ASA CA Weekly Alert

*Weekly Roundup*

1) Stephanie Landa Turns Herself In & State Announces Medical Marijuana
ID Card Fee Increase
*
**ASA Chapter Meetings*

2) Saturday, January 6th, Modesto: Central Valley Patients Coalition Meeting
3) Tuesday, January 9th, San Diego: SD ASA Meeting
4) Tuesday, January 9th, San Francisco: SF ASA Meeting
5) Thursday, January 11th, Sacramento: Sac ASA Meeting
6) Wednesday, January 17th, Oakland: East Bay ASA Meeting
7) Wednesday, January 17th, Newport Beach: South Orange County ASA Meeting
8) Thursday, January 18th, Fullerton: North Orange County ASA Meeting
9) Thursday, January 18th, Guerneville: Sonoma ASA Meeting
10) Saturday, January 20th, Hollywood: Los Angeles ASA Meeting

*City & County Hearings
*
11) Thursday, January 11th, Palm Desert: Patient Advocates to Urge City
Council to Regulate, Not Ban Local Dispensary
12) Tuesday, January 16th, Martinez: Contra Costa County Supervisors to
Vote on Closing Dispensaries

*Court Support*

13) Tuesday, January 16th, Fresno: California Healthcare Collective
Status Hearing

*Special Events*

*14) Fri-Sun, January 12th-14th, Burbank: Implementation = Victory:
Preparing for the Next Ten Years,
ASA Statewide Conference
*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Weekly Roundup*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
1) Stephanie Landa Turns Herself In & State Announces Medical Marijuana
ID Card Fee Increase*
/
//Stephanie Landa Reports for Federal Prison; Dozens of Patients &
Elected Officials See Her Off/

Another medical marijuana patient was incarcerated in federal prison
yesterday. Stephanie Landa, 60, reported to federal authorities in San
Francisco to begin a 41-month sentence for her part in growing medical
cannabis as part of a patient collective there. At least another 91
Californians are facing a similar fate, as medical-marijuana related
arrests and prosecutions have escalated since 2005, when the U.S.
Supreme Court ruled federal charges may be brought against patients and
their caregivers and providers, despite state laws protecting them.

Axis of Love and the Patient Advocacy Network organized a press
conference outside of the San Francisco federal building, where dozens
of patients and advocates gathered to show support for Landa. Several
elected officials, including Supervisors Tom Ammiano and Chris Daly
spoke out about the injustice of Landa's fate and argued that the SF
Police Department should have never turned the case over to the feds.
Before Landa turned herself in, supporters pinned flowers to her jacket
and hugged her goodbye.



Landa's case drew attention because San Francisco police turned her and
two others over to federal prosecutors. The three had met with the
city's district attorney and police officials before beginning
cultivation. Landa and her co-defendants -- Tom Kikuchi, her partner,
and Kevin Gage, a noted Hollywood actor, -- accepted a plea agreement in
2003 when the federal prosecutor threatened them with charges that, in
Landa's case, could have meant life in prison. Unlike California state
law, federal law does not allow for a medical defense in the case of
patients who use it on their doctor's recommendation. Landa begins her
sentence now because the judge allowed her to care for her and Kikuchi's
child while he served his sentence.


/State Department of Health Services Announces Major Fee Increase for
Medical Marijuana ID Cards/

From Dale Gieringer:

The Dept of Health Services has announced a major fee hike for the state
medical marijuana ID cards, from $13 to $142. This is the state's share;
counties charge an additional fee. The increase is needed to cover the
cost of the program, which has been running at a major deficit.

Applications for the state card have been running far behind
expectations. So far only 5,631 cards have been issued. Estimates of
the actual number of Prop 215 patients run from 150,000 to 350,000. Only
23 of the state's 58 counties currently offer ID cards. Officials are
hopeful that enrollment will take off once the San Diego lawsuit is
settled and other, large counties come aboard, such as Los Angeles.
However, the fee increase is likely to have the effect of discouraging
new applicants.

Several groups, including ASA and Safe Access Now are exploring ways to
halt this fee increase or at least make the Health Department aware of
how problematic this increase will be for patients. We will keep you
updated on any progress that is made or actions you can take.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
*ASA Chapter Meetings*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
**2) Saturday, January 6th, Modesto: Central Valley Patients Coalition
Meeting*

Please join central valley patients and supporters to help plan and
strategize for the defense of patients rights in Stanislaus County,
Merced County, and beyond! Agenda items will include: The recent raid in
Modesto, court support, letters to the editor, safe access, and more.
The CVPC meets on the first Saturday of each month, at 9:00 AM. New
Location: These meetings will now be held at 1009 Bingham Dr., Modesto,
CA, 95350. For additional information, contact Shirley Cox, Public
Relations Officer for the Central Valley Patients Coalition:
shirley [at] CompassionateCoalition.org

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

*3) Tuesday, January 9th, San Diego: SD ASA Meeting*

Our San Diego chapter of ASA has been busy lately and needs you to get
involved. It is time to get involved and protect
safe access!

For more info about the chapter, please visit their site:
http://sdasa.4mg.com/index.html

Twiggs Coffee House
4590 Park Blvd.
In the Green Room
7:00-8:00 p.m.

Call (619) 723-6572 for more info.

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

*4) Tuesday, January 9th, San Francisco: SF ASA Meeting*

7:00 p.m. - Location TBA

Tony Bowles
ASA-SF Chapter Contact: 415-283-7404

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

*5) Thursday, January 11th, Sacramento: Sac ASA Meeting*

Thursday @ 6:00 p.m.
!Pura Vida! (next to the Capitol Wellness Collective)
2400 14th Street, Sacramento

The Sacramento ASA chapter will be planning for the ASA state conference
and the Pill Bottle Dump on January 22nd. All 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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
6) Wednesday, January 17th, Oakland: East Bay ASA Meeting*

Join East Bay ASA to continue strategic planning started at the state
conference and to make political art for future medical cannabis actions.

Please join us and make your voice heard! Refreshments will be served.

* Wednesday, January 17th @ 7 pm*

Cannabis Action Network Office
1605 Ashby @ California, in Berkeley
Just a couple blocks from the Ashby Street BART station!

For more information or to get involved, contact Rebecca:
Rebecca [at] SafeAccessNow.org or 510-251-1856 x 308

Please spread the word and pass this on to your East Bay neighbors!

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

*7) Wednesday, January 17th, Newport Beach: South Orange County ASA Meeting*

The Orange County Dept of Health has been dragging its feet in the
process of issuing the SB 420 ID Card Program. Now that the Courts have
given hesitant counties the guidance they need, we need to make our
voices heard!

The Orange County Chapter of Americans for Safe Access will meet
Wednesday 1/17 from 7-9 PM. The meeting will be at 4631 Teller Avenue,
Suite 100, Newport Beach, CA 92660.

We will be discussing:

-The Orange County SB 420 ID Card
-A response to the DEA recent actions
-Recent developments in multiple Federal Prosecutions

Again that is:

OC ASA Meeting
Wed, January 17th from 7-9 PM
Law Offices of WENTWORTH, PAOLI & PURDY, LLP
4631 Teller Avenue, Suite 100
Newport Beach, CA 92660

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

*8) Thursday, January 18th, Fullerton: North Orange County ASA Meeting*

Please come to discuss local law enforcement problems and campaigns to
address this and other issues!

7:00 p.m. @ 1520 W Commonwealth Ave, in Fullerton
For more info, please call Adam: (949) 246-9395 or email
adamwithasa [at] gmail.com

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

*9) Thursday, January 18th, Guerneville: Sonoma ASA Meeting*

When: Thursday at 7:30pm
Where: Marvin's Gardens 15025 River Road (towards Guerneville)

Please join Sonoma's chapter of American's for Safe Access. Patients,
supporters, caregivers and friends are
welcome to come share their opinions on what should happen locally,
statewide, and nationally. More info 707-332-6556

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

*10) Saturday, January 20th, Hollywood: Los Angeles ASA Meeting*

1pm - 3pm @ California Patients Group
6208 Santa Monica Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90038

For more info, please call LA ASA: (323) 464-7719

------------------------------------------------------------------------
*City & County Hearings
*
------------------------------------------------------------------------

*11) Thursday, January 11th, Palm Desert: Patient Advocates to Urge City
Council to Regulate, Not Ban Local Dispensary*

From Ryan Michaels:

Palm Desert City Council's attorneys - none other than Best, Best &
Krieger - sent a letter to Cannahelp of Palm Desert advising that they
should cease and desist operations immediately. The decision came after
the council received a report regarding Cannahelp from local law
enforcement. It appears that the dispute is in regard to Cannahelp
providing safe access to patients without County issued State ID cards
in accordance with the Compassionate Use Act and SB 420.

The City of Palm Desert is still without regulation for the operation of
Medicinal Cannabis Collectives and Cooperatives even after over a year
of "investigation & study" on the impact and appropriate location and
operation of these facilities. It is high time that the City of Palm
Desert hear from the public with regards to this issue, their continued
attempts to negotiate the state of public health and safety disregard
the needs of patients in this community.

Several of us will be in attendance at the next Palm Desert Planning
Department meeting on January 9th at 12:00 pm to inquire as to the most
recent developments with the creation and implementation of regulation
for such facilities, more importantly we will be in attendance at the
next City Council meeting on January 11th at 4:00 pm to demand action
from the City Council. It is time that the city of Palm Desert move
forward with implementing regulations for these facilities, please join
us in taking a stand for safe access.

When: Thursday January 11, 2006 @ 4:00 pm
Where: 73-510 Fred Waring Drive
Palm Desert, CA 92260

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

*12) Tuesday, January 16th, Martinez: Contra Costa County Supervisors to
Vote on Closing Dispensaries*

WHO: Patients and supporters in Pacheco and surround
WHAT: Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors to Vote on Closing Local
Dispensaries
WHEN: Tuesday, December 12th 1:00pm
WHERE: 651 Pine St. 1st floor room 106 Martinez CA 94553 (925) 335-1900
WHY: Contra Costa County officials have been openly hostile to medical
cannabis dispensaries. The county first passed a moratorium on April
11th of this year. At that time, only a handful of patients showed up to
speak against it.An anti-medical marijuana Pacheco resident is pushing
the Board to close the dispensing collective in Pacheco, which is
bringing this up before the board once again. If the Board votes to
"enforce zoning violations," which really means that Contra Costa has
denied legitimacy to safe access and has not allowed for zoning or
permitting, the county's 2 existing collectives would be effectively
shut down, and thousands of patients would suffer. This is a crucial
hearing for safe access in the East Bay!

Please come show support for our fellow patients and safe access for in
all cities and counties in California!

------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Court Support*
------------------------------------------------------------------------

*13) Tuesday, January 16th, Fresno: California Healthcare Collective
Status Hearing*

Status hearing at 9am before Judge Anthony W. Ishii at the U.S. District
Court, 2500 Tulare Street, Fresno, CA
<http://207.41.18.73/caed/staticOther/page_717.htm>. After the City of
Modesto failed to shut down the California Healthcare Collective by
banning dispensaries, the DEA was called in. On September 27, 2006, the
collective was raided and four people were arrested (two operators and
two staff) on charges of distribution of marijuana and conspiracy to
distribute. The two operators were also charged with possession of
firearms and money laundering. Later, an additional five people were
indicted, bringing the total to nine people being prosecuted by the
federal government. In the raid, the DEA allegedly seized more than 100
pounds of marijuana, one thousand plants, multiple firearms, and more
than $200,000 in cash. The raids were the result of a 15-month
investigation between the DEA and the Modesto Police Department. All
defendants have been released on bail pending trial.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Special Events*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
14) Fri-Sun, January 12th-14th, Burbank: Implementation = Victory:
Preparing for the Next Ten Years,
ASA
Statewide Conference
*
*Register Now for ASA's CA Conference*
*/Register Online for a Free Chance to Win a Volcano Vaporizer!
/*
ASA's state conference, *"Implementation = Victory: Preparing for the
Next 10 Years,"* <http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3784> is now
just a week away. It will be held on *January 12th-14th in Burbank, CA*
and basic registration
<http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3831#individual> costs only $50.

Many patients and activists throughout the state have already registered
online. We know many more plan to attend but have not registered yet -
*Have you registered yet?* If you are considering attending the
conference, now is the time to register
<http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3831#individual>. As an added
incentive, if you register online
<http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3831#individual> for the
conference by Thursday, January 11th, you will receive a *free raffle
ticket for a chance to win a Volcano vaporizer* at the conference. The
raffle will be held on the afternoon of Sunday, January 14th.

What makes this conference unique is the participatory aspect. This will
not be your run-of-the-mill, panel based conference. Every aspect of the
agenda <http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3948> is intended to
make the most of the skills and resources you already have, while
providing you direct, one-on-one support of some of the brightest minds
in medical marijuana advocacy from ASA staff, chapters, allies and
friends. During the conference, attendees will be splitting into their
respective regions to strategize for the future implementation of
California medical cannabis law and to build skills together. We need
YOU to attend to represent your region and make sure your local concerns
are heard and incorporated into a statewide plan for safe access.

We are hopeful as we enter this new year that we will continue to
advance safe access for medical cannabis patients in California and
nationwide, but we need your help to accomplish this. Please join us on
*January 12th-14th in Burbank* to develop the tools we need to secure
safe access and to craft a plan to push medical cannabis to the next level.

Please visit ASA's conference web page to register now
<http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3831#individual> and enter to
win a Volcano vaporizer. You can also view the conference agenda
<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3948> and find out more
information on buses and housing
<http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3908>. Feel free to contact
Alex at ASA for further info: CAConference [at] SafeAccessNow.org or (510)
251-1856 x 321.

--
Rebecca Saltzman
Field Coordinator
Americans for Safe Access
p (510) 251-1856 x 308
f (510) 251-2036
http://www.safeaccessnow.org