Announcement

Monday: Join the Movement, Become a Member of ASA Today!

[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

Senate to Hold Long-awaited Hearing on Federal Cocaine Sentencing Laws

[Courtesy of The Sentencing Project] Dear Friends: The Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary will hold a hearing on "Federal Cocaine Sentencing Laws: Reforming the 100-to-1 Crack/Powder Disparity" on Tuesday, February 12 at 2:00 p.m. in Room 226 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building. "The Sentencing Project applauds the Committee for addressing this longstanding disparity," stated Marc Mauer, Executive Director of The Sentencing Project. "Reforming crack cocaine policy will help to remedy the unfairness and ineffectiveness of federal drug policy." Witnesses at the hearing will be: - U.S. Department of Justice designee - The Honorable Ricardo H. Hinojosa, Chair, U.S. Sentencing Commission, Washington, DC - Dr. Nora Volkow, Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Washington, DC - The Honorable Reggie B. Walton, Criminal Law Committee, Federal Judicial Conference, Washington, DC - James Felman, Co-Chair, Sentencing Committee, Criminal Justice Section, American Bar Association In addition, Marc Mauer, has been invited by the Committee to submit written testimony, focusing on the public safety consequences of crack reform and impact on racial disparity. Committee Chairman Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE), has taken a lead in reforming the crack cocaine disparity by introducing the Drug Sentencing Reform and Kingpin Trafficking Act of 2007 (S. 1711), which would eliminate the 100 to 1 quantity-based sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. The legislation would also focus federal law enforcement efforts on serious drug traffickers instead of the low-level offenders who are currently the target of most federal crack prosecutions. This hearing follows the U.S. Supreme Court's affirmation of judicial discretion to sentence below the guideline range based on the unfairness of the crack cocaine sentencing disparity, and the United States Sentencing Commission's vote to make retroactive its recent guideline amendment on crack cocaine offenses.

Families Against Mandatory Minimums: Hearings on crack, national call-in day for reform

Senate hearing on crack cocaine on Feb. 12 The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs scheduled a hearing for February 12 on federal cocaine sentencing laws titled âReforming the 100-to-1 Crack/Powder Disparity". For over 21 years, the inequity between crack and powder cocaine sentences has been the subject of great debate. Now the Senate will take a first step toward addressing this inequity. Three bills have been introduced in the Senate and will likely be the subject of debate at the hearing. The hearing is open to the public. It will be held Tuesday, February 12 at 2:00 pm in Room 226 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building. To read more about all of the sentencing bills FAMM is tracking, click here. National call-in day to Congress, Feb. 25 Eliminate the crack and powder cocaine disparity! Join thousands of advocates across the country in calling on Congress to eliminate the federal crack/powder cocaine sentencing disparity on February 25. FAMM will send an ealert to the members on February 25 containing a link to talking points and contact information on your lawmakers. Look for an email on February 25 and check the FAMM website for updates. Also, ask your family and friends to join FAMM's email list so they can participate in the call-in day. Click here to tell a friend about FAMM.

Attend lobby day on Capitol Hill

[Courtesy of Families Against Mandatory Minimums] Please join Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) and partner organizations on February 26 in Washington, D.C. as we call for change on Capitol Hill! Ask Congress to support legislation eliminating the crack/powder cocaine sentencing disparity. In the 21 years that mandatory sentences for crack have been in effect, tens of thousands have suffered unjust, disproportionate, and excessive sentences because of the sentencing disparity. It's time for change. If your loved one was sentenced for crack cocaine or you served time in prison for a crack cocaine offense, we encourage your participation. Please attend the Cracked Justice Lobby Day on February 26 and share your story and photographs with lawmakers to show the human face of excessive sentencing. While none of the bills we will advocate for is likely to affect people who have already been sentenced, your advocacy could positively change the lives of tens of thousands in the future. To learn more about the legislation FAMM is following, please click here. The Cracked Justice Lobby Day will start in D.C. at 8:30 a.m. with breakfast and a brief training (location to be determined). You will learn tips on how to lobby members of Congress and receive information on the members of Congress you will visit that day. FAMM members have unique stories to tell and we believe everybody should hear them. You will not be limited to visiting your own members of Congress, but will also join people from other states and help them lobby their senators and representatives. For example, you may be paired with a preacher from Kansas or an advocate from Texas. We will visit lawmakers or staff from the following targeted states: California; Illinois; Kansas; Maryland; Michigan; New York; Oklahoma; Pennsylvania; South Carolina; Texas and Virginia. Don't worry if you are not from one of these states. We still want to see you here. If you or your family members live in the targeted states and would like to participate but cannot travel to D.C., we still need you! You can: - Participate in a National Call-In Day on February 25 (look for a FAMM ealert on February 25 with call-in information and talking points.) - Meet with your member of Congress or Congressional staff at a district office the week of February 18. Please rsvp for the lobby day by February 8. Space for the lobby day is very limited. If you are interested in participating or want more information on district visits, please call or email Jennifer Seltzer Stitt at (202) 822-6700 x15 or [email protected]. Sincerely yours, Jennifer Seltzer Stitt FAMM Federal legislative director

Super Tuesday is a Week Away -- E-mail the Candidates about Medical Marijuana Today!

[Courtesy of Americans for Safe Access]

Dear ASA Supporter,

Next week, thousands of citizens nationwide will line up to vote in one of more than 20 presidential primaries held on Super Tuesday. Click here to send an e-mail and fax to the presidential candidates to commit to ending DEA raids on medical marijuana providers.

Over the past several months, the medical marijuana community has interacted with many of the candidates in both the Republican and Democratic parties. While ASA has not endorsed a candidate, ASA activists, chapters, and affiliates participated in bird-dogging events throughout the country, asking the candidates tough questions about medical marijuana, ending DEA raids, and prioritizing research. Granite Staters for Medical Marijuana, in New Hampshire, questioned all of the candidates about their positions on DEA raids on medical marijuana patients and providers. Ultimately, several candidates stated that they would end the DEA raids, and four of them are still in the presidential race!

With Super Tuesday on the horizon, it is time to challenge the presidential candidates who have publicly supported medical marijuana to take their commitment to safe access one step further by pledging to end federal raids if elected. We are calling on these candidates to commit to issue an Executive Order that would end federal interference in medical marijuana states. Click here to send an e-mail and fax to the candidates right away!

We are calling on Senator Clinton, Senator Obama, Senator Edwards, and Congressman Ron Paul to pledge that they will issue an Executive Order that says:

No funds made available to the Department of Justice shall be used to prevent States from implementing adopted laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana. In particular, no funds shall be used to investigate, seize, arrest or prosecute in association with the distribution of medical marijuana, unless such distribution has been found by adjudication to violate state or local law.

Click here to e-mail and fax the candidates, challenging them to stand up for medical marijuana patients and to protect taxpayersâ dollars. It is time for the candidates to show that their campaigns are not about rhetoric, but about protecting the rights of Americans.

Sincerely,

Sonnet Seeborg-Gabbard
Field Coordinator
Americans for Safe Access

P.S. Please enable more actions like these in the future. Sending faxes costs ASA ten cents per fax, and as you know, that can add up! Click here to donate to ASA and ensure future actions such as these.

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.

Medical Marijuana Bill Introduced in Kansas on January 28, 2008

[Courtesy of the Kansas Compassionate Care Coalition] An historic first step was taken today toward obtaining legal protections for patients who use, and physicians who recommend marijuana as part of a treatment program for debilitating medical conditions! The Senate Healthcare Strategies committee voted to introduce The Medical Marijuana Defense Act which allows for a âdefense to prosecutionâ for legitimate medical marijuana patients charged with possession of marijuana. This means a person who is charged with possession of marijuana can obtain a written certification from a physician to use in their defense to the charge. Under current Kansas law, legitimate medical marijuana patients can not raise the issue of their medical use to a judge or jury. The bill includes protections for physicians who recommend the use of marijuana to their patients. The bill also would reject out-of-state medical marijuana cards and registrations from being used as a defense in Kansas courts. Laura A. Green, the Director of the Kansas Compassionate Care Coalition requested the committee introduce the bill, and it was approved on voice vote. Only Senator Vicki Schmidt (R-Topeka) was opposed to allowing the bill to be introduced. The bill is now in the State Revisorâs office. They will put it into bill format and forward it for bill number assignment. This process should take about 7 days. A hearing on the bill is expected in the next few weeks. We will let you know when the bill number and committee hearing date have been assigned! Please voice your support for The Medical Marijuana Defense Act by signing our statement of principles on our website or by contacting your legislator and asking them to support medical marijuana legislation in Kansas. Use the online system at our website, http://www.ksccc.org, to send your message directly to their email inbox. We would like to thank everyone who has signed the statement and sent us letter of support. Together we can ensure that medical decisions remain between a doctor and their patient! Laura A. Green Coalition Director

Berkeley City Council to Vote on MMJ Sanctuary Resolution

[Courtesy of Berkeley Patients Group] Friends, Tomorrow night (1/29/08), the Berkeley City Council will be considering a very important resolution. Co-sponsored by Kriss Worthington and Darryl Moore, this item would: 1. declare Berkeley a "sanctuary city" for medical cannabis in the event that the DEA raids any of our dispensaries, 2. call on the Berkeley Police Department, the County District Attorney, the Alameda County Sheriff's Department, and the State Attorney General not to cooperate with the DEA in its efforts to undermine state and local medical cannabis laws, 3. urge Governor Schwarzenegger to publicly stand with the more than 200,000 medical cannabis patients in the state and to let Congress and the Bush Administration know that DEA interference is uncalled for and will be resisted by local and state government, and 4. encourage the City to plan for continued safe access in Berkeley in the event of a DEA raid on one or more of our dispensaries. See the draft text at: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil/agenda-committee/agendaindex.htm Click on the pdf for the 1/22 meeting, and look for Item 22. ASA and others have worked extensively with Councilmembers Moore and Worthington, and with many other supportive city staff, to craft this resolution, and we expect the full support of the Council, the City Manager and the City Attorney tomorrow night. Obviously this is a VERY important moment for medical cannabis patients, and I want to encourage you to attend tomorrow's City Council meeting if at all possible. We plan to have a rally at 6:45 p.m., before the Council meeting, on the steps of Old City Hall. Wear your ASA shirt, sport a medical marijuana pin, and let's fill the hall with supporters to celebrate the moment--and thank our Berkeley elected officials for taking this significant step to defend patients' rights! City Council Meeting - 1/29/2008 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. 2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way Be well, Becky DeKeuster Community Liaison Berkeley Patients Group 2747 San Pablo Ave. Berkeley, CA 94702 510-540-6013 ext. 0

Stop CBS4 Attacks on Cannabis Patients -- Tell CBS Not to Air the Attack on Disabled Veteran Kevin Dickes

[Courtesy of vflog.com] Call CBS4-Denver at 303-830-6464! CBS4-Denver has been attacking medicinal marijuana patients and their caregivers in Colorado. The last person to be the focus of a CBS4 medicinal cannabis "investigation" (Ken Gorman) ended up murdered less than a week after the story aired. Now they are trying it again by attacking a disabled veteran. These attacks have to stop. This Thursday (Jan. 31), CBS4 is scheduled to air an "investigation" of Kevin Dickes, former Marine and disabled Gulf War veteran. Dickes was prescribed cannabis for a war injury and has a valid Medical Marijuana Registry identification card issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. In 2000, Colorado voters approved an amendment to the state constitution that allows patients to legally use cannabis as medicine with their physician's approval. Dickes was arrested in Aurora in March 2007. He was charged with felony cultivation and faced 6 years in prison. Because he was a registered patient, all charges against Dickes were eventually dropped. Colorado law says that police shall return the cannabis "unharmed", so Aurora police were forced to return his medicine to him. The CBS4 "investigation" scheduled to air this Thursday allegedly shows a former Marine who served with Dickes in the Gulf War who says Dickes' injury was not caused in the Gulf War. The fact that Dickes was injured is not in question. In the promotion for the CBS4 story, it clearly shows the 36-inch scar on Dicke's leg. Apparently, all that is in question is the cause of that injury. Dickes has provided medical records to CBS4 proving he was injured in the Marines, but CBS4 is still airing the story. Read the letter from Dickes' attorney, Robert Corry, here: http://www.vflog.com/action/dickes.corry.let.html This is a blatant attack on a law-abiding citizen for using a plant he grew himself to ease his pain. The cause of his injury is none of CBS4's business! This is an invasion of medical privacy. This sensational story is designed only to boost ratings at the expense of a disabled veteran. Kevin Dickes has already suffered with his arrest, prosecution and destruction of his medicine. This "investigation" serves no purpose other than to attack Dickes' and make him suffer more for his use of a legal medicine. All citizens should be outraged! In Feb. 2007, CBS4's Rick Sallinger aired a story about medical marijuana caregiver, Ken Gorman. Less than a week later, that caregiver was found brutally murdered in his home. Denver police have made no arrests and have no suspects in the case. See the story that aired one week before Ken was murdered: http://cbs4denver.com/investigates/Denver.Colorado.medical.2.556420.html. See the story about Ken's death: http://cbs4denver.com/local/Ken.Gorman.Murder.2.556598.html "I don't want to end up dead in my own home like Ken Gorman because of Rick Sallinger," Dickes says. What's next for Rick Sallinger? Will he start investigating all Gulf War veterans and their private medical histories? Is he going to continue to attack other medicinal cannabis patients just to boost his ratings? Why doesn't he do an investigation of Ken Gorman's murder and find out why the Denver Police refuse to investigate this case? Please call CBS4 to protest this attack on sick patients. Ask them not to air the story on Thursday: CBS4-Denver 303-830-6464 [email protected] If CBS4-Denver does not pull the story, there will be a protest at their offices (1044 Lincoln Street) at 3pm on Thursday (1/31). Please check this website for updates before you go http://www.vflog.com Bringing the 1st Amendment into the 21st Century...

Florida Rights Restoration Coalition Day of Action at the Florida Capital

[Courtesy ACLU of Florida] The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC) is organizing a two-part mobilization in Tallahassee in support of restoring the right to vote to hundreds of thousands of people with past felony convictions in Florida who have completed their sentences. Your presence in Tallahassee is critical to furthering our continuing progress toward comprehensive clemency reform and our goal of removing the voting ban from Floridaâs Constitution. On February 28, we seek to mobilize 40-75 citizens to Tallahassee for the February 28th Board of Executive Clemency meeting. On April 1, FRRC plans to mobilize 500-1000 individuals for a rally and related events. We Need a Commitment from You & Your Organization! The success of this effort depends on commitments from you and your organization. We ask that you and your organization let us know how many people you or your organization can mobilize for either or both of the events on February 28 and April 1. We especially need your help mobilizing individuals for the April 1 rally. Everyone who supports ending Floridaâs civil rights ban is welcome and encouraged to attend. We extend a special invitation to those who are directly impacted by Floridaâs civil rights ban. If you, or someone you know, have been affected by Floridaâs voting ban, come to Tallahassee and make your voices heard! Make the decision today to support this historic event and let us know how many people you can bring to the event. For additional information please call La Rhonda Odom at 786-363-2718. The time is always right to do what is right. ~Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. La Rhonda Odom Racial Justice Project Associate ACLU of Florida 4500 Biscayne Blvd. Suite 340 Miami, FL 33137 (786) 363-2718 (phone) (786) 363-1020 (fax)

Prison Art Gallery: New Prison Art Arrivals! Feb edition of Art for Justice is here!

[Courtesy Prison Art Gallery] You can read the latest issue of Art for Justice now! View and purchase new art arrivals created by imprisoned artists from across America, shipped anywhere in the world. You can also purchase any of our beautiful extra large 48 PRISON ART PRINTS, now on SALE for ONLY $10 each Check out the new edition of Art for Justice (Feb. 2008), the official prison art catalog of the Prison Art Gallery in downtown Washington, DC (three blocks from the White House) at http://prisonsfoundation.org/febafj.pdf. Also in this issue you can find out how you can become an official art mentor to struggling prison artists by enrolling in our FREE workshop taught by prison officials and ex-prisoner artists. Visit http://prisonsfoundation.org/febafj.pdf for more details. If you have any questions, please call 202-393-1511. When in Washington, DC, please visit the Prison Art Gallery. Located downtown at 1600 K Street (three blocks from the White House), the Prison Art Gallery is served by two Metro stations (Farragut North on the Red Line, and Farragut West on the Orange and Blue Lines). Note that the entrance is on 16th Street, at the corner of K Street. Open Mon to Fri, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Saturday and Sunday, 1:00 to 5:00 PM (also open evenings by appointment - groups welcome - admission is always free) To shop online, please visit http://prisonsfoundation.org/catalog.html or click the image to the left. Thank you.

Subscribe to Announcement