ASA California Weekly Alert: June 29, 2007

Jim Finnel

Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
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

Weekly Round-Up

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:
Ukiah Daily Journal - County per person pot plant limit still under debate


Take Action!

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.

ASA Chapter and Affiliate Meetings

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@yahoo.com .

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@earthlink.net

5. Tuesday, July 10, San Francisco: San Francisco ASA Meeting

San Francisco ID program, dispensaries being up for permit hearings, SF Planning Committee holding hearings for amendments to SF's dispensary ordinance, upcoming festivals and events. These are just a few of the many issues San Francisco ASA has been working on and we want you to be a part of it! Please come to SF ASA's next meeting.

The next ASA SF meeting will be held on Tuesday July 10th 7:30 to 9:00 at:

Bowzer's Pizza (Note the new location)
371 11th St
San Francisco , CA 94103

6. Wednesday, July 11, Willits: Mendocino ASA Meeting

Our next meeting of the Mendocino County ASA Chapter will be at Herban Legends, 18300 Old Coast Hwy, Fort Bragg, CA on July 11, Wednesday, at 6:00.

There has been a group working on the Willits dispensary ordinance. Please come to the meeting and let us know about the developments. New to the Mendocino chapter? Come and get involved in this important fight for safe access.

For more information, call Ukiah: 707-684-0107

7. Wednesday, July 11, Newport Beach: Orange County ASA Meeting ***Rescheduled***

The Orange County Board of Supervisors plan on discussing an OC ID card program on July 17th. We have rescheduled our July OC ASA meeting to plan and prepare for this hearing! Please join us in working to ensure safe access for patients! The more people we have attending this meeting and the hearing, the stronger our voice!

When: July 11th @ 7:00pm
Where: Law Offices of WENTWORTH, PAOLI & PURDY, LLP
4631 Teller Avenue, Suite 100
Newport Beach, CA 92660

For more information, contact Bill:
OCLawyer@aol.com

8. Thursday, July 12, Lakeport: Lake County ASA Meeting

Safe Access in Lake County has been under attack! Please come to our July Lakeport meeting to plan for upcoming medical cannabis events and activism.

When: Thursday, June 14th @ 6:00pm
Where: Cafe Victoria , 301 N Main St in Lakeport

For more information, contact Donna:
LakeCoASA@msn.com

City and County Hearings

9. Monday, July 9, Yucaipa: City Council to Vote Extend Moratorium on Dispensaries

Yucaipa City Council will Vote on extending the current medical cannabis dispensary temporary ban for another 10 months and 15 days. Please speak out at the hearing and explain to the council how important safe access is to you!

When: July 9th @ 6:00pm
Where: City Council Chambers, City Hall
34272 Yucaipa Blvd, Yucaipa, CA

Download ASA talking points on dispensary regulations, moratoriums and bans.

Court Support

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

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:
Superior Court - Main Street Map .

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

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

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

Special Events

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@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
 
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