ASA CA Weekly Alert

*1) January 21st, San Diego: "The War on Drugs 101"
2) January 24th, San Diego: Protest San Diego's Attempt to Overturn Prop
215!
3) January 24th, San Jose: Santa Clara County to Vote on Implementing
MMJ ID Card Program
4) January 24th, San Francisco: SF ASA Meeting
5) January 26th, San Francisco: Court Support for Eddy Lepp
**6) January 26th, Sacramento: Sac ASA Meeting
7) January 27th, Sacramento: Court Support for Louis Fowler
8) January 30th, Fresno: Court Support for Dustin Costa
**9) Reminder: ASA is Seeking Submissions for Medical Marijuana Film
Festival
10) Action Alert: Butte, Calaveras, Lake & Tuolumne Counties to Vote on
Implementing MMJ ID Card Program
*
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*1) Saturday, January 21st, San Diego: "The War on Drugs 101"*
*
*What is the war on drugs? Who wages it? Who is the enemy? Who are the
casualties? Is drug use a moral issue? What is our obligation to users
and abusers of drugs? Join Alliance executive director Ethan Nadelmann
and community leaders in San Diego to explore these questions, and ask
your own, at "The War on Drugs 101". This free event will be a great
primer to the war on drugs, as well as an excellent opportunity to
broaden your knowledge of the drug policy reform movement--on issues
ranging from medical cannabis to student drug testing to mandatory
minimum sentencing.

*When: *Saturday from 9:00am-12:00pm*
Location:* St. Paul's Cathedral, 2728 6th Avenue, San Diego, CA [Map It
<http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=2728+6th+Avenue,+San+Diego,+CA&btnG=Search>]
*Contact:* To RSVP or for more information, contact Margaret Dooley at
(858) 336-3685 or mdooley [at] drugpolicy.org .

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*2) Tuesday, January 24th, San Diego: Protest San Diego's Attempt to
Overturn Prop 215!

*The San Diego County Board of Supervisors sued the state today in an
attempt to overturn Prop 215! They did so even after a poll revealed
that 78% of San Diego voters did NOT want the county to sue to overturn
California's medical marijuana law.

Please join patients and advocates to protest outside the county
building at *8:30 a.m.* to catch the supervisors as they arrive at their
board meeting. Then testify at the Board of Supervisors meeting at *9:00
a.m. *

Speak out against this deliberate defiance of public sentiment and their
attempt to take away patients' rights!

8:30 a.m. - Protest Outside of County Building
1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego - Meet on North side of the building

9:00 a.m. - Testify at the Board of Supervisors Meeting
Board of Supervisors North Chamber
1600 Pacific Highway, Room 310, San Diego

Dion from San Diego ASA will be passing out talking points.

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*3) Tuesday, January 24th, San Jose: Santa Clara County to Vote on
Implementing MMJ ID Card Program

*From Aaron Smith:

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors will be voting on whether or
not to implement the state mandated Medical Marijuana ID card program
this coming Tuesday, the 24th. I am told that as long as the program is
approved, the county will start issuing cards March 1st at a $60 fee for
patients and caregivers ($30 for Medical beneficiaries).

Please come to show your support for medical marijuana patients and the
voluntary ID card program! For more information on the state program,
click here: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?list=type&type=214

January 24th - 9:30am
County Government Center, East Wing
70 West Hedding Street
San Jose, CA 95110

Meeting agenda: http://tinyurl.com/7d8hu

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*
**4) Tuesday, January 24th, San Francisco: SF ASA Meeting
*
ASA-SF Meeting
Tuesday, January 24th @ 7pm
223-A 9th St @ Howard, San Francisco

Come to the 2nd ASA-SF Meeting of 2006 Kick off the new year right, by
helping us fulfill our new years resolution to create safe access for
all patients in need of medicinal marijuana.

For more info contact: Tony 415-283-7404

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*5) Thursday, January 26th, San Francisco: Court Support for Eddy Lepp

*Trial at 2:30pm before Judge Marilyn Hall Patel in Courtroom 15 on the
18^th floor of U.S. District Court, 450 Golden Gate, San Francisco.
Lepp, a caregiver for hundreds of patients, operated a medical marijuana
farm in Lake County, CA. He was arrested on August 18, 2004 in a DEA
raid on his farm, and charged with cultivation. Lepp was then
re-arrested February 16, 2005 and charged with distribution of
marijuana, conspiracy to distribute marijuana, and maintaining a
premises for the purpose of cultivating marijuana.

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*6) Thursday, January 26th, Sacramento: Sac ASA Meeting

*Sacramento ASA has begun meeting again and they're busy strategizing on
ways to effect local, state and national policies.

The Sacramento medical marijuana community was once extremely active
with Americans for Safe Access. Sac ASA met regularly, organized a huge
rally for Bryan Epis at the Capitol, and did all they could to protect
patients' rights.

Patients and advocates in the Sacramento area are coming together again
to reinvigorate ASA. Please join them at their bi-weekly meetings:

Thursday @ 6:00 p.m.
Capitol Wellness Collective
2400 14th Street, Sacramento

Patients and non-patients are welcome. This is a great opportunity to
get involved with ASA and to work on both local and national campaigns.

For more information, please call 916-325-9000.

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*7) Friday, January 27th, Sacramento: Court Support for Louis Fowler

*Status hearing at 10:00am before Judge Edward Garcia in U.S. District
Court at 501 "I" Street in Sacramento. The DEA and Sheriff conducted a
raid on Sacramento County dispensary operator Louis Fowler, 51, on July
8, 2005. In addition to the raid on the Alternative Specialties
dispensary, allegedly as a result of operating without a business
license, two other locations were raided the DEA and Sheriff where two
indoor gardens allegedly with more than 800 plants were found. Fowler
was charged federally with manufacture of marijuana and illegal
possession of weapons. Fowler is currently incarcerated in Fresno.

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*
**8) Monday, January 30th, Fresno: Court Support for Dustin Costa

*Status hearing at 9:00am before Judge Anthony W. Ishii in U.S. District
Court, 1130 "O" Street, Fresno, CA. Medical marijuana patient and
caregiver Dustin Costa (a.k.a. "DC Greenhouse"), 58, who is president of
the Merced Patients Group, was being prosecuted on state charges
stemming from a March 2004 cultivation arrest by Merced County Sheriffs,
when the state decided to turn his case over to the U.S. Attorney for
federal prosecution. After being re-arrested by federal agents on August
10, 2005, Costa is facing federal charges of cultivation, possession
with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm. Costa is
currently incarcerated in Fresno.
*
*
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*
9) Reminder: ASA is Seeking Submissions for Medical Marijuana Film Festival

*
Two years ago, ASA hosted the Medical Marijuana Film Festival in
Oakland. It was a big success, with Martin O' Brien winning the
'People's Choice Award' for his documentary /Regarding Medical Marijuana./

ASA is hosting the 2nd Medical Marijuana Film Festival at the Parkway
Speakeasy Theater in downtown Oakland during Medical Marijuana Week 2006
(Thursday, February 16th @ 9:15), and we need your submissions! Winners
will be chosen. Prizes given! The only rules are that films must be
original, focused on medical marijuana, and no more than fifteen minutes
long (feel free to submit a portion of your film).

Please pass this message on to all the videographers, filmmakers, and
documentarians you know with a possible submission, and ask them to
contact Rebecca at rebecca [at] safeaccessnow.org for more information.

*Submission Instructions:*

Please send films in DVD format to:

Rebecca Saltzman
Americans for Safe Access
1322 Webster Street Ste. 208
Oakland, CA 94612

Submissions must be received by Monday, January 23rd, but we encourage
you to send them as soon as possible.

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*10) Action Alert: Butte, Calaveras, Lake & Tuolumne Counties to Vote on
Implementing MMJ ID Card Program*

From Aaron Smith:

Dear friends-

I am pleased to announce that several counties are preparing to vote on
the implementation of the state mandated Medical Marijuana ID Card
(MMIC) program this month. Although this program is required by state
law, some local officials are still reluctant to comply. For this
reason, it is imperative that those of us in the medical marijuana
community voice our support for this important program.

If you live in one of the four counties listed at the end of this
message, please take a few minutes to email and/or call your county
representative to express your support for the Medical Marijuana ID card
program. If you do not know who your county supervisor is, use the
district map link, provided below.

It's also important that we fill the board chambers with patients and
advocates backing the program. Please be prepared to attend your
county's Board of Supervisors' meeting to speak on behalf of the ID card
program. Specific information on the hearing dates is unavailable at
this point, however I am tracking each county's agenda and will alert
you as soon as any hearing dates are announced. If you are interested in
speaking at your county's board meeting please contact me at
fa_smith [at] yahoo.com <mailto:fa_smith [at] yahoo.com> or (707) 291-0076.

Here are some talking points that can be used when addressing your
county supervisor on the ID card issue:


* The Medical Marijuana ID Card is mandated by law. Voters approved
the /Compassionate Use Act/ (Prop. 215) in 1996 because they felt
that seriously ill patients should not be arrested for using
marijuana as medicine. In order to further advance the will of the
voters and secure patients from arrest, the state legislature
enacted SB 420 which requires counties to administer a voluntary
statewide ID card program for patients and caregivers. Refer to
California Attorney General's opinion, published last July:
http://www.aaronsmith.org/ag_opinion_mmic.pdf
* An ID card program will greatly assist law-enforcement and
dispensary operators in distinguishing patients with legitimate
medical marijuana recommendations from those who are using false
or counterfeit documentation.
* The ID card, while voluntary will be widely used because it firmly
protects patients and caregivers from arrest. This is not only in
step with the will of California voters, but frees up our law
enforcement from pursuing cases they cannot prosecute and allows
them to focus on genuine criminal activity.
* A viable ID card program will be revenue-neutral because the
county is allowed to set its own fees to recoup the start-up and
operating costs. It is even possible for the county to make a
modest profit; for example, the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program
was able to realize a $986,000 budget surplus after two years of
operation.

Counties set to vote on Medical Marijuana ID program within the next few
weeks:

**Butte County**
Supervisorial district map:
http://www.buttecounty.net/cob/Supervisorial%20districts%202002.pdf

Contact information for supervisors:
District 1: Supervisor Bill Connelly
Phone: (530) 538-6834
Email: BConnelly [at] buttecounty.net <mailto:BConnelly [at] buttecounty.net>

District 2: Supervisor Jane Dolan
Phone: (530) 891-2830
Email: JDolan [at] buttecounty.net <mailto:JDolan [at] buttecounty.net>

District 3: Supervisor Mary Anne Houx
Phone: (530) 891-2800
Email: MAHoux [at] buttecounty.net <mailto:MAHoux [at] buttecounty.net>

District 4: Supervisor Curt Josiassen
Phone: (530) 882-4447
Email: CJosiassen [at] buttecounty.net <mailto:CJosiassen [at] buttecounty.net>

District 5: Supervisor Kim Yamaguchi
Phone: (530) 872-6303
Email: KYamaguchi [at] buttecounty.net <mailto:KYamaguchi [at] buttecounty.net>


**Calaveras County* *
Supervisorial district map:
http://www.co.calaveras.ca.us/districts.asp

Contact information for supervisors:
District 1: Supervisor Bill Claudino
Email: bclaudino [at] co.calaveras.ca.us <mailto:bclaudino [at] co.calaveras.ca.us>
Phone: (209)-754-6370
FAX: (209)-754-6733

District 2: Supervisor Steve Wilensky
Email: swilensky [at] co.calaveras.ca.us <mailto:swilensky [at] co.calaveras.ca.us>
Phone: (209)-754-6370
FAX: (209)-754-6733

District 3: Supervisor Merita Callaway
Email: mcallaway [at] co.calaveras.ca.us <mailto:mcallaway [at] co.calaveras.ca.us>
Phone: (209)-754-6370
FAX: (209)-754-6733

District 4: Supervisor Tom Tryon
Email: ttryon [at] co.calaveras.ca.us <mailto:ttryon [at] co.calaveras.ca.us>
Phone: (209)-754-6370
FAX: (209)-754-6733

District 5: Supervisor Victoria A Erickson
Email: verickson [at] co.calaveras.ca.us <mailto:verickson [at] co.calaveras.ca.us>
Phone: (209)-754-6370
FAX: (209)-754-6733

**Lake County* *
Supervisorial district map:
http://www.co.lake.ca.us/bos.asp

Contact information for supervisors:**
* *
District 1: Supervisor Ed Robey
Email: ed_r [at] co.lake.ca.us <mailto:ed_r [at] co.lake.ca.us>
Phone: (707) 263-2368

District 2: Supervisor Jeff Smith
Email: jeff_s [at] co.lake.ca.us <mailto:jeff_s [at] co.lake.ca.us>
Phone: (707) 263-2368

District 3: Supervisor Gary Lewis
Email: garyl [at] co.lake.ca.us <mailto:garyl [at] co.lake.ca.us>
Phone: (707) 263-2368

District 4: Supervisor Anthony Farrington
Email: anthonyf [at] co.lake.ca.us <mailto:anthonyf [at] co.lake.ca.us>
Phone: (707) 263-2368

District 5: Supervisor Rob Brown
Email: rbrown [at] co.lake.ca.us <mailto:rbrown [at] co.lake.ca.us>
Phone: (707) 263-2368

* *Tuolumne County* *
Supervisorial district map:
http://portal.co.tuolumne.ca.us/psp/ps/TUP_SUPERVISORS/ENTP/h/?tab=TUP_BOS_MAP_TAB


Contact information for supervisors:
District 1: Supervisor Liz Bass
Email: lbass [at] co.tuolumne.ca.us <mailto:lbass [at] co.tuolumne.ca.us>
Phone: (209) 533-5521
FAX: (209) 533-6549

District 2: Supervisor Paolo Maffei
Email: pmaffei [at] co.tuolumne.ca.us <mailto:pmaffei [at] co.tuolumne.ca.us>
Phone: (209) 533-5521
FAX: (209) 533-6549

District 3: Vacant - Contact Paolo Maffei (Board Chair)
Email: pmaffei [at] co.tuolumne.ca.us <mailto:pmaffei [at] co.tuolumne.ca.us>
Phone: (209) 533-5521
FAX: (209) 533-6549

District 4: Supervisor Mark Thornton
Email: mthornton [at] co.tuolumne.ca.us <mailto:mthornton [at] co.tuolumne.ca.us>
Phone: (209) 533-5521
FAX: (209) 533-6549

District 5: Supervisor Richard "Dick" Pland
Email: rpland [at] co.tuolumne.ca.us <mailto:rpland [at] co.tuolumne.ca.us>
Phone: (209) 533-5521
FAX: (209) 533-6549

Please send a copy of any email messages to me so that I can gauge the
impact we have in each county.

F. Aaron Smith
fa_smith [at] yahoo.com <mailto:fa_smith [at] yahoo.com>

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