ASA CA Weekly Alert 6-29-07

*Weekly Round Up*
1. Brian Epis Awaits Verdict and Mendocino County Supervisors Plan to Cut Patients'
Plant Numbers

*Take Action!
*2. Take Action for Medical Cannabis Dispensary Back Tax Relief!

*ASA Chapter and Affiliate Meetings*
3. Thursday, July 5, San Mateo: San Mateo ASA Meeting
4. Tuesday, July 10, Sacramento: Sacramento ASA Meeting ***Rescheduled***
5. Tuesday, July 10, San Francisco: San Francisco ASA Meeting
6. Wednesday, July 11, Willits: Mendocino ASA Meeting
7. Wednesday, July 11, Newport Beach: Orange County ASA Meeting ***Rescheduled***
8. Thursday, July 12, Lakeport: Lake County ASA Meeting

*City and County Hearings
*9. Monday, July 9, Yucaipa: City Council to Vote Extend Moratorium on Dispensaries*

Court Support*
10. Thursday, July 5, Sacramento: Federal Status Hearing for David Davidson*
*11. Monday, July 9, Placerville: Don Kearney State Trial Begins
12. Monday, July 9, Sacramento: Federal Pre-trial Hearing for Thunder Rector
13. Friday, July 13, Sacramento: Federal Pre-trial Hearing for Dr. Mollie Fry & Dale
Schafer

*Special Events*
14. Saturday, July 9, Nevada City: Memorial for Dr. Tod Mikuriya

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Weekly Round-Up California Logo
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*1. Brian Epis Awaits Verdict and Mendocino County to Cut Patients' Plant Numbers *

/Brian Epis Awaits Verdict

/Last Friday, medical cannabis patient and former provider, Brian Epis, had an
evidentiary hearing. This was the final hearing before his upcoming August 24th
sentencing hearing.

Bryan Epis was the first medical marijuana patient convicted in federal court after the
passage of California's Proposition 215. Epis was arrested June 25, 1997, after Butte
County sheriff's officers discovered marijuana plants growing in the basement of his home
in Chico. Epis was released on bail August 9, 2004, pending his appeal, and is currently
awaiting his re-sentencing by the District Court.

At this past evidentiary hearing, the court heard arguments over documents that allegedly
projected high profit margins in a business proposal that Epis never implemented. The
prosecution claimed at the hearing that these documents show that Epis was a commercial
marijuana grower. The resentencing hearing for Epis is scheduled for August 24, 2007 at
10:00am at the Sacramento Federal Court house on the 15th floor. Please show your
support for Brian Epis and medical cannabis and attend this hearing. For more information
on Brian Epis' most recent hearing please read Vanessa Nelson's article.



/Mendocino County Supervisors Plan to Cut Patients' Plant Numbers /

Mendocino County supervisors Mike Delbar and Jim Wattenburger, who make up the board's
criminal justice committee, have recently announced their intentions to cut patient's
number of medical cannabis plants at least in half. The two supervisors have stated
publicly that they are planning on submitting a ordinance limiting patients' plant
numbers to 12 or less, compared to the current 25 plant limit or a 100 square feet of
canopy. Wattenburg and Delbar held a public meeting on Monday, June 25, to discuss the
plant number issue. According to the Ukiah Daily Journal, only a dozen people went to the
meeting, but a large number were in support of the 25 plant limit and opposed Wattenburg
and Delbar's intentions to limit plant numbers.

Limiting the number of plants for patients to grow limits safe access to medicine.
Wattenburg and Delbar claim that patients do not need more than 12 plants. With other
medications, we let doctors decide together with their patients what treatment levels are
appropriate. In addition, differences in cultivation techniques mean some grow many small
plants indoors while others grow a few larger ones outdoors.

According to the Ukiah Daily Journal, Wattenburg and Delbar have invited three other
Mendocino County supervisors to weigh in on the debate at an August 7th meeting. To read
more about Supervisors Wattenburg and Delbar's plans to limit patients' plant numbers go
to: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_6233066?source=rss


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Take Action! Activist fist
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*2. **Take Action for Medical Cannabis Dispensary Back Tax Relief!*

On Monday, July 2, the California Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation will debate
a bill that could provide sales tax relief to some of the state's oldest medical cannabis
collectives. Take action immediately to get this important bill adopted!

Click Here to read about the sales tax
relief bill and to contact the Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation.

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ASA Chapter and Affiliate Meetings Activist *
*
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*3. **Thursday, July 5, San Mateo: San Mateo ASA Meeting

*On Thursday, July 5, we will be having our San Mateo ASA Meeting. It is very important
that all supporters of ASA and medical cannabis living in the San Mateo area come to this
particular meeting. We will be voting important lasting chapter issues.

DATE: Thursday, July 5, 2007
TIME: 7:30-8:30
PLACE: PCRC, 164 South Blvd. San Mateo, CA
Finger foods, desserts, coffee, tea, water

For more information or to get involved, please contact Brent: brent_saupe [at] yahoo.com.

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*4. Tuesday, July 10, Sacramento: Sacramento ASA Meeting ***Rescheduled****

Sacramento ASA has several events planned for the next month and wants you to be a part
of them! This month Sac ASA will be working on the Sacramento ID card program. Sac ASA
will be organizing events to promote medical cannabis awareness, such as participating in
an elected official's town hall meeting. Please join Sac ASA in the fight for safe
access!

When: July 10 @ 7:00pm
Where: Crusaders Hall
320 Harris Avenue, Suite H
Sacramento, CA

For more information or to get involved, please contact Lanette: cannacare [at] earthlink.net
on
dispensary regulations, moratoriums and bans.

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Court Support Patients Rights
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*10. Thursday, July 5, Sacramento: Federal Status Hearing for David Davidson
*
Medical marijuana patients David Davidson & Cynthia Blake were raided in 2003 by Tehama
County Sheriffs and were arrested on federal charges in January 2004. Davidson is now
facing manufacturing and conspiracy to manufacture more than 1,000 plants and is
currently incarcerated in Sacramento.
*
*Please come out and show your support for David and medical cannabis.

When: July 5th @9am before Judge Morrison England, Jr.
Where: U.S. District Court (E.D., CA), 15th Floor at 501 "I" Street in Sacramento
*
*
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*11. Monday, July 9, Placerville: Don Kearney State Trial Begins
*
On July 13, 2005, El Dorado County Sheriffs raided a 48-plus patient collective
cultivation site and arrested chronic pain and glaucoma patient and disabled U.S. veteran
Don Kearney for allegedly cultivating and possessing with intent to sell 974 plants &
28.5g of medicine. The District Attorney has refused to dismiss the case and intends to
try him. Additionally, the federal government is proceeding with asset forfeiture on
Don's house. Please come out to Don's trial to show the jury that he is part of our
community and we stand behind him.

In the past, Don Kearney's trial dates have changed at the last minute, so please be sure
to call the courthouse the day before the trial date to confirm that it is on, (530)
621-6426.

For a map to the courthouse:
http://eldocourtweb.eldoradocourt.org/maps/court_map_main.html.

When: July 9th @ 8:30am before Judge James Wagoner
Where: El Dorado County Superior Court, 2nd Floor, 495 Main Street, Placerville, CA

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*12. Monday, July 9, Fresno: Federal Pre-trial Hearing for Thunder Rector

*Modesto patient and caregiver Thunder Rector was arrested on July 18, 2005, as a result
of a raid by the Stanislaus County Sheriff earlier in July. Allegedly, the Sheriff
confiscated 49 plants and 235 pounds of marijuana and handed it over to the feds. Rector
is now being prosecuted on federal charges of conspiracy and manufacturing marijuana with
intent to distribute. Rector and his wife had been providing medical marijuana to
patients at the San Francisco Dispensary the Divinity Tree. Rector is released on bail
pending trial.

When: July 9th starting at 1:30pm before Oliver W. Wanger in U.S. District Court
Where: 2500 Tulare Street, Fresno, CA

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*13. Friday, July 13, Sacramento: Federal Pre-trial Hearing for Dr. Mollie Fry & Dale
Schafer

*El Dorado County Medical marijuana physician Mollie Fry and her husband, attorney Dale
Schafer, were arrested as a result of a September 28, 2001 raid on their clinic in Cool,
California, in which patient records were seized. After the Raich decision, on June 22,
2005, Fry and Schafer were indicted for marijuana found on the premises during the raid.
Fry is also facing a separate action by the DEA to revoke her license to practice
medicine.*

*When: July 13 at 2pm before Judge Frank C. Damrell, Jr.
Where: U.S. District Court 15th Floor at 501 "I" Street in Sacramento

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Special Events Take a closer look
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*14. Saturday, July 9, Nevada City: Memorial for Dr. Tod Mikuriya

*Dr. Tod Mikuriya was a great leader and pioneer in the medical cannabis movement. He
died in his home in Berkely on Sunday, May 20th. Dr. Tod had studied marijuana's
therapeutic potential since the 1960s and briefly directed marijuana research at the
National Institute of Mental Health. He left when he realized the government only "wanted
bad things found out about marijuana," he told the online newsmagazine AlterNet in 2004.

In 1999, Dr. Tod founded the Society of Cannabis Clinicians to educate colleagues about
the plant's medical uses. He wrote several books on cannabis and its medical properties.

Read Dr. Tod's obituary in the LA Times.

*
**A memorial celebrating the life and work of Dr Tod Mikuriya *
What: A memorial to celebrate the life and work of the good doctor
When: Saturday July 7th 10-am - Midnight
Where: Neveda City, Ca - at Pioneer Park
Why: Proceeds help fund the publication of Dr. Tod's marijuana papers

Featured Speakers and Music:

* Sean Mikuriya
* Ralston and Della Grant
* Dr. Bannister
* Wadi Gad
* Fred Gardener
* Soul medic and the Mash Unite
* Medical Marijuana MaryJane
* DJ CHristopher
* Red Locks
* Andrew Glazier
* Black Weed


Want to Speak or have general questions?
Contact: Zuma or April 530 265-6788
Email: pelicanpondstudios [at] hotmail.com

We know this is short notice but let's see what we can do as a community. Sean Mikuriya
is putting this together in honor of his father and the proceeds will help fund
publishing of the Marijuana Papers Dr. Tod was so close to finishing before his passing.
--

Sonnet Seeborg Gabbard
Field Coordinator
Americans for Safe Access
AmericansForSafeAccess.org

Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is the largest national member-based organization of
patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens promoting safe and
legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research.

Join us today... AmericansforSafeAccess.org

Headquarters
1322 Webster St Suite 402
Oakland, CA 94612
P: 510-251-1856 ext. 321 F: 510-251-2036