ASA CA Weekly Alert

*ASA Chapter Meetings*

Saturday, September 2nd, Los Angeles ASA Meeting URGENT
Thursday, September 7th, Guerneville: Sonoma ASA Meeting
Tuesday, September 12th, San Diego: SD ASA Meeting
Thursday, September 12th, Sacramento: Sac ASA Meeting

*City & County Hearings*

Monday, September 11th, Livermore: City Council to Vote on Extending
Dispensary Moratorium
Tuesday, September 12th, San Diego: City Council to Return From Recess
and Patients Demand Action
Wednesday, September 13th, Riverside City Council to Review Dispensary
Ordinance
Tuesday, September 26th, Solano County Board of Supervisors to review
implementation of State ID Card
*
Court Support
*Wednesday September 13th San Francisco Status Hearing for Ed Rosenthal
(see *Weekly Round Up)*
Tuesday, September 26, 2006 Fresno: Joe Fort Trial before Judge Anthony
W. Ishii in U.S. District Court

*Special Events*

Tuesday, September 12th, Los Angeles.: ASA Executive Director Steph
Sherer speaks at DPA Panel-Ten Years of Medical Marijuana
Tuesday, September 26th, Sacramento: The Cannabis Comedy Festival ASA
Benefit

*Weekly Round Up*
Wednesday, August 30th Federal and Local Law Enforcement Raid Dispensary
and Delivery Service in Los Angeles area
Thursday, August 31st Two People Refuse Offer of Immunity, Continue to
Resist Medical Marijuana Grand Jury in Connection with Ed Rosenthal
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*ASA Chapter Meetings*
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*Saturday, September 2nd, Los Angeles:Emergency Medical Cannabis
Community Meeting*

When: Saturday, September 2, 2006 at 4:00 PM
Where: 6208 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles (between Vine St. and El Centro)

The LA Chapter of Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is calling for all medical
cannabis patients, caregivers, and supporters to attend a special community
meeting in response to recent collaboration of the LAPD and federal law
enforcement to close medical cannabis collectives in Los Angeles. Several
collectives in North Hollywood and one in Venice were closed by LAPD in the
last few weeks. The LAPD and federal agents closed a large collective in the
Valley today, raising concerns for patients and providers all over LA.

Other communities have organized and stopped police and federal attacks
before. It is time for local medical cannabis supporters to organize and
escalate their opposition to the LAPD and federal attack on medical
cannabis! Please attend this emergency community meeting and help us fight
back.

Please invite your friends and loved ones, but remember that the facility is
only open to person 18 and older. Refreshments will be served.

For additional information about this meeting or what you can do to help,
call LA ASA at 323-464-7719 or email don [at] safeaccessnow.org

*Thursday, September 7th, 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

*Tuesday, September 12th, San Diego: SD 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.

Call (858) 278-5880 for more info.

*Thursday, September 12th, 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.
!Pura Vida! (next to the Capitol Wellness Collective)
2400 14th Street, Sacramento

All 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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*City & County Hearings
*
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*
*Monday, September 11th, Livermore: City Council to Vote on Extending
Dispensary Moratorium

The City of Livermore has had a moratorium on dispensaries for the past
year. On September 11th, the City Council will be
voting on extending the moratorium for another year.

Please speak out and encourage the council to develop dispensary
regulations, instead of continuing the moratorium for
another year.

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

7pm City Council Chambers 3575 Pacific Avenue

*Tuesday, September 12th, San Diego City Council to Return from Recess
after All Access has been shut down.*

When: The hearing is Tuesday at 2:00p.m. We are meeting in front of 202
C St. at 9:30a.m.
Where: Council Committee Room (12th Floor), City Administration Buidling
202 C Street

Mass Silent Action: details to be discussed at 9:30a.m. in front of 202
C St.

ASA has launched a full-scale campaign to restore safe access to San
Diego through an aggressive, grassroots
mobilization of local patients, supporters, and others in the community.
The lack of understanding of access issues by
both the public and the city council has resulted in a crisis situation,
harming those that need help the most. Since San
Diego is a city known for its progressive stance on medical cannabis,
this campaign strategically focuses on educating
the City Council on the gravity of the situation and bringing them to
task on their obligation to restore access for
patients, their constituents, by developing and adopting regulations for
medical cannabis dispensaries. Patients are
encouraged to arrive at 9:30a.m. to participate in the mass action.
For information about how to get involved in the San Diego Campaign for
Safe Access, go to
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/sandiego
<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3673>
<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3673>or email Wendy at
WendyChristakes [at] yahoo.com
*
Wednesday, September 13th, Riverside Planning Commission to Review
Dispensary Ordinance

*When: Sept. 13 at 9:30 a.m.
Where: City Council chambers, 78-495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta

The Riverside Board of Supervisors has pushed the current draft of the
ordinance to the Planning Commission after local patient advocates
complained of insufficient notice of the hearing and not being included
in the process.

Among the provisions in the current draft are mandatory requirement of
the State issued Medical Cannabis Identification card, notice to
property owners 1/2 mile (2640 ft) from the dispensary site, prohibits
edibles (!), prohibits on-site consumption in or 100 ft from a
dispensary, and registration with the Sheriffs Department.

Please show up and support patient input in the regulatory process!

For more information, please contact the Marijuana Anti-Prohibition
Project at (760) 799-2055 or email lanny [at] marijuananews.org..


*Tuesday, September 26th 2006 Solano County Board of Supervisors Meeting*

When: Tuesday 8:30a.m.
Where: 675 Texas Street, Fairfield CA.

Where are the state mandated ID Cards?
Solano County is one og the biggest violators of the State's medical
marijuana laws with law enforcement officers and
local city government thumbing their noses at medical marijuana patients
and providers, refusing to aknowledge state
law.

Please come to speakto the Board of Supervisors and let them know
implementation of state law is not a choice!

For more information, please contact Linda at
Linda4SPG [at] compassionatecoalition.org or call (707) 635-3752.

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*Court Support*
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*
Tuesday, September 26, 2006 Fresno: Joe Fort Trial before Judge Anthony
W. Ishii in U.S. District Court*

Trial 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.

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*Special Events*
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*
Tuesday, September 12th, Losa Angeles: Drug Policy Alliance of Southern
California presents:
Ten Years of Medical Marijuana*

When: September 12th Dinner at 6 PM. Panel discussion 6:30-8 PM
Where: 610 S. Ardmore Ave. Los Angeles

Regulations, raids and lawsuits: California under Prop 215,
California's 10-year old Compassionate Use Act. Where will be in five
years and how will we get there?

With Dale Gieringer, Cal NORML; Steph Sherer, ASA; Don Duncan,
long-time 215 activist & dispensary operator; and Rebecca Bernhardt
from the ACLU.

RSVP to Yazmin at ytrujillo [at] drugpolicy.org - (213) 201-4780

*Tuesday, September 26th, Sacramento: The Cannabis Comedy Festival ASA
Benefit*

The Cannabis Comedy Festival, Tuesday Sept. 26th @ the Punchline, 2100
Arden way Suite 225 Sacramento Ca 95825. The show starts promptly at
8:30pm and the tickets are $20, with proceeds going to Americans for
Safe Access. The Show will
be hosted by Ngaio Bealum. Call (916) 925-8500 or (916) 925-5500 for
more information.

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*Weekly Round Up
*
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*
Federal Raid*
Trichrome Healing Caregivers, a medical cannabis dispensary in Van Nuys,
was raided by plain clothed federal DEA agents
on Wednesday, August 30th. An undercover agent purportedly attempted to
gain entry into the collective but was
rightfully stopped at the door by security guards for not having the
appropriate documententation. As a result, multiple
agents busted in, detained the security gaurds, and confiscated several
items without being able to produce a warrant.

Shortly after 3p.m., patients gathered at the site and attempted to
inquire about the obvious federal raid. Patients reported
incidents of threats of detention or arrest by DEA agents for "asking
too many questions", and a few reported being
patted down and required to show identification. After a few hours,
40-60 patients showed up weilding signs and
observing the federal activity, much to the chagrin of the DEA.

Tomorrow at 2p.m., LA ASA will hold an emergency community meeting at
6208 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles (between
Vine St. and El Centro) to discuss the escalating federal attack on
medical cannabis.
*
LAPD Raids*

The Pain Free Society of California (PFSC), a delivery service to
patients in West LA, Hollywood, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernandino,
was raided by the LAPD on Wednesday, August 30, 2006. Formerly known as
After Hours, the PFS was a
business licensed in both Los Angeles and El Segundo. LAPD seized
medical marijuana in various forms (dried, butter,
edible, concentrate, and plants), and opened their locked safe to seize
financial records and other materials. One of the
operators was charged with 8 felonies including cultivation, sales, and
conspiracy.

*Two Refuse Immunity in Medical Marijuana Federal Grand Jury

*Two people subpoenaed to a grand jury, in connection with medical
marijuana author and cultivator Ed Rosenthal, invoked their
constitutional rights today and refused the federal government's offer
of immunity. The two individuals, who for the moment are choosing to
remain anonymous, had refused to testify in a hearing last week. The
prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney George Bevan, ordered them to appear
again on September 14 at 10am, at which time the government may charge
the two with civil contempt or seek indictments against them. The
recently convened grand jury in Oakland is supposed to be investigating
new information surrounding the prior indictment of Ed Rosenthal.

Rosenthal was arrested in February 2002 after the DEA raided the Harm
Reduction Center in San Francisco. Due to not being able to assert a
medical defense, Rosenthal was convicted in January 2003. After outrage
expressed by jurors and supporters alike, U.S. District Court Charles
Breyer sentenced Rosenthal on June 3, 2003 to one day in prison.
Rosenthal then appealed to the Ninth Circuit. In April 2006, the Ninth
Circuit Court reversed Rosenthal's convictions and remanded his case to
federal district court. That action by the Ninth Circuit allowed the
government to re-try Rosenthal.

The government is seeking additional evidence to enable it to proceed
with new charges against Rosenthal. As such, the investigation has been
expanded to include events that occurred between 1997 and 2002, whereas
the original case was only interested in the period between 2001 and
2002. Although contempt charges and possible indictments have been
threatened against the two people subpoenaed, advocates assert that the
government is using intimidation tactics to assist its investigation.

In addition to Rosenthal facing 10 years if retried and convicted, the
case against Rick Watts, a former co-defendant with Rosenthal, has also
been re-opened. There will be a status hearing for Rosenthal and Watts
before Judge Breyer on September 13 in San Francisco federal court.
Judge Breyer indicated in a status hearing this week that the government
had better have new evidence to bring if it intends to retry Rosenthal.

--
Alex Franco
California Campaign Coordinator
Americans for Safe Access
Phone: 510-251-1856 x321
Fax: 510-251-2036
Email: alex [at] SafeAccessNow.org