ASA CA Weekly Alert

**Take Action!

**Help ASA Stop the DEA Raids: Urge Congress to Pass the Hinchey Resolution!
**
ASA Chapter Meetings

**1) Sundays, May 21st, Chico: Butte County ASA Meeting - *CANCELED*
2) Saturday, May 20th, Hollywood: LA ASA Meeting
3) Saturday, May 20th, Yuba City: Yuba-Sutter ASA Meeting
4) Tuesday, May 23rd, San Francisco: SF ASA Meeting
5) Thursday, May 25th, Sacramento: Sac ASA Meeting
6) Wednesday, May 31st, Oakland: East Bay ASA Meeting!
**
City & County Hearings

**Tuesday, May 23rd, Placerville: City Council to Hold Final Hearing on
Dispensary Ordinance
**
Court Support
**
1) Monday, May 22nd, Sacramento: Court Support for Bryan Epis - *TIME
CHANGED*
2) Friday, May 26th, San Francisco: Court Support for Dispensary Raid
Defendants

*Special Events*

1) Tuesday, May 23rd, Hollywood: ASA Lobbying Training
2) Friday-Sunday, June 2-4, Marysville: Music that Matters Festival -
Benefit for ASA!
**
**
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*Take Action!*
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*
Help ASA Stop the DEA Raids: Urge Congress to Pass the Hinchey Resolution!*

At the end of June, Congress will once again be voting on the Hinchey
medical marijuana resolution. Now is the time to make your voice heard
on this issue! Each week, until the hearing, I will be issuing an action
item that you can take part in. Please participate and pass these
messages on to friends, co-workers and relatives! Please visit the ASA
website for the full action alert
<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3430> and explanation of
ASA's strategy to pass the Hinchey resolution.

/* This Week's Action Item:*/* /Meet with your congressional
representative May 29-June 2, 2006/*

Congressional representatives return to their home states for Memorial
Day recess during the week of May 29 - June 2. Please schedule a meeting
NOW to ensure an opportunity to speak directly with your representative
or a member of their staff. To contact your representative's local
office, visit the House of Representatives website
<http://www.house.gov/> and search for your representative by zip code.

/*Scheduling an appointment */- It is much easier for legislators to
arrange a meeting if they know who you are, what you wish to
discuss, and what your relationship is to the area or interests
represented by your legislator. Also, scheduling an appointment will
help gain your legislator's full and undivided attention. Simply
call your legislator's office and ask to schedule a meeting. Make
certain you identify yourself, note that the purpose of your meeting
is to discuss an upcoming vote on an amendment to the Justice
appropriations bill related to medical cannabis, and whether other
individuals, other than yourself, will be in attendance. Even if you
can't meet directly with your legislator, you can schedule an
appointment to meet with their staff person. For further information
about setting up and completing a meeting with your congressional
representative, please read ASA's guide to citizen lobbying
<http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3432>.

Please contact Rebecca at ASA to tell us that you've secured a meeting:
Rebecca [at] SafeAccessNow.org <mailto:Rebecca [at] SafeAccessNow.org> or
510-251-1856 x 308. Once you have scheduled an appointment, ASA can
provide you with materials and tips to help make your meeting a success!

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*ASA Chapter Meetings*
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**1) Sundays, May 21st, Chico: Butte County ASA Meeting - CANCELED

**The next meeting will be on Sunday, June 4th.
****
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**2) Saturday, May 20th, Hollywood: LA ASA Meeting

**Saturday, May 20th 2-4pm
Hollywood Lutheran Church
1733 N. New Hampshire Ave., Hollywood
Just N. of Hollywood Blvd. & W. of Vermont Ave.

From Amanda Brazel, ASA LA County Field Coordinator:

Join us to organize and plan for the upcoming Hinchey Amendment vote in
congress. This amendment is important to protect safe access in
California and other medical cannabis states.

It's almost Summer! Now is the time to plan how to best get the word out
about ASA and safe access in LA. Come and be a part of the fun!

LA ASA is looking to have more local chapters in the LA area. If you or
someone you know is interested in starting a chapter in your area,
contact Amanda at 310.279.7424. There are a lot of exciting projects to
work on and a chapter can have a broad or specific focus. Many
communities and neighborhoods need their own chapter. Especially with
the new LA County ordinance that has passed, safe access in LA needs
your support now more than ever. After listening to the Mothers Against
Marijuana speak at the recent Board of Supervisors meeting, it was clear
there is still a lot of public education that needs to be done. Start a
chapter today! Call anytime, I'd love to hear from you!

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**3) Saturday, May 20th, Yuba City: Yuba-Sutter ASA Meeting

**Our regular Yuba-Sutter ASA Meetings will now be held at Clark Avenue
Coffees of Yuba City. The ASA meetings will be held on the back patio
area. Plenty of parking too! (Weather permitting, the meetings may be
moved inside due to heat or cold)

Our regular, ongoing meetings will now be held on the first and third
Saturday of each month. The meetings will begin at 2:15 PM and end at
4:20 PM. The address is 101 Clark Avenue, Yuba City, CA 95991

For further information please call: 530-531-5592 or email us at:
cannabisadvocate [at] gmail.com

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**4) Tuesday, May 23rd, San Francisco: SF ASA Meeting

**It's more important than ever that San Francisco patients join
together to ensure regulations that protect patients' access, rights and
privacy. Join SF ASA to plan for the future of medical cannabis in San
Francisco.

7:00 p.m
San Francisco Woman's Building
3543 18th Street #8
Room B

For more info, call Alex: 415-794-1543

****
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**
5) Thursday, May 25th, 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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*6) Wednesday, May 31st, Oakland: East Bay ASA Meeting!*

/*East Bay Americans for Safe Access Reunites!*/

Please join us for our first meeting in more than 2 years!

We will be discussing and planning local, state, and national campaigns
to protect safe access to medical marijuana. Help us form our agenda,
and make your voice heard! Refreshments will be served.

*Wednesday, May 31st @ 7 pm*

Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative
1734 Telegraph (back entrance), Downtown Oakland
Just a couple blocks from the 19th 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!

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**City & County Hearings**
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*
Tuesday, May 23rd, Placerville: City Council to Hold Final Hearing on
Dispensary Ordinance*

From David Harde:

The Placerville City Council will meet for the second and final time,
Tuesday, May 23, at 7:00 pm at the Town Hall, 549 Main Street,
Placerville, to read for the second time, the Placerville Cannabis
Dispensary Code. The previous meeting adopted the Code at the first
reading, the council voting unanimously, 5-0. This next meeting will
formally adopt the ordinance.

Please come show your support for safe access in Placerville!

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*Court Support*
****
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****
*1) Monday, May 22nd, Sacramento: Court Support for Bryan Epis - TIME
CHANGED*

Non-evidentiary status hearing at *1:30 pm* before Judge Frank C.
Damrell, Jr. in U.S. District Court, 15th Floor at 501 "I" Street in
Sacramento. 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.

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*2) Friday, May 26th, San Francisco: Court Support for Dispensary Raid
Defendants*

Motions hearing at 11am before Judge Susan Illston in U.S. District
Court, 450 Golden Gate, San Francisco. On June 22, 2005, less than three
weeks after the Gonzales v. Raich decision, three dispensaries were shut
down in San Francisco by the DEA, with full cooperation of the San
Francisco Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies.
Twenty people were indicted on charges ranging from marijuana
cultivation to money laundering. The DEA also worked collaboratively
with media to sensationalize the raid by referring to the arrestees as
part of an "Asian Mafia." Defense attorneys are currently arguing
selective prosecution motions, and seeking discovery.

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*Special Events*
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*
1) Tuesday, May 23rd, Hollywood: ASA Lobbying Training*
*
*Amanda Brazel, ASA's LA County Field Coordinator, will be conducting a
lobby training this coming *Tuesday, May 23rd from 1-3* at *California
Patients Group* (CPG) located at *6208 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood*.
Come learn how to effectively influence politics in your local community
and on Capitol Hill. The next few years are sure to see even more
amazing advances in medical cannabis. Be a part of creating change and
advancing the health and wellbeing of our country! You must be a
verified registered patient with CPG to attend this training.
Pre-register by visiting http://www.californiapatientsgroup.org and faxing your
forms in advance.

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*
2) Friday-Sunday, June 2-4, Marysville: Music that Matters Festival -
Benefit for ASA!*

Leon Russell, Elvin Bishop, Lydia Pense + 25 bands play community
festival supporting CA NORML, Americans for Safe Access and The Dr.
Stephen Banister Legal Defense Fund; June 2-3-4th

Marysville, CA: The 4th Annual California Music That Matters Festival
held June 2-3-4th 2006, is a 3-day family music and camping festival on
the confluence of the Yuba and Feather Rivers at the Mervyns Riverfront
Pavilion in Marysville and features 28 bands, a Health Fair and
Education forum, Community Tent, Special Kids Entertainment Arena,
International Arts and Crafts Vendors, Food Vendors and special guest
speakers.

The robust 2006 Entertainment line-up headlines Leon Russell, Elvin
Bishop, Particle, guitar great Leo Nocentelli and a total of 28 bands
spanning a variety of decades and musical genres offering something for
everyone. This year's festival will also present a special midnight
showing of the highly acclaimed documentary film "AKA Tommy Chong."

Guest Speakers include California Physician Dr. Stephen Banister, Dale
Gieringer of CA NORML, Medical Marijuana Defense Attorney Zenia Gilg,
and other experts seeking to define responsible practices, policies and
legislation surrounding medical marijuana issues in California since the
voter approved Prop. 215 The Compassionate Use Act of 1996.

Proceeds from the 4th Annual California Music That Matters Festival
benefit California N.O.R.M.L. (National Organization to Reform Marijuana
Laws) Americans For Safe Access, and The Dr. Stephen Banister Legal
Defense Fund.

The California Music That Matters Festival is a volunteer driven event
dedicated to insuring a safe, friendly, family event offering music,
entertainment, kid's entertainment and education in a relaxed
environment. Media Headlines of last year's event reported "Atmosphere
Could Not Be Better".

Glass, Alcohol, and Dogs will NOT be allowed within the festival site.
Dogs will not be permitted to stay in cars or at the
campground. The beautiful Mervyn's Riverfront Pavilion is located in
Marysville California about 45 minutes north of Sacramento

Ticket: $60/3 Days Includes Camping. $30/One Day with no camping. . For
festival information and ticket outlets, visit
http://www.camusicthatmatters.org or telephone. 530/346-2763

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