Taking Action in San Diego

ASA Action in San Diego – City Council tomorrow

In San Diego, ASA staff and activists are making sure patient voices are being
heard. By now you probably know what’s happening: county officials are trying
to overturn the state’s medical marijuana law and city officials colluded with
the DEA to shut all dispensaries there. Here’s a quick update on what ASA is
doing in response to the crisis.

CITY COUNCIL PROTEST TOMORROW
Frustrated by months of inaction by the city council, the San Diego ASA chapter
will participate in a mass silent action at tomorrow’s city council hearing in
the Council Committee Room (12th Floor), City Administration Building, 202 C
Street, at 10:00 a.m.

DISPENSARY REPORT
Last Thursday in San Diego, ASA released a report on California dispensaries,
detailing why they are critical to patients and good for communities. City
officials from Santa Rosa, Oakland and Santa Cruz joined ASA national staff for
a press conference and spoke about why their cities are better off now that
they have dispensary regulations. San Diego TV stations covered the press
conference, as did KQED, the San Francisco NPR affiliate and two local
newspapers. You can see the newspaper articles about it at
<http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3677> and
<http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3678>.

LEAGUE OF CITIES CONFERENCE
ASA was in San Diego last weekend as part of the annual League of California
Cities conference, answering questions about medical cannabis dispensaries and
local regulations. ASA distributed close to 300 copies of the new dispensary
report to local officials and will be putting hundreds more in the hands of
policymakers around the state. You can download your own copy of the report
from the ASA website at
<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/dispensaries.pdf>

ASA ACTIVISTS MOBILIZING
In the past several weeks, patients and activists in San Diego have been
working hard to get the word out, putting up nearly 1,000 posters and sending
city council members hundreds of postcards. Everyone will be turning out
tomorrow for the City Council meeting, asking their elected representatives to
put cannabis dispensary regulations on the council agenda.

LEGAL ACTION
Meanwhile, ASA -- along with the ACLU and the Drug Policy Alliance -- is
fighting in the courts San Diego County’s attempt to thwart California’s
medical cannabis law. Briefs in the case, which also includes San Bernardino
and Merced, have now been filed, and a court date should be announced soon. A
recent article about the case, based on an interview with ASA’s lead attorney,
can be read here: <http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3685>

COMMERCIALS TO AIR
The voices and faces of patients will soon be on the air in San Diego, once
ASA’s new 30-second TV commercial about the crisis airs. A documentary
filmmaker worked with local patients to get the message about loss of access
across to the public.

HELP US DO MORE
If you support the work we are doing, please take a moment to join ASA today
<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/donate>.


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/*Americans for Safe Access *is the nation's largest organization of patients,
medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens promoting safe and
legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research./

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Americans for Safe Access
1322 Webster Street, Ste. 402
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: 510-251-1856
Fax: 510-251-2036
Email us! <mailto:info [at] safeaccessnow.org>