve the quality of their
lives with medical marijuana.

Please join us in our efforts toward safe access. Together we can make
a difference!

Contact: Eileen: nannienan2 [at] peoplepc.com
<mailto:nannienan2 [at] peoplepc.com>
****
****
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**
3) Thursday, June 8th, 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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*4) Tuesday, June 13th, 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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*5) Tuesday, June 13th, 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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*6) Thursday, June 15th, Fullerton: Orange County ASA Meeting*

Orange County ASA is beginning to meet again and we need your support!
Please come to discuss local law enforcement problems and campaigns to
address this and other issues.

Thursday, June 15th @ 7 p.m.
1520 E Commonwealth Avenue
Fullerton (next to tattoo shop)

For info, contact Adam: adamgingras [at] gmail.com or 949 246 9395

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*7) Thursday, June 15th, Guerneville: Sonoma ASA Meeting*

When: Thursday at 7:30pm
Where: Marvin's Gardens 15025 River Road (towards Guerneville)

Come check out Sonoma's chapter of American's for Safe Access. We've got
a lot to go over this month, dispensary regulations and plant guidelines
are being discussed county wide. Patients, supporters, caregivers and
friends are welcome to come share their opinions on what should happen
locally. More info 707-332-6556

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**City & County Hearings**
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*
1) Tuesday, June 6th, Marina: City Council to Vote on Extending
Dispensary Moratorium*
*
* The Marina 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!

6:30p.m. City Hall, 211 Hillcrest Ave.Marina CA 93933

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*Court Support*
****
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***
1) Monday, June 5th, Fresno: Court Support for Dustin Costa*

Motions 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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*2) Friday, June 9th, San Diego: San Diego v State of California Hearing*

MILESTONE HEARING ON SAN DIEGO COUNTY V. STATE OF CALIFORNIA

WHAT: Hearing on the State's demurrer in the case of The County of San
Diego v. The State of California
WHEN: Friday, June 9th at 2:30p.m.
WHERE: San Diego County Superior Court, Dept. 64, 330 W. Broadway, San
Diego
WHY: This hearing may determine the fate of the state's medical
marijuana law. The County of San Diego is attempting to overturn
Proposition 215,the Compassionate Use Act, and are now being joined by
San Bernardino County and Merced County. San Diego County is arguing
that federal law, which considers all marijuana illegal, preempts
California's medical marijuana.

The State is arguing that the County of San Diego does not have
"standing" to sue the state to repeal a voter passed initiative, and is
requesting that the case be dismissed.

In addition to suing the State of California, the County of San Diego
has named San Diego NORML as a defendant. The hearing tomorrow will
focus on demurrers from both the California Attorney General and San
Diego NORML. If the demurrers are granted, the lawsuit will be
dismissed. If either demurrer is denied, the case will continue to the
next stage.

Please come out to this milestone hearing in San Diego!

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*3) Monday, June 12th, Santa Ana: Court Support for Michael Teague*

When: June 12, 2006, at 1:30 p.m.

Where: United States District Court Ronald Reagan Federal Building,
Courtroom 9D
411 West Fourth St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701

What: Tustin, CA patient Michael Teague was arrested in May 2002 and
charged under state law with cultivating just over 100 immature plants.
Teague's charges were dismissed in state court, but he was subsequently
re-arrested by BATF and given federal charges. Teague pled guilty to
cultivation without waiving his right to appeal, and was sentenced in
August 2003 to 18 months in prison. Although Teague expected his appeal
to be mounted immediately, due to a failure by the court to produce a
trial transcript, he was forced to serve his entire sentence before the
appeal got underway. ASA took up Teague's appeal before his release to
fight his original conviction. In February 2006, Teague's Tenth
Amendment and due process claims were denied by the Ninth Circuit Court
of Appeals. However, a claim of improper sentencing resulted in his case
being remanded to U.S. District Court for re-sentencing to reduce his
current 4-year term of supervised release.

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*Special Events*
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*
1) **Friday-Sunday, June 2-4, Marysville: Music that Matters Festival -
Benefit for ASA!*

Leon Russell, Elvin Bishop, Lydia Pense + 25 bands play community
festival supporting CA NORML, Americans for Safe Access and The Dr.
Stephen Banister Legal Defense Fund; June 2-3-4th

Marysville, CA: The 4th Annual California Music That Matters Festival
held June 2-3-4th 2006, is a 3-day family music and camping festival on
the confluence of the Yuba and Feather Rivers at the Mervyns Riverfront
Pavilion in Marysville and features 28 bands, a Health Fair and
Education forum, Community Tent, Special Kids Entertainment Arena,
International Arts and Crafts Vendors, Food Vendors and special guest
speakers.

The robust 2006 Entertainment line-up headlines Leon Russell, Elvin
Bishop, Particle, guitar great Leo Nocentelli and a total of 28 bands
spanning a variety of decades and musical genres offering something for
everyone. This year's festival will also present a special midnight
showing of the highly acclaimed documentary film "AKA Tommy Chong."

Guest Speakers include California Physician Dr. Stephen Banister, Dale
Gieringer of CA NORML, Medical Marijuana Defense Attorney Zenia Gilg,
and other experts seeking to define responsible practices, policies and
legislation surrounding medical marijuana issues in California since the
voter approved Prop. 215 The Compassionate Use Act of 1996.

Proceeds from the 4th Annual California Music That Matters Festival
benefit California N.O.R.M.L. (National Organization to Reform Marijuana
Laws) Americans For Safe Access, and The Dr. Stephen Banister Legal
Defense Fund.

The California Music That Matters Festival is a volunteer driven event
dedicated to insuring a safe, friendly, family event offering music,
entertainment, kid's entertainment and education in a relaxed
environment. Media Headlines of last year's event reported "Atmosphere
Could Not Be Better".

Glass, Alcohol, and Dogs will NOT be allowed within the festival site.
Dogs will not be permitted to stay in cars or at the
campground. The beautiful Mervyn's Riverfront Pavilion is located in
Marysville California about 45 minutes north of Sacramento

Ticket: $60/3 Days Includes Camping. $30/One Day with no camping. . For
festival information and ticket outlets, visit
http://www.camusicthatmatters.org or telephone. 530/346-2763

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