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ASA Weekly Alert- Stuff Happening All Over California!

by Americans for Safe Access
As usual, there's a lot coming up in the next two weeks. We hope to see
you at some of these events. If you have any questions or would like me
to post an alert, just shoot me an email.
As usual, there's a lot coming up in the next two weeks. We hope to see
you at some of these events. If you have any questions or would like me
to post an alert, just shoot me an email.
*
**1) Write to Medical Marijuana Defendants in Fresno Jail!*
*2) September 17th, Merced: Merced County Patients Coalition Meeting
3) September 17th, Temecula: Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project Meeting
4) September 20th, Yreka: Court Support for Kimberly Olson
5) September 20th, West Hollywood: Los Angeles ASA Meeting
6) September 20th, Santa Rosa: City Council to Discuss Dispensary Ordinance
7) September 20th, Mountain View: City Council to Discuss Regulating
Dispensaries
8) September 21st, San Francisco: Green Cross Hearing
**9) September 27th, Riverside: **County Board of Supervisors to Vote on
Extending Dispensary Moratorium
**10) September 27th, Concord: City Council to Vote on Dispensary Ban*
*11) September 30th, West Hollywood: Meeting of LA County Medical
Marijuana Task Force
12) September 30th, San Francisco: **Free Pot! ** A Patients' Rights
Rally in Support of Medical Cannabis*
*
*
------------------------------------------------------------------------

*1) Write to Medical Marijuana Defendants in Fresno Jail!*

As I mentioned last week, three medical marijuana defendants are still in jail in
Fresno. They would love to hear from you and know that their supporters have not
forgotten about them. Please take some time to write them letters.

Here are the addresses for our cannabis colleagues in the Fresno County Jail:

Joseph William Fortt
0523745
P.O. Box 872
Fresno, CA 93712

Dustin Robert Costa
0526206
P.O. Box 872
Fresno, CA 93712

Thunder Thomas Rector
0523378
P.O. Box 872
Fresno, CA 93712

Guidelines on sending mail to the Fresno jail:

There is no limit to the amount of mail that an inmate may send or
receive. All mail is inspected for contraband, and will be returned to
sender if it includes anything not allowed. Items NOT allowed in mail to
inmates include any sexually explicit material or photographs, postage
stamps, stickers, or any item that is illegal or would cause a security
risk. Photographs are allowed, however may not be a Polaroid photograph.
Legally blind individuals may send and receive first-class mail through
the U.S. Postal Service at no cost.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*2) Saturday, Sept. 17th: Merced County Patients Coalition Meeting*

The MCPC is planning to have their initial meetings on the third
Saturday of every month for right now, until things get more familiar.
We will kinda of do the pot luck thing, if people want, but there will
be food provided.

Tentatively the next meeting is planned for September 17th, 2005 at 1pm
The meeting place will be the same for now too. Any questions, please
feel free to call Nick at 209-261-5758, or email him at
Nick [at] Compassionatecoalition.org.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*3) Saturday, Sept. 17th: Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project Meeting in
Temecula*

Temecula and Southern Riverside Co. MAPP will meet on Saturday, Sept. 17
at 2 p.m. at the Temecula Public Library at 41000 County Center Dr. at
the corner of Winchester and County Center Dr.


Got any questions, call Lanny Swerdlow at 760-799-2055 or email
lannyswerdlow [at] earthlink.net

------------------------------------------------------------------------
*4) Tuesday, Sept. 20th: Court Support for Kimberly Olson in Yreka*
*
*Kimberly Olson is a medical marijuana patient facing trial in Siskiyou
County. In the early morning of September 22, 2003 a police officer
showed up at Kimberly's residence and she showed her medical marijuana
paperwork. Later the same day, Darrell Lemos (Siskiyou Sheriff) showed
up and arrested Kimberly. The residence was searched and property seized
while she was in jail.

Her trial begins at 8:30am on the 20th in dept 1 of the Siskiyou County
Courthouse, 311 Fourth St., Yreka, CA 96097

Come show your support!

------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
5) Tuesday, Sept. 20th: Los Angeles ASA Meeting

*

Join Los Angeles Americans for Safe Access

for our 1^st General Meeting



Tuesday, September 20^th , 2005

from 6-8pm

Come to the Community Room of

West Hollywood Gateway (the Target Shopping Center)

at 7100 Santa Monica Blvd. @ La Brea


To access the Community Room, take the Bev Mo! Elevator in the garage to
the 1st floor and turn left. This is the back door entrance located
near the loading dock area.

Parking in the parking structure is:
$1 for the 1st hour & $1 for each additional 30 min. (max $10).

~ Street parking is metered and *_free_* after 6pm. ~
Be sure to read posted signs ~ neighborhood parking is restricted.
(Note: street parking on Formosa South of Santa Monica is both close and
unrestricted, while limited)

For more information, call Amanda @ 310.279.7424

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*6) Tuesday, Sept. 20th, Santa Rosa: City Council to Discuss Dispensary
Ordinance*

Please come voice your support for dispensaries at this meeting. The
council will be discussing the draft ordinance. Two important issues to
bring up are:

- Support for on-site consumption
- Why two dispensaries are not enough to serve the patient community

For general talking points about dispensary ordinances, please visit:
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/Talkingpoints.General%20Moratorium.doc

To see the meeting agenda, visit this site:
http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/City_Hall/City_Council/2005/050913pdf/00-PRE-050920.pdf

4:00 p.m.

City Hall
100 Santa Rosa Avenue

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*7) Tuesday, Sept. 20th: Mountain View City Council to Discuss Regulating Dispensaries*

From Jim Lohse:

The Mountain View City Council is planning to schedule a Study Session regarding
medical marijuana dispensaries within the city limits. At last night's Council
meeting, it was discovered that the City plans to discuss the dispensary issue at
the next City Council Study Session on Tuesday, September 20, 2005. More
information will be forthcoming once the Council posts the agenda for the meeting
sometime this weekend.

Area 420 Spokeswoman Tina Flora can be reached regarding this effort at 408 509-7656.

According to Flora, "We need to organize and show up for this meeting--patients,
caregivers, and their families, doctors and those compassionate to the cause. Our
voices need to be heard by the Council to know that we are serious about obtaining a
dispensary within Santa Clara County to serve our sick, injured, and dying patients
safely and effectively. NOW is the time to let your thoughts be heard, your needs
spoken, and your desires voiced."

For general talking points about dispensary ordinances, please visit:
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/Talkingpoints.General%20Moratorium.doc

CITY HALL - 500 CASTRO STREET
6:30 P.M.-REGULAR SESSION
*
*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
8) Wednesday, Sept. 21st: Green Cross Hearing in San Francisco*

The Green Cross has been engaged in a lengthy process with the Planning
Department of the City and County of San Francisco.

The Green Cross received notice of suspension on June 14, 2005. The
Notice states that the suspension of the building permit was requested
for "reasons including/ /(violation of operational standards imposed
under a Noticed of Special Restrictions [NSR], (2) expansion of the
medical cannabis dispensary to nearby storefront(s) without required
permits, and (3) the conduct of a use which, by its manner of operation,
is a nuisance." Planning code Section 703.2(b)(2)(B) states /"no use
shall be permitted/ /which by its manner of operation creates conditions
that are hazardous, noxious or offensive through emission of odor,
fumes, smoke cinders, dust...or excessive noise."/ On June 22, I filed
an appeal to the suspension.

A hearing to consider revoking our permit took place on July 15^th ,
lasting almost 4 hours. The turn-out for the hearing was so large that
the Zoning Administrator had to locate an over-flow room where people
could view the proceedings via TV monitors. An Appeals Hearing
scheduled for August 15th at 5:00 p.m. was postponed / continued until
September 21, 2005 at 5:00 p.m. Again, supporters turned out in record
numbers, only to be told to come back again on September 21, 2005 at
5:00 p.m.

Please come show your support at City Hall. Contact Kevin Reed for
further info: KevinReed [at] hotmail.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*9) Tuesday, Sept. 27th: Riverside County Board of Supervisors to Vote
on Extending Dispensary Moratorium *


From Lanny Swerdlow, lannyswerdlow [at] earthlink.net:


I have just learned that the Riverside Co. Board of Supervisors will
reconsider the MMJ Dispensary Moratorium on Tuesday, September 27 at
1:30 p.m. The original moratorium, which outlaws any kind of medicinal
marijuana grow, was passed on August 23 and expires in 45 days so they
will be meeting to extend it.



We are asking them to insert the language that allows home grows, coops
and collectives. In addition to growing in patient's homes, this will
also protect caregiver's growing in their homes and most
importantly protect coops and collectives which will be cultivating in a
variety of locations including rented warehouses.



We are hoping that this section will be written into the ordinance
before it is introduced for consideration on the 27^th and if it has not
been inserted, then have one of the Supervisors introduce a motion to
include it. Once again, if you can make it to the meeting and testify
that will be great. Our testimony not only shows the Supervisors that
there are people in the community that want this, but it also puts a
very human face on issue that is all too often invisible.



So if you can at all possibly make it, put Tuesday, September 27 at 1:30
at 4080 Lemon St. in Riverside on your calendar. We will be forming car
pools, so if you would like to ride with someone or can offer a ride,
give me a call at 760-799-2055 or email me back.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*10) Tuesday, September 27th: Concord City Council to Discuss Dispensary
Ban*

The Concord city council will hold a second hearing on a measure to
permanently ban medical marijuana dispensaries on September 27th at 6:30
PM. Medical marijuana supporters are urged to attend and express their
opposition.

There are currently two dispensaries in Concord, one that has been
operating for nearly a year. Please express to the council why
dispensaries are so important to meet patient needs!

For talking points against dispensary bans, go to:
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/Talkingpoints_Dispensary%20Ban.doc
(Word)
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/dispensary.ban.talking.points.pdf
(PDF)

For more information, or to get involved, please contact Joe Partansky
at 925-682-9957 or partansky [at] i680n.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*11) Friday, Sept. 30th: Meeting of LA County Medical Marijuana Task Force*

From Don Duncan:

CA Assemblyman Paul Koretz (42^nd District) and former HIV/AIDS
Commissioner Richard Eastman will convene the fourth meeting of the Los
Angeles County Medical Marijuana Task Force in West Hollywood on Friday,
September 30, 2005. The Task Force discusses issues related to medical
cannabis implementation at the state and local level. Assemblyman Koretz
will address the Task Force at 12:30 PM. The meeting takes on new
significance in light of the proliferation of new dispensing
collectives, the recent Supreme Court decision, and the California
Highway Patrol's recent policy change. Patients, caregivers, providers,
and advocates are encouraged to attend and participate. The meeting is
open to the public and refreshments will be served. The Task Force
meeting is sponsored by Americans for Safe Access and the Los Angeles
Patients and Caregivers Group.

*What:* 4^th Meeting of the LA County Medical Marijuana Task Force

*When:* Friday, September 30, 2005 * 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM

*Where:* West Hollywood Park Auditorium, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd., West
Hollywood

For a map to the Auditorium, visit:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=&searchtab=home&address=647+n+san+vicente+blvd&city=west+hollywood&state=ca&zipcode

<http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=&searchtab=home&address=647+n+san+vicente+blvd&city=west+hollywood&state=ca&zipcode>=

/For information or to RSVP, please call Don Duncan at (323) 882-6033 or
email don [at] SafeAccessNow.org <mailto:don [at] SafeAccessNow.org>

/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
/
/*12) Friday, Sept. 30th: Free Pot! ** A Patients' Rights Rally in
Support of Medical Cannabis***

4:20 - 8 PM

Civic Center Plaza
San Francisco, California

Featuring:
Fattie Eddie
BONG
Cold Pit Wash
Osti Mon and the Sound! <http://www.ostimon.com/>
Drag King Mighty Max <http://www.caravida.com/>
JR. Toots from Toots and the Maytals

Sound by A Sound Response

Sponsored by:
California Marijuana Party <http://www.camjp.org/>
Americans for Safe Access - San Francisco
HempEvolution.org <http://www.hempevolution.org/>


--
Rebecca Saltzman
Field Coordinator
Americans for Safe Access
p (510) 251-1856
f (510) 251-2036
http://www.safeaccessnow.org
rebecca at safeaccessnow.org

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