State & Local Government

[Courtesy of ASA] For Immediate Release: March 18, 2008 Contact: ASA Media Liaison Kris Hermes (510) 681-6361 or, in Sacramento, ASA California Director Don Duncan (323) 326-6347 Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Testify Today at Taxpayers' Hearing in Sacramento Patients and their providers pay more than $100 million in sales tax annually Sacramento, CA -- More than a half-dozen medical marijuana dispensary operators from across the state will testify today at 1:30pm before the State Board of Equalization (BOE) at its Taxpayers' Bill of Rights Hearing. Dispensary operators from southern and northern California, joined by medical marijuana advocates, will be in Sacramento to discuss their significant contribution of $100 million in annual sales tax revenue to an ailing state budget. While sales tax on medical marijuana clearly benefits the fiscal health of the state, that funding is threatened by increased interference from the federal government. What: Medical marijuana dispensary operators and advocates testify at the Board of Equalization's Taxpayers' Bill of Rights Hearing When: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 1:30pm Where: Hearing Room 121 at the BOE, 450 N Street in Sacramento Why: Medical marijuana annual sales tax revenue of $100 million is threatened by continued federal interference Who: Testimony will be heard from dispensary operators in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Berkeley, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz "Medical marijuana dispensaries are doing their best to comply with state law," said Kris Hermes, spokesperson for Americans for Safe Access (ASA), one of the advocacy groups testifying today. "One hundred million dollars annually in sales tax revenue is not small change," continued Hermes. "However, by continuing to shut these facilities down, the federal government deprives the state of this money at a time of fiscal crisis." According to recent estimations by multiple advocacy groups, California's hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries contribute to the state budget at least $100 million annually in sales tax revenue. The State of California began collecting sales tax revenue from medical marijuana dispensaries in October 2005, after a policy decision that year by the BOE. However, the same facilities that are expected to comply with this policy are currently under attack by the federal government. Enforcement tactics by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have had a devastating impact on dispensaries in California. In 2007 alone, the DEA raided more than 50 medical marijuana dispensaries in at least 10 different counties across the state. Also, in 2007, the DEA launched a new tactic in its attempts to undermine state law by disseminating more than 300 letters to landlords of dispensaries, threatening the property owners with criminal prosecution and asset seizure if they continued to lease to dispensaries. "The sales tax collected by medical marijuana dispensaries in one year could fund the construction of two large schools or 2,000 elementary and high school teachers," said ASA Chief of Staff Rebecca Saltzman. "By robbing California of this much needed revenue, the federal government is not only harming thousands of patients that rely on this medicine, it is also impeding the state's ability to fund critical aspects of its infrastructure." The federal government's efforts to undermine California's medical marijuana law have not gone unnoticed by local and state lawmakers. Letters from concerned local officials in 2007 prompted U.S. House Judiciary Chair John Conyers to issue a statement in December expressing his deep concern and calling for DEA oversight hearings. Since then, Mayors from Oakland and Santa Cruz, as well as the Berkeley City Council and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, have all registered their opposition to federal enforcement against medical marijuana. In addition, State Senator Carole Migden (D-San Francisco) introduced SJR 20 earlier this year, calling for an end to federal interference and urging Congress and the President to establish policy consistent with the compassionate use laws of California. Most recently, in February, former BOE Chair Betty Yee co-authored an opinion piece with Senator Migden harshly criticizing DEA tactics in California, emphasizing the harm to both patients and the state. Further information: ASA Fact Sheet on Sales Tax: http://americansforsafeaccess.org/downloads/sales_tax_fact_sheet.pdf Copy of State Senate Joint Resolution 20, calling for an end to DEA interference: http://americansforsafeaccess.org/downloads/SJR_20.pdf BOE notice sent to dispensaries in 2007 alerting them to the new sales tax policy: http://www.boe.ca.gov/news/pdf/medseller2007.pdf Opinion piece by Betty Yee & Carole Migden: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/15/ED0UV1RNP.DTL

[Courtesy of Americans for Safe Access] For Immediate Release: March 17, 2008 Contact: ASA Media Liaison Kris Hermes (510) 681-6361 or, in Sacramento, ASA California Director Don Duncan (323) 326-6347 Medical Marijuana Dispensaries to Testify at Taxpayers' Hearing in Sacramento Patients and their providers pay more than $100 million in sales tax annually Sacramento, CA -- More than a half-dozen medical marijuana dispensary operators from across the state are expected to testify tomorrow at 1:30pm before the State Board of Equalization (BOE) at its Taxpayers' Bill of Rights Hearing. Dispensary operators from southern and northern California, joined by medical marijuana advocates, will be in Sacramento to discuss the significant contribution of $100 million in annual sales tax revenue to an ailing state budget. While sales tax on medical marijuana clearly benefits the fiscal health of the state, that funding is threatened by increased interference from the federal government. What: Medical marijuana dispensary operators and advocates testify at the Board of Equalization's Taxpayers' Bill of Rights Hearing When: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 1:30pm Where: Hearing Room 121 at the BOE, 450 N Street in Sacramento Why: Medical marijuana annual sales tax revenue of $100 million is threatened by continued federal interference Who: Testimony will be heard from dispensary operators in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Berkeley, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz "Medical marijuana dispensaries are doing their best to comply with state law," said Kris Hermes, spokesperson for Americans for Safe Access (ASA), one of the advocacy groups testifying tomorrow. "One hundred million dollars annually in sales tax revenue is not small change," continued Hermes. "However, by continuing to shut these facilities down, the federal government deprives the state of this money at a time of fiscal crisis." According to recent estimations by multiple advocacy groups, California's hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries contribute to the state budget at least $100 million annually in sales tax revenue. The State of California began collecting sales tax revenue from medical marijuana dispensaries in October 2005, after a policy decision that year by the BOE. However, the same facilities that are expected to comply with this policy are currently under attack by the federal government. Enforcement tactics by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have had a devastating impact on dispensaries in California. In 2007 alone, the DEA raided more than 50 medical marijuana dispensaries in at least 10 different counties across the state. Also, in 2007, the DEA launched a new tactic in its attempts to undermine state law by disseminating more than 300 letters to landlords of dispensaries, threatening the property owners with criminal prosecution and asset seizure if they continued to lease to dispensaries. "The sales tax collected by medical marijuana dispensaries in one year could fund the construction of two large schools or 2,000 elementary and high school teachers," said ASA Chief of Staff Rebecca Saltzman. "By robbing California of this much needed revenue, the federal government is not only harming thousands of patients that rely on this medicine, it is also impeding the state's ability to fund critical aspects of its infrastructure." The federal government's efforts to undermine California's medical marijuana law have not gone unnoticed by local and state lawmakers. Letters from concerned local officials in 2007 prompted U.S. House Judiciary Chair John Conyers to issue a statement in December expressing his deep concern and calling for DEA oversight hearings. Since then, Mayors from Oakland and Santa Cruz, as well as the Berkeley City Council and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, have all registered their opposition to federal enforcement against medical marijuana. In addition, State Senator Carole Migden (D-San Francisco) introduced SJR 20 earlier this year, calling for an end to federal interference and urging Congress and the President to establish policy consistent with the compassionate use laws of California. Most recently, in February, former BOE Chair Betty Yee co-authored an opinion piece with Senator Migden harshly criticizing DEA tactics in California, emphasizing the harm to both patients and the state. Further information: ASA Fact Sheet on Sales Tax: http://americansforsafeaccess.org/downloads/sales_tax_fact_sheet.pdf Copy of State Senate Joint Resolution 20, calling for an end to DEA interference: http://americansforsafeaccess.org/downloads/SJR_20.pdf BOE notice sent to dispensaries in 2007 alerting them to the new sales tax policy: http://www.boe.ca.gov/news/pdf/medseller2007.pdf Opinion piece by Betty Yee & Carole Migden: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/15/ED0UV1RNP.DTL

[Courtesy of the Harm Reduction Coalition] By changing San Francisco, we change the world A major part of addressing the expanding HIV/AIDS and overdose mortality rates in the United States is good public policy. The legacy of democracy is that when elected officials falter on implementing public policies that save lives, the public itself must step forward and urge those officials to take a stand. We need 200 signatures by December from organizations and individuals living or working in San Francisco on a petition that will be delivered to the desk of Mayor Gavin Newsom, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and the San Francisco Department of Health Director Mitchell Katz demanding that our city create a legal safer injection facility to reduce the number of deaths by overdose and to curb the transmission of HIV and Hepatitis C. Your activism does make a difference. With your support we were able to beat back an amendment in Congress by conservative South Carolina senator Jim DeMint that sought to ban all federal funding from any city that chose to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS and save lives through the creation of a safe injection center. Join our petition to Mayor Newsom and help to save lives. Visit our website and sign our online petition today. http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/HRC/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=763 Other nations around the world have built 65-safer injection facilities in twenty-seven cities and eight nation, let's make San Francisco the first city in the U.S. to create one and begin a national trend that starts putting lives above politics. Hilary McQuie, Western Regional Director Harm Reduction Coalition www.harmreduction.org [email protected]

For Immediate Release: July 24, 2007 Contact: Tony Newman at (646) 335-5384 NY Poised to Become First State to Require Addiction Treatment Programs to be Smoke-free, Aimed at Helping Clients Quit Smoking Treatment Advocates See New Rule as a Mixed Bag: Applaud Effort to Help Smokers Quit; Warn of Possible New Barriers to Treatment Created by Smoke-free Centers New York Alcohol and Substance Abuse Service officials announced today a new rule that will require treatment centers to help their patients to quit smoking. The plan, which is slated to take effect next year, will require treatment centers to help patients quit smoking by offering nicotine replacement therapy, including nicotine gum and patches, to all smokers. For those lacking health insurance, the nicotine replacement therapy will be free of charge. The treatment centers also will be required to be smoke-free. Smokers will be prohibited from smoking at the centers. Officials estimate the new law will impact 110,000 patients on any given day. Approximately 92 percent of those in alcohol and other drug treatment programs are cigarette smokers, according to official estimates. Treatment advocates have mixed feelings about the new rule. They are applauding the effort to help people quit smoking, but warn that the smoking ban may deter some smokers who are hoping to quit other addictions. “Smoking leads to more premature deaths than all illicit drugs combined and it is a positive development to offer nicotine replacement therapy to all who want it,” said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance. “But prohibiting smoking at the treatment centers may discourage people who want and need treatment to other drugs, but are not willing or able to stop smoking.” Many people struggling with addiction may have problems with multiple drugs, both legal and illegal. Advocates caution against barriers that will discourage people from seeking out help. “Not everyone can or wants to abstain from all drugs all at once,” said Tony Newman, media director at the Drug Policy Alliance. “Do we really want to set up barriers for someone who wants to quit heroin, but may not be ready to quit cigarettes? We need open doors that encourage people to get help for their problems, whether it be for illegal or legal drugs, and not rules that drive people away from life-saving programs.”

Release Date: April 19, 2007 Contacts: Steve Kubby, National Director The American Medical Marijuana Association (AMMA) http://www.americanmarijuana.org/ 707-964-7743 Board of Supervisors Office

Release Date: April 17, 2007 Contacts: Steve Kubby, National Director The American Medical Marijuana Association (AMMA) http://www.americanmarijuana.org/ 707-964-7743 Board of Supervisors Office

Release Date: April 17, 2007 Contacts: Steve Kubby, National Director The American Medical Marijuana Association (AMMA) http://www.americanmarijuana.org/ 707-964-7743 Board of Supervisors Office

MEDIA ADVISORY: April 17, 2007 Contact: Margaret Dooley (858) 336-3685 Hundreds of Prop. 36 Grads Rally at Capitol to Celebrate Program’s Success Treatment-Not-Incarceration Program Has Graduated Over 70,000 Californians and Saved Taxpayers Over $1.5 Billion in Six Years

[Courtesy of the Prisons Foundation] Last fall, the Prisons Foundation attempted to do outreach work and raise funds on the streets of Washington by showing and selling prison art and other items related to our work. We were stopped by the police who said we needed a vendor's license to continue. We contested this and spoke to the local ACLU who agreed to handle the matter.