ASA California Weekly Alert: April 25, 2008

ASA California Weekly Alert: April 25, 2008
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*Weekly Round Up*
1. a. DEA Raids Los Angeles Dispensary Today
b. Law Enforcement Non-Cooperation Bill Headed for Committee
c. Mendocino Lawsuits Filed to Protect Access Were Dismissed

* Take Action*
2. Employments Rights Bill Headed to the Assembly Floor: Contact Your
Assembly Member Today!

*Chapter and Affiliate Meetings*
3. Monday, May 1, Santa Rosa: Sonoma County ASA Meeting
4. Tuesday, May 6, Sacramento: Sacramento ASA Meeting

*City and County Hearings*
5. Tuesday, May 6, Redondo Beach: City Council to Consider Dispensary Ban
6. Wednesday, May 7, San Francisco: Board of Appeals Hearing for
Re-leaf Center

*Court Support*
7. Tuesday, April 29, Fresno: Trial for California Healthcare
Collective Defendants
8. Friday, May 2, San Diego: Sentencing Hearing for Nathan Archer

*Special Events*
9. Friday, April 25, Berkeley- May 3, Petaluma: Three Special
Screenings of "Waiting to Inhale"
10. ***Postponed: April 26th Action for Compassion***
11. Tuesday, April 29, Fresno: Protest in Support of California
Healthcare Collective Defendants

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Weekly Round Up
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1. a. DEA Raids Los Angeles Dispensary Today
b. Law Enforcement Non-Cooperation Bill Headed for Committee
c. Mendocino Lawsuits Filed to Protect Access Were Dismissed

a. DEA Raids Los Angeles Dispensary Today
From California Director Don Duncan

DEA agents confiscated vending machines from the Herbal Nutrition Center
in Los Angeles early today. Witnesses reported seeing agents loading the
machines into a rental van and securing the facility this afternoon.
There have been no reports of arrests as of now, and one observer said
the facility appeared to be closed at the time of the incident. This is
the latest example of what advocates are calling a "smash and grab"
raid, in which agents raid collectives and confiscate assets and
medicine quickly to deter protesters.

If you have any further details about the raid please contact
Sonnet [at] AmericansforSafeAccess.org

b. Law Enforcement Non-Cooperation Bill Headed for Committee

Next Tuesday, AB 2743, the law enforcement non-cooperation bill will be
heard for the first time in the California State Assembly's Committee on
Public Safety. AB 2743, introduced by Assebmlymember Lori Saldaña,
would prohibit local and state law enforcement from cooperating with the
federal government in enforcement actions against medical cannabis
patients and/or providers. ASA has been working with MPP and several
other medical cannabis advocates to ensure that this bill passes through
committee and moves forward towards an Assembly and Senate vote.

Especially since 2005, many local California law enforcement officials
have cooperated with the federal government in investigating, raiding,
and arresting medical marijuana patients and providers. In the most
egregious cases, some of these providers had been permitted by local
governments, only to later be turned over to the federal government by
local law enforcement officials. This bill would bar local California
law enforcement from cooperating with the federal government on medical
cannabis enforcement.

AB 2743 will be voted in the Public Safety committee on Tuesday. To take
action on this bill and contact your member of the assembly click here
http://control.mpp.org/site/R?i=Hsu_FNukoywbiXgceYJ-XQ... To read
more about this bill visit http://www.AmericansforSafeAccess.org/AB2743

c. Mendocino Lawsuits Filed to Protect Access Were Dismissed

The lawsuit filed by Mendocino County Attorney, Edie Lerman, on behalf
of medical cannabis patients Paula A. Laguna and George Hanamoto
challenging the legality of ballot initiative Measure B was dismissed
this week by Mendocino County Superior Court Judge John Behnke. Another
lawsuit similar to Laguna and Hanamoto's filed by Green Party member
Richard Johnson was also dismissed.

Measure B calls for stricter cultivation limits for medical cannabis
patients than the California state limit and a repeal of the 2000
initiative Measure G, further limiting the number of plants a medical
cannabis patient can have. Measure G decriminalized personal use of
cannabis, with the intent to create safer access for medical cannabis
patients. Measure G also allowed patients to cultivate up to 25 plants
for personal use.

The lawsuits filed earlier this year both called for a writ of mandate
to stop the ballot initiative from being printed for the June 3
Mendocino County elections. Both lawsuits stated that Measure B violates
state law because there are two distinct components to the initiative:
the repeal of Measure G and the reduction of plant limits for medical
cannabis patients. California's state constitution forbids initiatives
from containing more than one subject. Laguna's and Hanamoto's lawsuit
also stated that Measure B would violate SB 420, the Compassionate Use
Act. Unforntunately, Judge Behnke found that Measure B neither violated
the state constitution nor SB 420.

To read more about the dismissals of the lawsuits click here.
http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_9039450

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Take Action
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2. Employments Rights Bill Headed to the Assembly Floor: Contact Your
Assembly Member Today!

Last week, ASA and the state legislature moved another step further
towards securing employment rights for California medical marijuana
patients. AB 2279, authored by Assemblymember Mark Leno and sponsored by
ASA, now moves to the assembly floor and we need you to urge your
assembly member to support medical cannabis patients' rights!
http://www.AmericansforSafeAccess.org/AB2279Action

After passing both the Assembly Judiciary and Labor Committees, AB 2279
could reach the California Assembly floor as soon as next week! ASA
staff, working with other organizations, unions, and advocates, will be
working hard over the next several days to educate state legislators
about this important bill. We need your help today to ensure passage!
Contact your assembly member at
http://www.AmericansforSafeAccess.org/AB2279Action to urge him/her to
vote yes on AB 2279. Legislators must hear from their constituents (you!)

For more information contact Sonnet [at] AmericansforSafeAccess.org

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Chapter and Affiliate Meetings
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3. Monday, May 1, Santa Rosa: Sonoma County ASA Meeting

Join Sonoma County ASA as we prepare for the upcoming screening of
Waiting to Inhale at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds on May 3rd. Please
come to find out how you can help out!

When: Thursday, May 1, 5:00-7:00pm
Where: South City View Room
Department of Public Health
625 5th St., Santa Rosa, CA (Between Humboldt and Mendocino)

For more information, contact Sarah [at] AmericansforSafeAccess.org

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4. Tuesday, May 6, Sacramento: Sacramento ASA Meeting*

California's medical cannabis bills are moving forward! Come find out
what you can do to ensure better medical cannabis laws in California!

When: Tuesday the 6th at 7:00pm
Where: Crusaders Hall
320 Harris Ave. Suite H in Sacramento

For more information, contact Lanette at: cannacare [at] earthlink.net

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City and County Hearings
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5. Tuesday, May 6, Redondo Beach: City Council to Discuss Dispensary Ban

Redondo Beach City Council will consider a permanent ban on medical
cannabis dispensaries on May 6th. The city planning committee recently
recommended a permanent ban on dispensaries and the city council will
discuss a potential ban. Please come out and show your support for safe
access!

Download ASA's talking points about dispensary regulations.
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=2717

When: May 6 at 6:30pm
Where: City Council Chambers, 415 Diamond Street
Redondo Beach, CA

For more information contact Sonnet [at] AmericansforSafeAccess.org*

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6. Wednesday, May 7, San Francisco: Board of Appeals Hearing for
Re-leaf Center

Please come and support the medical cannabis dispensing collective,
Re-leaf Center, at their upcoming hearing. The collective is in the
process of relocating and has a hearing to determine whether they will
be able to to remain open while continuing work towards relocating to
9th and Mission. Re-leaf continues to act in good faith to move quickly
in the relocation process. Pleases come and show your suppoort!

When: Wednesday, the 7th at 5:00 p.m.
Where: City Hall http://www.sfgov.org/cityhall/map.htm, 1 Dr. Carlton
B. Goodlett Place, Room 41

For more information contact Sarah [at] AmericansforSafeAccess.org

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Court Support
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Thank you to Vanessa Nelson for helping ASA stay on top of upcoming
court dates!
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7. Tuesday, April 29, Fresno: Trial for California Healthcare
Collective Defendants

After the City of Modesto failed to shut down the California Healthcare
Collective by banning dispensaries, it called in the DEA. On September
27, 2006, the DEA raided the collective and arrested four people
(owner-operators Luke Scarmazzo and Ricardo Montes and two staff
members) on charges of distribution of marijuana and conspiracy to
distribute. Scarmazzo and Montes were also charged with possession of
firearms and money laundering. Later, an additional five people were
indicted, bringing the total to nine people being prosecuted by the
federal government. In the raid, the DEA allegedly seized more than 100
pounds of marijuana, one thousand plants, multiple firearms, and more
than $200,000 in cash. The raids were the result of a 15-month
investigation between the DEA and the Modesto Police Department. Since
Judge O'Neill finally decided to release Monica Valencia on bail after 7
months in jail, all defendants have been released on bail pending trial.
Recently, Bradley Heinmiller, Bradley Wickliffe and Stephen DeMattos
have pled guilty to avoid trial, and three defendants (Scarmazzo,
Montes, Valencia) will be proceeding to trial on the 29th. For more
info, see Vanessa Nelson's article
http://www.medicalmarijuanaofamerica.com/content/view/155/1/. Please
come out and show your support!

When: Tuesday the 29, 2008 at 8:00am
Where: Before Judge Oliver Wagner in U.S. District Court (E.D., CA)
2500 Tulare Street, Fresno, CA

For more information contact Sonnet [at] AmericansforSafeAccess.org

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8. Friday, May 2, San Diego: Sentencing Hearing for Nathan Archer

In April, 2006, the San Diego P.D. raided the residence of Nathan
Archer, 40 year-old chronic pain patient in San Diego, seizing 30 plants
(police inflated the number to 98 plants by counting garbage and dead
plants) and 28 oz. of processed medicine. After failing to get a jury to
convict Archer in a previous criminal trial, the San Diego County
District Attorney Robert Bruce, who was overheard remarking to the
jurors of the first case that "this whole medical marijuana thing is a
bunch of poppycock," retried Archer. On January 30, 2008, after
assistance from a cross-deputized DEA Agent who served as an expert
witness, the second jury convicted Archer of cultivation and possession
of greater than 1 oz. of marijuana and he remains at home in Sausalito
while awaiting sentencing. Please come out to demonstrate to the San
Diego justice system that Nathan is part of our medical marijuana
community and to encourage the judge towards lenience.

When: May 2 at TBD
Where: Before Judge Kerry Wells in San Diego County Superior Court,
Central Courthouse at 220 West Broadway, Department 36 in San Diego

For more information contact Sonnet [at] AmericansforSafeAccess.org

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Special Events
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9. Sunday, April 25, Berkeley- May 3, Petaluma: Two Special Screenings
of "Waiting to Inhale"

Over the next few weeks, "Waiting to Inhale" will be screened twice
times throughout the Bay Area. Filmmakers Jed Riffe, Maureen Gosling,
Kat Covell, and Vincente Franco Announce the Bay Area premieres of
"Waiting to Inhale". Award-winning film "Waiting to Inhale", the first
documentary on the movement to legalize marijuana as a medicine,
premieres in the San Francisco Bay Area. Filmmaker Jed Riffe ("Ishi,"
the "Last Yahi," "Who Owns the Past?") returns with his latest and most
controversial feature length documentary yet.

"Waiting to Inhale" explores the battle between patients, doctors,
activists and the United States government over the legalization of
medical cannabis. Providing exclusive access to individuals whose
powerful stories have never made it to the front pages, the filmmaker
takes us inside a world where critically ill patients are arrested at
gunpoint for growing the only effective medicine for their pain.

Berkeley: Friday, April 25th at 9:00pm - "Waiting to Inhale" Screening
at Wheeler Hall, UC Berkeley

Petaluma: Saturday, May 3rd- "Waiting to Inhale" Screening at Worldwide
Medical Marijuana March at Sonoma County Fairgrounds, featuring ASA's
Sarah Shrader as a panelist.

For more information, contact Sonnet [at] AmericansforSafeAccess.org

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10. ***Postponed: April 26th Action for Compassion***

The Action for Compassion, originally scheduled for April 26th, has been
postponed until further notice due to scheduling conflicts.
For more information on the Action, contact Don [at] AmericansforSafeAccess.org

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11. Tuesday, April 29, Fresno: Protest in Support of California
Healthcare Collective Defendants

California Healthcare Collective defendants Luke Scarmazzo, Ricardo
Montes and Monica Valencia are facing a federal trial in Fresno
beginning Tuesday April 29th. Supporters are urged to join them at the
U.S. District Court in Fresno at there for a rally at noon.

What: Rally in Support of California Healthcare Collective Defendants
When: Tuesday, April 29th at 12:00pm
Where: U.S. District Court (E.D., CA)
2500 Tulare Street, Fresno, CA
--

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