[Courtesy of ASA]
Dear ASA Supporter,
Celebrate Medical Marijuana Awareness Week by urging your U.S. Senators to support medical cannabis research! Today and tomorrow, hundreds of activists throughout the country are âdropping inâ on their U.S. Senatorsâ district offices. Join your fellow activists as they seek out their U.S. Senatorsâ at their local district offices today to talk about supporting access for FDA-approved medical cannabis research. Urge your Senators to support medical marijuana research by signing-on to the letter Senators Kennedy and Kerry are circulating to enable FDA-approved research. Visit www.AmericansforSafeAccess.org/MMJWeekTuesday to take action right away!
Background:
The federal government refuses to allow private researchers and scientists to conduct medical cannabis research using their own non-governmental materials, creating an obstruction for FDA-approved medical cannabis research. At the same time, the FDA and DEA claim there is not enough research to determine the medicinal values of marijuana. This hypocrisy and gridlock must end now!
Drop in on your U.S. Senatorsâ local district offices on today! Visit www.Senate.gov for contact information for your local district office.
When meeting with your Senatorsâ offices please bring with you the following materials, which are enclosed in this packet:
1. The Kennedy/Kerry letter of support
2. Research/Gridlock campaign fact sheet
3. University of MAâs letter of support
What to Ask:
Please support medical cannabis research by co-signing the Kennedy/Kerry letter to Acting DEA Administrator, Michele Leonhart, urging her agency to follow the recommendation of Administrative Law Judge Mary Ellen Bittner and grant a license to Prof. Lyle Craker of UMass Amherst to grow marijuana exclusively for federally-approved research. To join the letter, contact Graham Shalgian in Senator Kennedyâs office at 617 565-3170.
Follow Up:
At your meeting or drop-in, be sure to schedule a follow up meeting to discuss other pressing national medical cannabis issues. After you take action, be sure to contact [email protected] to let us know how it went!
If you have questions about scheduling meetings with your senatorsâ offices, contact [email protected] or call (510) 251-1856 ext. 321
Sincerely,
Caren Woodson
Director, Government Affairs
Americans for Safe Access
[Courtesy of ASA]
Dear ASA Supporter,
Welcome to Medical Marijuana Week! Today, we're calling on you to "Join the Movement" by becoming a member of ASA. Donate today. Your voice needs to be heard, and we need your support to keep fighting for patientsâ rights more than ever. Donât wait any longer to get on board!
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. ASA works to overcome political and legal barriers by creating policies that improve access to medical cannabis for patients and researchers through legislation, education, litigation, grassroots actions, advocacy and services for patients and their providers. ASA has over 40,000 active members with chapters and affiliates in more than 40 states.
Medical cannabis patients and current Executive Director Steph Sherer founded ASA in 2002 in response to federal raids on patients in California. Since then, ASA has been instrumental in shaping the political and legal landscape of medical cannabis. Our successful lobbying, media, and legal campaigns led to positive court precedents, new sentencing standards, more compassionate legislative and administrative polices and procedures, as well as new legislation.
2007 Major Accomplishments
- September 2007: Defeats Senate amendment that would have blocked implementation of state medical marijuana laws
- April 2007: Co-sponsors the largest annual HIV/AIDS constituent-based federal advocacy and education event in the US, training hundreds of HIV/AIDS advocates to lobby for medical cannabis issues.
- March 2007: Files successful vindictive prosecution motion in the federal case of Ed Rosenthal, leading to the dismissal of the majority of his charges.
- February 2007: Files a lawsuit against the federal government demanding that the FDA and HHS stop spreading misinformation on medical cannabis and correct the information the have published.
- January 2007: 500 patients and advocates rally outside the Los Angeles federal building, in protest of DEA raids.
Take action by joining ASA today!
- Donate to ASA: Take a moment right now to make a sustaining monthly pledge to defending safe access. Your monthly pledge of $10, $25, $50, or even $100 will let us know we have the resources to keep fighting for you!
- Spread the Word: Forward this message widely to friends, co-workers, and family to encourage them to join you in the national movement to protect safe access!
Sincerely,
Steph Sherer
Executive Director
Americans for Safe Access
The persuasiveness of an argument can often be determined by the willingness of its advocates to confine themselves to the truth when making it.Glenn's talking about telecom amnesty, but, as is often the case, his point has strong relevance to the drug war debate.
[Courtesy of Americans for Safe Access]
Join the National Movement to Protect Safe Access!
Dear ASA Supporter,
To celebrate the growing support for medical cannabis and the spread of safe access in medical cannabis states throughout the nation, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) has organized Medical Marijuana Week 2008 . This will be the sixth annual Medical Marijuana Week, held during the week of 2/15 to commemorate the passage of Proposition 215, California's medical cannabis law.
This year, we are calling on you and advocates nationwide to take action every day this week. Please read on for daily opportunities to advance safe access to medical cannabis. Celebrate Medical Marijuana Week with us by educating your community, meeting with your U.S. Senators, writing letters to the editor, and more!
Also, be sure to wear your ASA gear next week to further educate your community about Medical Marijuana Week! If you do not have an ASA t-shirt, sticker, hat, bag, or sweatshirt yet, visit our store so you can "Gear Up" for Medical Marijuana Week and beyond!
Monday: Join the Movement
In just five years, ASA has become 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. Join the fastest growing medical cannabis group, ASA, by becoming a member and/or asking your friends and family to join ASA.
Tuesday: Meet Your Senators
On Tuesday and Wednesday during Medical Marijuana Week hundreds of activists throughout the country are âdropping inâ on their U.S. Senatorsâ district offices. Join your fellow activists by dropping in on both of your U.S. Senatorsâ local district offices on February the 12th to talk about supporting access for FDA-approved medical cannabis research. Urge them to support research by signing on to the letter Senators Kennedy and Kerry are circulating to enable FDA-approved research.
Wednesday: Put Pens to Paper for Research!Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper calling on your Senators to support access for FDA-approved medical marijuana research. FDA-approved research is key to safe access nationwide. You never know who you might be influencing - other community members, a staffer in one of your Senator's district offices, or perhaps even one of your Senators! Visit ASA's LTE action site on Wednesday for an easy way to submit your LTE online, using talking points provided by our communications specialists.
Thursday: Meet Your Match
Patients nationwide have joined together to form condition-based unions to further promote medical cannabis research and advocate for safe access to medical cannabis through the Medical Marijuana Unions project. Plug into one of ASAâs fastest growing network of patients, researchers, advocates, and medical professionals. Join a condition-based union today!
Friday: Meet the Movement and Get Organized
ASA is excited to release our first ever National Field Report, which paints a comprehensive picture of the local, state, and national campaigns ASAâs chapters and affiliates work on and also highlights the 2007 accomplishments in the field. Download the report on Thursday and start or join an ASA chapter!
Saturday and Sunday: Walk Your Talk
On Saturday and Sunday, mobilize your community for medical marijuana research. Download and print out a petition calling on your U.S. Senators to support access to materials for FDA-approved medical cannabis research. Visit ASAâs fun interactive map to download a petition addressed to your stateâs U.S. Senators. Gather signatures on this petition at your work, school, home, church, and in your community. Please send completed petitions back to ASA via fax: (510) 251-2036; or mail: 1322 Webster Street, Suite 402, Oakland, CA 94612
Please forward this email widely to friends, co-workers, and family to encourage them to join you in the national movement to protect safe access!
Sincerely,
Sonnet Seeborg Gabbard