ASA CA Weekly Alert

**Take Action!
**
1) National - Help ASA Stop the DEA Raids: Urge Congress to Pass the Hinchey Resolution!
**
ASA Chapter Meetings

**1) Saturday, June 17th, Hollywood: LA ASA Meeting
2) Saturday, June 17th, Yuba City: Yuba-Sutter ASA Meeting - *CANCELED*
3) Thursday, June 22nd, Sacramento: Sac ASA Meeting
4) Tuesday, June 27th, San Francisco: SF ASA Meeting
5) Wednesday, June 28th, Oakland: East Bay ASA Meeting
6) Thursday, June 29th, Guerneville: Sonoma ASA Meeting
**
City & County Hearings
**
1) Monday, June 19th, El Cerrito: City Council to Vote on Dispensary Ordinance or Ban
2) Monday, June 19th, Pomona: City Council Hearing to Shut Down Dispensary
3) Thursday, June 22nd, Clearlake: City Council to Vote on Dispensary Ordinance or Ban
**
Court Support
**
1) Monday, June 19th, Fresno: Court Support for Joe Fortt
2) Thursday, June 22nd, San Francisco: Court Support for Keith Alden

*Special Events*

1) Thursday, June 29th, Los Angeles: Party Celebrating /Burning Rainbow Farm/, by Dean
Kuipers
**
**
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Take Action!*/****/**
------------------------------------------------------------------------

*1) National - Help ASA Stop the DEA Raids: Urge Congress to Pass the Hinchey Resolution!*

At the end of June, Congress will once again be voting on the Hinchey medical marijuana
resolution. Now is the time to make your voice heard on this issue! Each week, until the
hearing, I will be issuing an action item that you can take part in. Please participate
and pass these messages on to friends, co-workers and relatives! Please visit the ASA
website for the full action alert <http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3430> and
explanation of ASA's strategy to pass the Hinchey resolution.

/* This Week's Action Item*: Write to your Congressional Representative using ASA's
Online Action Center!**/**

In the past year alone, the DEA conducted more than 20 raids on legal and registered
patient collectives and dispensaries across the state of California. Currently, the
Department of Justice is prosecuting more than three-dozen licensed medical cannabis
patients and care providers. Use ASA's automated system
<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3471> to write your rep! URGE YOUR
REPRESENTATIVE TO SUPPORT THE HINCHEY-ROHRABACHER MEDICAL MARIJUANA AMENDMENT!

------------------------------------------------------------------------
*ASA Chapter Meetings*
------------------------------------------------------------------------

*1) Saturday, June 17th, Hollywood: LA ASA Meeting*

~ LA ASA Monthly Meeting ~ Saturday, June 17th ~ 2-4pm

Meeting Location: Hollywood Lutheran Church
1733 N. New Hampshire Ave. in Hollywood (90027)

Join us to participate in a Hinchey Amendment write-in campaign, to write a letter to a
medical marijuana prisoner and start to organize for our next LA ASA party/fundraiser!
For more information contact Andrea at (323) 464-7719 or email 25andrea [at] sbcglobal.net.

Your support is important, your action is invaluable. Thank you to everyone who attended
and volunteered at our June 8th Vapor Salon! A fabulous time was had by all! =)

Amanda Brazel
LA County Field Coordinator

------------------------------------------------------------------------

**2) Saturday, June 17th, Yuba City: Yuba-Sutter ASA Meeting - *CANCELED***
**
**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
****
****
------------------------------------------------------------------------
**
3) Thursday, June 22nd, 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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*4) Tuesday, June 27th, 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

------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
5) Wednesday, June 28th, Oakland: East Bay ASA Meeting*

Last month's East Bay ASA meeting was a huge success, drawing 25 advocates from the East
Bay and beyond. We began making strategic plans for the rest of the year to ensure safe
access in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.

Please join us and make your voice heard! Refreshments will be served.

* Wednesday, June 28th @ 7 pm*

Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative
1734 Telegraph (back entrance), Downtown Oakland
Just a couple blocks from the 19th Street BART station!

For more information or to get involved, contact Rebecca: Rebecca [at] SafeAccessNow.org or
510-251-1856 x 308

Please spread the word and pass this on to your East Bay neighbors!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*6) Thursday, June 29th, 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

------------------------------------------------------------------------
**City & County Hearings**
------------------------------------------------------------------------

*1) Monday, June 19th, El Cerrito: City Council to Vote on Dispensary Ordinance or Ban*

El Cerrito currently has a moratorium on new dispensaries and is holding a hearing on
whether to allow dispensaries or not. The city staff is currently working on a report,
and the City Manager claims they have received NO input from patients! Please show your
support and express how important dispensaries are to patients!

7:30p.m Community Center, 7007 Moeser Lane.

Please download ASA talking points
<http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?list=type&type=212> on dispensary regulations,
moratoriums & bans.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*2) Monday, June 19th, Pomona: City Council Hearing to Shut Down Dispensary*

Pomona passed a moratorium on dispensaries earlier this year, but provided an exemption
for Farm Assist, the only dispensary in the city, on April 10th. This hearing is to
remove that exemption, which would mean they would have to close down.

Please come speak in support of dispensaries and safe access!

6:00p.m
City Council Chambers located between City Hall and the Library
505 South Garey Ave.
Pomona, CA 91766

------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
3) Thursday, June 22nd, Clearlake: City Council to Vote on Dispensary Ordinance or Ban*

LAKE CO. Cal - The Clearlake city council will be debating whether to allow cannabis
dispensaries to remain in operation this June 22nd at 6 PM. MMJ supporters are invited
to gather at Holistic Solutions, 14240 Lakeshore Dr, beforehand and walk from there to
city hall for the hearings. The Clearlake city council quietly voted to impose a
moratorium on dispensaries a few weeks ago. They are now considering whether to allow
existing dispensaries to extend their business licenses. The town's new city attorney is
claiming that dispensaries are illegal. For more info contact: Dave Moses at Holistic
Solutions, (707) 995-9000.
D. Gieringer, Cal NORML

Please download ASA talking points
<http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?list=type&type=212> on dispensary regulations,
moratoriums & bans.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Court Support*
****
------------------------------------------------------------------------

*1) Monday, June 19th, Fresno: Court Support for Joe Fortt*

Status hearing at 9:00am before Judge Anthony W. Ishii in U.S. District Court, 5th Floor,
2500 Tulare 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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
2) Thursday, June 22nd, San Francisco: Court Support for Keith Alden

*Status hearing at 2pm before Judge Martin Jenkins in U.S. District Court, 450 Golden
Gate, San Francisco, 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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Special Events*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
1) Thursday, June 29th, Los Angeles: Party Celebrating /Burning Rainbow Farm/, by Dean
Kuipers*

Los Angeles CityBeat, Café Club Fais Do-Do, Americans for Safe Access, and Book Soup
invite you to a celebration of Dean Kuipers' new book,

*BURNING RAINBOW FARM*

The gripping true story of Michigan marijuana advocates gunned down by the FBI and state
police after a five-day standoff in 2001.

June 29, 7 pm to 10 pm

Café Club Fais Do-Do
5257 West Adams Bl., Los Angeles, CA 90016
(323) 954-8080
http://www.faisdodo.com

Street Parking
Books will be available

Café Club Fais Do-Do has beer, wine and a full kitchen.
Please reserve for dinner.

Stay for 11 PM performance by Widespread Panic
(requires a separate cover charge)


"An excellent look at the marijuana subculture, deluded or not, aspiring to the
Middle-American mainstream."
---Kirkus, starred review

"Superbly detailed characterizations and skillful pacing"---Publishers Weekly, starred
review

"Burning Rainbow Farm is a gripping cautionary tale of what happens when the War on Drugs
turns into a shooting war. More than that, Dean Kuipers has given us a deftly reported
glimpse into America's blue collar rural stoner subculture -- and he's worth reading for
that alone."
---Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed and Bait and Switch

"Read this book and weep."
---John Sinclair, White Panther Party founder and former manager of MC5

For more information please contact Laura Keefe, 646-307-5580,
laura.keefe [at] bloomsburyusa.com

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