ASA's California Weekly Alert 4-20-07

*Weekly Roundup*
1. Orange County Board of Supervisors Votes on ID Card Program, DEA
Raid at West Valley Coop, and Stephanie Landa's Latest Blog

*Take Action!*
2. It's Festival Season! Circulate Petitions in Your Community and at
Local Festivals!

*ASA Chapter and Affiliates Meetings*
3. Saturday, April 21, Los Angeles: Los Angeles ASA Meeting
4. Tuesday, April 24, San Francisco: San Francisco ASA Meeting
5. Wednesday, April 25, Oakland: East Bay ASA Meeting
6. Monday, April 30, Mendocino: Mendocino ASA Meeting
7. Tuesday, May 1, Sacramento: Sacramento ASA Meeting
8. Thursday, May 3, San Mateo: San Mateo ASA Meeting
9. Thursday, May 3, Santa Rosa: Sonoma ASA Meeting
10. Saturday May 5, Modesto: Central Valley Patients Coalition Meeting

*City and County Hearings*
11. Tuesday, April 24, Pleasant Hill: Planning Commission to Hold
Hearing on Banning Dispensaries

*Court Suppor*t
12. Monday, April 23, Sacramento: Re-sentencing Hearing for Brian Epis
13. Wednesday, April 25, Los Angeles: Hearing on Lawsuit Against Local
Police Cooperation with Feds

*Special Events*
14. Friday April 20, Los Angeles: Monte Carlo ASA Benefit
15. Saturday April 28, San Francisco: MAPS Fundraiser, "The Final Frontier"
16. Saturday April 28, San Diego: Save the Date! Democratic Convention

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*Weekly Roundup*

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*1) **Orange County Board of Supervisor Votes on ID Card Program;
Follow Up on the West Valley Coop DEA Raid; Stephanie Landa's Blog*
/
Orange// //County// //Board of Supervisors Votes to Delay ID Card Program///
Although it wasn't the slam-dunk we had hoped for, Orange County's
medical marijuana patients received a small victory on April 17th.

On a 4-1 vote, the Orange County Board of Supervisors directed staff to
draft a policy for local implementation of the medical marijuana ID card
program. The supervisors also asked that a study be conducted to find
out what experiences other counties are having with the program. 35+
activists made time to attend the long board hearing on Wednesday.

Because of enormous grassroots pressure, an all-Republican Board of
Supervisors voted to take this small step towards implementing our
medical marijuana laws, even in the face of fierce opposition from law
enforcement. A special thanks to Aaron Smith from Safe Access Now, Bill
Paoli from Orange County ASA, and Orange County ASA as a whole for your
tremendous hard work!

While the recent vote was good indication for local patients, it is
clear that more work still needs to be done in order to ensure that the
law is implemented. If you are an Orange County resident, Please take a
few minutes to personalize the message below to send a "thank you"
letter to the four Supervisors that voted in favor of drafting a policy
for the ID card program. If you are not an Orange County resident,
please refer your friends, family, co-workers to the following link below.

Go to http://www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/OCIDCardAction
<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/ocidcardaction> for a letter template and
more details on thanking the Supervisors that are fighting for patients
rights.

/Follow up on West Valley Coop DEA Raid/
Last week, the DEA returned to West Valley Coop in Woodland Hills for
the second time since the beginning of the year. Forty protesters
immediately responded to the scene. News media were there to document
the raid as well.

The DEA seized the collective's medicine and cash. Two operators and an
office assistant were taken from the scene for questioning and released
later that evening. It is important to note that in the Los Angeles
area, with one exception, the DEA has recently kept their campaign
focused on collectives associated with the original 11 raided on January
17th.

/Stephanie Landa's Blog/

Stephanie Landa, along with Kevin Gage and Thomas Kikuchi were arrested
on August 15, 2002 for setting up a medical marijuana garden. The three
pleaded guilty to maintaining a place for manufacture. Landa and Gage
were sentenced in August 2003 to 41 months and Kikuchi to 37 months.
Stephanie is currently serving her sentence and is writing a blog from
prison.

Here is the latest excerpt from Stephani Landa's Blog:

The telephone game is the only game that is well-played everyday. One
rumor turns into another, from transfers to what is for dinner. It
really doesn't matter what's for dinner, because the majority of women
hate the food and smuggle what they want to the dorms so they can make
their own concoction of something different.

Of course, [>>> <http://www.stephanielanda.com/blog/>]

Write to Stephanie Landa. Go to
http://www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/WriteToPrisoners
<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=624> for instructions and
her address.

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* Take Action*!

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*2) **It's Festival Season! Circulate Petitions in Your Community and at
Local Festivals!*

* *Festival season has begun. Mobilize your community around Medical
Marijuana issues! **

ASA has created a petition calling on Congress to hold hearings on
medical cannabis that you can print out and circulate at your work,
school, home, church, and in your larger community. Our goal is to
collect 50,000 signatures by June 1st. These petitions will be hand
delivered to Congress by our National Office staff. Please join in our
efforts and begin gathering signatures today!

Print out the one-sided
<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/congressional%20petition.pdf>PDF
<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/congressional%20petition.pdf> or
the two-sided PDF
<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/congressional%20petition%202%20pages.pdf>
of the petition and start gathering signatures. Please send completed
petitions to ASA Headquarters:

Americans for Safe Access
Attn: Sonnet Seeborg Gabbard
1322 Webster Street, Suite 402
Oakland, CA 94612
Fax: (510) 251-2036

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*ASA Chapter and Affiliate Meetings*

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*3) Saturday April 21, **Hollywood**: **Los Angeles** ASA Meeting*

This Meeting will be dedicated the medical cannabis prisoners who have
been locked up for using and cultivating their medicine. We will be
writing letters to medical cannabis prisoners launching the Landa -
Prisoner Outreach Project.

1pm - 3pm @ California Patients Group
6208 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90038

For more info, please call LA ASA: (323) 464-7719

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*4) Tuesday, April 24, **San Francisco**: **San Francisco** ASA Meeting*

Join SF ASA to discuss and plan for local, state and national issues.
Get active locally to protect safe access!

7:00 p.m.
CA Marijuana Party Bookstore
223a 9th St. @ Howard in San Francisco

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*5) Wednesday, April 25th, Oakland: East Bay ASA Meeting*

Join East Bay ASA to discuss strategies for responding to raids, Oakland
dispensary regulations, court support, and more.

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

* Wednesday, April 25th @ **7 pm*

Americans for Safe Access Headquarters
1322 Webster Street, Suite 402, Downtown Oakland
Just a couple blocks from the 12th Street BART station!

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

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

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*6) Monday, April 30, Mendocino: Mendocino ASA Meeting
*

All people interested in participating in the formation of a Mendocino County
Chapter of ASA are urged to attend a meeting at the Ukiah Brewing Company in Ukiah,
Monday, April 30th at 7:00pm.

If you have decided you can no longer sit back and watch the federal government
continue its campaign against cannabis therapies in this country or if you want to
engage your local government in creating sane polices for cannabis patients and
patient's access to cannabis, please attend this meeting at the Ukiah Brewing
Company -- across from the courthouse at State and Perkins in Ukiah, Monday April
30th at 7:00 pm

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*7) Tuesday, May 1, **Sacramento**: **Sacramento** ASA Meeting*

The Sacramento ASA chapter has moved to a new site and date. Please join
Sac ASA to plan for the future of safe access locally, statewide, and
nationally!

7:00 p.m.

Crusaders Hall
320 Harris Avenue, Suite H
Sacramento, CA

For more information or to get involved, please contact Lanette:
cannacare [at] earthlink.net
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*8) ** Thursday, May 3, San Mateo: San Mateo ASA Meeting*

A new chapter of ASA has been formed in San Mateo. Please join them for
their second public meeting to discuss dispensary regulations, law
enforcement issues, protecting patient and collective growers, and
establishing an emergency response plan. Get active locally to protect
safe access!

DATE: May 3, 2007
TIME: 7:30-8:30
PLACE: PCRC, 164 South Blvd. San Mateo, CA
Finger foods, desserts, coffee, tea, water

For more information or to get involved, please contact Brent:
brent_saupe [at] yahoo.com

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*9) Thursday, May 3, Santa Rosa: Sonoma ASA Meeting

*When: Thursday from 5pm-7pm
Where: Department of Public Health, 625 5th Street (at Mendocino Avenue)
in Santa Rosa

Please join Sonoma's chapter of American's for Safe Access. Patients,
supporters, caregivers and friends are
welcome to come share their opinions on what should happen locally,
statewide, and nationally. More info 707-332-6556

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*10)* *Saturday, May 5, **Modesto**: **Central Valley** Patients
Coalition Meeting
*

Please join central valley patients and supporters to help plan and
strategize for the defense of patients rights in Stanislaus County,
Merced County, and beyond! The CVPC meets on the first Saturday of each
month, at 11:00 AM. New Location: These meetings will now be held at
1733 Yosemite Ave, Modesto, CA, 95350. For additional information,
contact Shirley Cox, Public Relations Officer for the Central Valley
Patients Coalition: shirley [at] CompassionateCoalition.org
<mailto:shirley [at] CompassionateCoalition.org>

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*City and **County** **Hearings*

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*11) Tuesday, April 24, Pleasant Hill: Planning Commission to Hold
Hearing on Banning Dispensaries*

Pleasant Hill currently has a moratorium on dispensaries and is
considering permanently banning dispensaries. Please attend this hearing
and speak out for safe access!

You can also submit comments before the hearing. Written comments on the
proposed Negative Declaration must be submitted to the Planning
Commission no later than 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 20, at 100 Gregory
Lane, Pleasant Hill, CA. 94523.

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

7:30 p.m.
City Council Chambers
100 Gregory Lane
Pleasant Hill, CA

(The next hearing on this issue will be held on May 7th at 7:30 p.m.
before the full City Council.)**

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*Court Support*

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*12) Monday, April 23, Sacramento: Re-sentencing Hearing for Brian Epis*

Re-sentencing hearing at 9:30am before Judge Frank C. Damrell, Jr. in
U.S. District Court, 15th Floor at 501 "I" Street in Sacramento. Bryan
Epis was the first medical marijuana patient convicted in federal court
after the passage of California's Proposition 215. Epis was arrested
June 25, 1997, after Butte County sheriff's officers discovered
marijuana plants growing in the basement of his home in Chico. Epis was
released on bail August 9, 2004, pending his appeal, and is currently
awaiting his re-sentencing by the District Court.

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*13) Wednesday, April 25, Los Angeles: Hearing on Lawsuit Against Local
Police Cooperation with Feds*

/MAPP sponsored lawsuit seeks to prevent local police from working with
the DEA on medical marijuana enforcement/

The Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project (MAPP) has sponsored a lawsuit,
with cooperating attorney Ken White, to end the cooperation between
local enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). MAPP
states that, "The lawsuit seeks to permanently enjoin the California
Attorney General from performing any marijuana investigation or
enforcement activity under the color of the federal Controlled
Substances Act without adequately protecting the rights of qualified
persons under California's Compassionate Use Act and Medical Marijuana
Program unless an appellate court declares such laws unconstitutional."

If successful, the lawsuit would end the practice of local police
working with the DEA and other federal police agencies to arrest medical
marijuana patients. The lawsuit was filed partially in response to the
raid by the DEA of the home of medical marijuana patient Gary Silva.
During the raid Gary was permanently disabled when he was thrown to the
floor as he was opening it for police. MAPP contends that information
leading to the raid on Gary's home was provided to the DEA by the
Riverside County Sheriff's office -- information that the Sheriff's
office knew was false and misleading.

The lawsuit, "Kenneth Michael White v. The Honorable Bill Lockyer" (Case
No. BC362858) has a hearing on the Defendant's (Brown's) motion to
dismiss (Demurrer) for failure to state facts sufficient to constitute a
cause of action. The hearing for this motion is scheduled for April
25th at 8:30 a.m. in Department 24 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los
Angeles (111 North Hill St., Los Angeles 90012).

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*Special Events*

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*14) Friday April 20, **Los Angeles**: **Monte Carlo** ASA Benefit Night *

Please join LA-ASA for Monte Carlo Night benefit party on Friday, April
20th, at the California Patients Group in Hollywood. Come try your luck
with Charity Casino Games like roulette, craps, black jack and more!
Don't worry... It's not gambling! It's just a lot of fun with play money
to benefit Americans for Safe Access (ASA). There will be some great
music, a vaporizer raffle, and the Vapo Bar will be open. Tables open at
9:00 PM on Friday night, and the vaporizer raffle is after midnight.
Tickets are $20 for access to all tables or $50 for access to all tables
and unlimited use of the Vapo Bar. You can buy tickets at the door or in
advance at California Patient Group in Hollywood or Los Angeles Patients
and Caregivers Group in West Hollywood. See http://www.ASAaction.org for
a map.

Important - You must be a registered member of California Patients Group
to attend. Legal medical cannabis patients can use the collectives web
site to download a new member registration form. There is no fee to
join, but your doctor's letter of recommendation must be verified - so
don't wait until Friday night! Visit

http://www.californiapatientsgroup.org/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=43

for details.

Come on down to CPG and have some fun while supporting ASA, the nation¹s
largest organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and
concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for
therapeutic use and research. See you there!

What - Monte Carlo Night Benefit Party
When - Friday, April 20 * 9 PM to 1 AM
Where - CPG, 6208 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood

How Much - $20 or $50

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*15) Saturday April 28, **San Francisco**, MAPS Fundraiser: "The Final
Frontier" *

Brought to you by False Profit and MAPS--the Multidisciplinary
Association for Psychedelic Studies

ASA's allies at MAPS <http://www.maps.org/> have been fighting for
medical cannabis research for years. Most recently, they've supported
Professor Lyle Craker in his attempts to end the monopoly on cannabis
production for research. They've made lots of headway with this case,
but they need further support to end the monopoly and move medical
cannabis research forward.

When: April 28, 2007, 8pm -- sunrise
Where: At a private star trek theme luxury home in San Francisco, CA

Featuring
Keynote By MAPS president Rick Doblin and special guests:
* Stan and Christina Grof
* Ralph Metzner
* Erik Davis
* Anjuli Verma (ACLU Drug Law Reform Project)
* Allen Hopper (ACLU Drug Law Reform Project)
* Matt Baggott
* Dale Gieringer (NORML)
* Angel Raich (Medical Marijuana Patient)
* David Jay Brown (author)

Visionary Live Painting by:
David Heskin & Mars-1
(50% of proceeds on art sales go to MAPS)
Artwork by: Andrew Jones
Music by: Welder (Myspace.com/weldersounds), Dr. Toast (False Profit),
Kitty-D (Glitch Mob, Beat Church), Neptune (Beat Church, Spiritual
Technologies), Auralox (MAPS)

Libations and Food provided by: DogStar Catering http://www.psychedeli.org
<http://www.psychedeli.org>

Open Bar before Midnight - Cash Bar after Midnight! Special Chill Space
provided by Fuzzy Phillipe

Visit http://www.maps.org/bayarea/ to find out more info and to purchase
tickets.

* there are 4 floating tiers @ $100, $200, $300, and $400

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*16) Saturday, April 28, **San Diego**: Save the Date: Democratic
Convention. Tell Democrats to put Medical Cannabis on their Agenda!*

This is your opportunity to send a message:

Tell Democrats that we want Pro-Medical Cannabis representation! No
taxation without representation!

Ask questions: Will you protect our rights as Medical Cannabis
Patients?
What: California Democratic Party
Convention

When: Saturday April 28th @ 12pm

Where: At the San Diego Convention Center, 111 W. Harbor Drive in San Diego

Other Info: Wear a red shirt to show solidarity and to send a message of
urgency. Feel free to make and bring your own signs sending our unified
message!

For more info contact: ToriMauricio [at] sbcglobal.net
<mailto:ToriMauricio [at] sbcglobal.net>

--

Sonnet Seeborg Gabbard
Field Coordinator
Americans for Safe Access
AmericansForSafeAccess.org <http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org>

Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is the largest national member-based
organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and
concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for
therapeutic use and research.

Join us today... AmericansforSafeAccess.org
<http://AmericansforSafeAccess.org>

Headquarters
1322 Webster St Suite 402
Oakland, CA 94612
P: 510-251-1856 ext. 321 F: 510-251-2036