Hello, ASA Members and Allies.
This has been a tough summer for medical cannabis patients and providers in Southern California. It seems like the DEA is attacking us multiple fronts – raiding collectives, threatening landlords, and busting cultivators. I want to let everyone know how proud I am of the spirit of empowerment and resistance I have seen in our community during this latest crack down. It is so encouraging to see ASA Members and others taking initiative and fighting back for patients’ access. Never doubt that you are making a difference. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be leaning on us so hard.
On Thursday, October 11, 2007, ASA is calling on individuals and organizations that support medical cannabis to join us in a statewide mobilization to the Governor’s office in Los Angeles. The mobilization is called “Stand Up for Patients’ Rights: Defend California’s Medical Marijuana Law” and is part of our campaign to persuade Governor Schwarzenegger to finally take a stand against federal interference in California’s medical cannabis program. The campaign consists of statewide call in days, legislative visits from constituents and lobbyists, and sign on letters from key public officials and organizations. Our goal is to use the build up to October 11 and the political momentum following that event to greatly expand the size and clout of the coalition support medical cannabis in California.
When doctor, lawyers, health care and condition-specific advocacy organizations join the traditional medical cannabis community in calling for an end to raids and full implementation of our laws, their voices will be hard to ignore in Sacramento. This broader coalition will have the muscle to get the Governor and his colleagues behind us, finally standing up for our rights in California and in Washington, DC. ASA staff and lobbyists have been building relationships and seeding this effort across California for years. Now, we need to put the grassroots numbers behind this campaign to make it effective. I hope you will plan to attend this historic event and reach out to the individuals you know and organizations in which you participate to help get people to Los Angeles on October 11.
The official event announcements, flyers, and posters will be out next week. In the meantime, I hope you will all start making plans to be at the rally and help get others on board, too. You can help by distributing flyers and posters, posting the event on online calendars, and putting it on the agenda for organizational meetings. You can download a simple temporary quarter-page flyer (in .pdf format) at http://www.ASAaction.org right now. The professional glossy flyers and posters will be out soon! We will be hosting the event organizing meeting on Saturday, September 22, but volunteers are needed right away. See the listing below for all the details.
Let’s wrap up this tough summer and start fall out with a big hit. Get ready for October 11 in Los Angeles! Look for more details soon...
By the way, the new LA-ASA office number is (323) 882-6766. You can still reach me at Don@SafeAccessNow.org
Thanks for helping fight for patients’ access. I look forward to seeing you, your friends, and your loved ones on October 11th!
---Don Duncan
Interim California Campaign Director
Americans for Safe Access
www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org
Los Angeles Office
7211 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 800
West Hollywood, CA 90046
P: 323-882-6766 F: 323-882-6263
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