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Medical Marijuana Patients Petition Pelosi

by Shona Gochenaur
Medical marijuana patients present Nancy Pelosi a petition with signatures from thousands of San Francisco voters asking the representative to help end the federal governments assault on medical cannabis clubs on Wednesday, May 2nd at 12noon in front of the Federal Building, 450 Golden Gate Avenue.
For Immediate Release:

SF Medical Cannabis Patients Petition Pelosi

San Francisco, CA - May 1, 2012. The Patient Advocacy Committee of the San Francisco Medical Cannabis Task Force has gathered thousands of signatures from San Francisco voters to deliver to Congressional Representative Nancy Pelosi in reaction to recent closures of local medical cannabis cooperatives and the five additional cooperatives slated to close their doors mid-May. Patient advocates are hopefull that Nancy Pelosi will help end the assault on medical cannabis cooperatives, because of her long history of support for medical cannabis and HIV/AIDS issues. Patient advocates are requesting that Representative Pelosi prevent the destruction of San Francisco’s Regulatory Program that serves thousands of patients with safe and legal medical cannabis.

A Democratic Party resolution, spearheaded by Gabriel Haaland, supports the rights of cannabis patient by callling on ALL Democratic leadership, including President Obama, Representative Pelosi, and Attorney General Eric Holder to protect safe access and not circumvent state law with the Department of Justice resources. http://www.scribd.com/doc/91783023/Resolution-of-the-San-Francisco-Democratic-Party

The Harvey Milk Democratic Club also voted unanimously to co-sponsor the patient advocates’ petition to Pelosi. “The Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club calls on representative Pelosi and all elected officials to protect our medical cannabis clubs and ensure access to medical cannabis for marginalized, low income patients and demand a stop to the harrassment by federal agents,” Glenn Hyde, president of the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club.

The San Francisco Health Department, which oversees the city’s medical cannabis program, is on public record stating that “no complaints” have been filed from the host neighborhoods of established and city permitted co-ops. Despite the fact of there being no complaints from the community, US Attorney Melinda Haag continues to seek closures of co-operatives, even those who have improved the safety of their neighborhood. “I’ve worked hard to improve our neighborhood and don’t want to be punished for making it safe for children to walk down our streets,” said Cathy Smith, founder of Hope.Net co-operative whose landlord was a recipient of a letter from the US Attorney.

Supervisor David Campos has voiced concern for the civil rights and safety of the city’s disabled patients. “San Francisco has a regulatory system with neighborhood input and government oversight. It is misquided and wrong that US Attorney Melinda Haag would choose to target a well-implemented system and force disabled patients into a criminal arena for legal medicine.”

Who: The Patient Advocacy Committee of the San Francisco Medical Cannabis Task Force and The Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club .
When: 12:00 Noon, May 2, 2012.
Where: The Federal Building, 450 Golden Gate, San Francisco
What: Media event with speakers as local disabled patients turn in thousands of signatures to Democratic leader Rep. Pelosi ‘s office requesting her leadership to prevent more closures of medical cannabis cooperatives in mid-May by the US Attorney Melinda Haag.

Contact for more information:
Email: Emergencymmjinsf [at] gmail.com
Phone: 415 240 5247

If you would like to sign the petition to Nancy Pelosi electronically, visit the link below.
http://www.change.org/petitions/representative-nancy-pelosi-oppose-the-raids-against-medical-cannabis-facilities

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by Shona Gochenaur
Please note: there has been a change in TIME and LOCATION (below is the newest press release).

For Immediate Release

For more information contact:
Emergencymmjinsf [at] gmail.com
(415) 240-5247

San Francisco Medical Cannabis Patients Petition Congressional Representative Nancy PelosiAdvocates Deliver Thousands Of Signatures To San Francisco Federal Building at 12:30 p.m.,Wednesday, May 2, 2012, Urging a Halt to the Federal Crackdown

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – May 1, 2012. The Patient Advocacy Committee of the San FranciscoMedical Cannabis Task Force has gathered thousands of signatures from San Francisco votersurging Congressional Representative Nancy Pelosi help end the federal assault on medical cannabis cooperatives. Patient advocates will deliver several thousand signatures to the Congressional Representative’s office at the San Francisco Federal Building, 90 7th Street, SanFrancisco, CA 94103, 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 2, 2012, in response to the recent closures of regulated medical cannabis collectives and the five additional collectives slated to close their doors mid-May due to federal action.

“Thousand of Pelosi’s constituents are being affected by this federal attack including our veteransand HIV/AIDS patients and many others. She has the authority to help stop this assault on thepatients and the will of the voters and these signatures are urging her to do so,” states Shona Gochenaur, member of the Patient Advocacy Committee of the San Francisco Medical Cannabis Task Force, a committee largely made up of low-income and disabled medical cannabis patients.

San Francisco Board of Supervisor David Campos has voiced concern for the civil rights and safety of the city’s disabled patients. “San Francisco has a regulatory system with neighborhoodinput and government oversight. It is misguided and wrong that US Attorney Melinda Haag wouldchoose to target a well-implemented system and force disabled patients into a criminal arena for legal medicine.”

The San Francisco Health Department, which oversees the city’s medical cannabis program, ison public record stating that “no complaints” have been filed from the host neighborhoods ofestablished and city permitted medical cannabis collectives. However, US Attorney Melinda Haagcontinues to seek closures of collectives based on “neighborhood complaints.”

“I’ve worked hard to improve our neighborhood,” states Cathy Smith, founder of Hope.Net, a citypermitted medical cannabis collective whose landlord is threatened with asset forfeiture by US Attorneys. “I don’t want to be punished for making it safe for children to walk down our streets.”

A recently passed San Francisco Democratic Party resolution, spearheaded by Gabriel Haaland,protects medical cannabis patients by calling on ALL Democratic leadership, including PresidentObama, Representative Pelosi, and Attorney General Eric Holder to protect safe access and notcircumvent California State law with the US Department of Justice resources. http://www.scribd.com/doc/91783023/Resolution-of-the-San-Francisco-Democratic-Party

The Harvey Milk LBGT Democratic Club also voted unanimously to co-sponsor the patient advocates’ petition to Representative Pelosi. “The Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club calls onrepresentative Pelosi and all elected officials to protect our medical cannabis clubs and ensureaccess to medical cannabis for marginalized, low income patients and demand a stop to theharassm
ent by federal agents,” states Glenn Hyde, President of the Harvey Milk LGBTDemocratic Club.

Patient Advocacy Network supports the petition states Degé Coutee, president of the charitable civil rights education and medical cannabis patient advocacy organization based in Los Angeles. “If US Attorneys aren’t stopped IN San Francisco, they aren’t going to stop WITH San Francisco. Representative Pelosi is in such a strong position to help alter the direction of this issue locally and nationally.”

Sponsors: The Patient Advocacy Committee of the San Francisco Medical Cannabis Task Forceand The Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club. Co-sponsors: Axis of Love SF, Patient Advocacy Network.

For more information contact:Emergencymmjinsf [at] gmail.com
(415) 240-5247

Link to petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/representative-nancy-pelosi-oppose-the-raids-against-medical-cannabis-facilities

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by Zach Rosenberg
Apparently, Nancy Pelosi still has a soft spot in her heart for medical marijuana! We quoted you in our original article, the follow-up link is below. Thanks!
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