Your emails to Congress are paying off! The “Truth in Trials” Act has new bi-partisan support, including backing from two members who serve on the committee with jurisdiction over HR 3939.  House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI/14) and U.S. Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY/8), Tom McClintock (R-CA/4), and Ed Pastor (D-AZ/4) have officially added their names to the growing list of co-sponsors.  The bill was introduced last week and immediately referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

“Truth in Trials” needs a lot of support in the US House of Representatives if it is to succeed. TELL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TO SUPPORT HR 3939! Your calls and emails do make a difference, so please encourage your network to take action today!

The Los Angeles City Council voted today to endorse Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 14, an ASA-sponsored resolution authored by California Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), which calls on the President and US Congress to make important changes in federal medical cannabis policies. The city’s endorsement comes just after SJR 14 was approved by the California Senate and is moving to the Assembly Committee on Health.

City Councilmembers Jose Huizar, Dennis Zine, and Janice Hahn made the motion in July, after we talked about what the city could do help finally harmonize federal law with California law. Los Angeles has more medical cannabis collectives and cooperatives than any other city in the state, and has struggled with how best to regulate safe access in the midst of the former Bush Administration’s campaign of interference and intimidation. Angelinos and their elected officials hope the regulatory process will be easier if the President and US Congress implement the recommendations in SJR 14.

Thank you, LA Councilmembers, for supporting medical cannabis patients and SJR 14!

Kudos to the Los Angeles Times for publishing an editorial today on medical marijuana that gets at the heart of the federal obstruction of meaningful research into one of the most promising therapeutic substances.

Despite a press release recently issued by Americans for Safe Access on the federal solicitation of proposals for the production and distribution of medical marijuana, and a report published in April highlighting the government’s monopoly on marijuana research, mainstream media coverage has been scant. (more…)

The mark of a stellar advocate is knowing how (and when) to seize the right moment.

Consider the following exchange between a medical marijuana advocate who attended Congresswoman Susan Davis’ Healthcare Town Hall meeting, and asked the following question:

Kudos to ASA advocate Seth Aronson for your excellent work.  Taking advantage of timing and opportunity is a lesson every advocate can learn from this video.  It is vital that advocates use the opportunities available to publicly highlight and confirm their elected officials’ positions on the issues that matter most -  in this case medical marijuana.   Keep up the great work Seth!

Many thanks, also, to Congresswoman Davis for her continued support on medical marijuana and the the courage to answer the question.

Yesterday, I had the privilege to testify before the California Senate Health Committee about SJR 14, an ASA-sponsored resolution authored by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) calling for important changes to federal medical cannabis policy. The Committee voted 7-3 to approve the resolution. This is the first step in ASA’s effort to adopt SJR 14 and send a clear message to the President and Congress at strategic moment in time.

Here are my comments to the committee:

“Good afternoon, Senator Alquist and committee members. I am Don Duncan, the California Director of Americans for Safe Access, the nation’s largest organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research.

Please support SJR 14 and help us send this message to Washington, DC. Thank you.”

SJR 14 goes next to the Senate Judiciary Committee, then on to the floor of the Senate for approval by the full body. The Assembly will also need to approve the resolution before we can make it part of our federal advocacy project in Washington, DC.

It is no accident that SJR 14 closely mirrors ASA’s National Policy Agenda, which we distributed to the President and Members of Congress after Inauguration Day. Our effort to adopt SJR 14 is part of a highly coordinated campaign to finally change federal medical cannabis law. It is very important that we have the official voice of the California Legislature while ASA works to build support for our agenda in Congress this summer.

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) recently introduced an amendment aimed at obstructing the effective implementation of state medical cannabis laws.  Fortunately, ASA helped to kill the amendment.

However, during debate on the measure, Sen. Coburn issued an open challenge to produce even a single research article to demonstrate that smoked cannabis may be effective treatment for any condition.  Apparently, Sen. Coburn hasn’t read these medical journal articles, which clearly demonstrate that smoking cannabis (even in low doses) can effectively reduce the pain associated with HIV/AIDS.

Sen. Coburn:  Ask and you shall recieve!

ASA invites our readers to take Sen. Coburn up on his challenge! Please visit www.SafeAccessNow.org/SpankCoburn to send links of this research to Senator Coburn’s office.  Or, better yet, take a minute to print out the studies and mail them directly to his office at:

The Honorable Senator Tom Coburn
172 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510.

California Senator Mark Leno (D-SF) introduced Senate Joint Resolution 14 today in support of ASA’s National Policy Agenda. If adopted, this resolution will be a major milestone in the effort to change federal  medical cannabis laws. This statement comes at a strategic moment. President Barack Obama, his administration, and leaders in Congress are trying to define the new American policy on medical cannabis right now. SJR 14 is a chance for California lawmakers to influence how that new policy will look.

SJR 14 calls on the President and US Congress to  (1) end federal raids, intimidation, and interference with state medical marijuana laws, (2) adopt policies and laws to encourage advanced clinical research trials into the therapeutic use of marijuana, (3) allow an Affirmative Defense to medical marijuana charges in federal court, and (4) develop a comprehensive federal medical marijuana policy that ensures safe and legal access for patients.

ASA members and supporters in California must let their representatives in Sacramento know we want them to adopt SJR 14 and send a message to Washington, DC. This is a great opportunity to rally our growing grassroots base and make a difference nationwide.

ASA has built an effective grassroots base to support our state and federal campaigns. This year, we will coordinate the efforts of almost 40,000 members in sixty chapters and affiliates to put a voice behind our campaign to change federal policy. ASA’s grassroots project plans for 2009 and 2010 will be defined by geographically targeted organizing and sustained national and regional coordination. SJR 14 is an important part of that strategy.

The United States is poised for a fundamental overhaul on medical cannabis policy.  Powerful political allies, with whom ASA spent years cultivating relationships, have moved to positions in the legislative and executive branches with the authority to make the decisions on which the success of ASA’s long-term strategic goals depend.  ASA’s legislative strategy is diverse and multi-faceted, with success on any one of our goals likely to have profound, domino-like policy implications.

Thank you in advance for helping us adopt SJR 14!

The tiny state of Rhode Island took a big step last week when the House of Representatives passed a bill authorizing nonprofit associations to “acquire, possess, cultivate, manufacture, deliver, transfer, transport, supply, or dispense marijuana” to legal patients. The Senate has already adopted a similar bill, and the 63 to 5 margin in the House makes the bill veto-proof. Patients and caregivers in Rhode Island may be the first to acquire medicine from 100% legal dispensing associations.

The significance of this should not be lost on lawmakers in Washington, DC – or in cities and counties in California. More than twelve years have passed since California voters approved the nation’s first statewide compassionate use law. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has raided hundreds of patients’ associations in California since then. Providers have been arrested, prosecuted, and even jailed. Despite a brief respite from DEA raids and indications of reform from the new Administration, there is still along way to go in defining the new “American policy” announced by Attorney General Eric Holder in February.

State and local representatives also have work to do. Too few of California’s cities and counties have adopted ordinances like the provisions that will soon become law in Rhode Island, despite the fact that research by Americans for Safe Access (ASA) indicates sensible regulations reduce crime and complaints around patients’ associations. Far too many jurisdictions have banned safe access altogether by prohibiting dispensing collectives and cooperatives outright. That flies in the faces of common sense and leaves legal patients at the mercy of a dangerous and unregulated illicit market. The example of Rhode Island should make it clear that regulating safe access is the path forward.

Patients and their loved ones can hope that Congress, other states, and local government follow in the trail blazed by our smallest state. Most Americans believe that cannabis is medicine. It is past time for their elected representatives to catch up and adopt the guidelines that make the voters’ will a reality for patients all over the country.

I am blogging with good news from Washington, DC.  Today, ASA helped to kill an amendment aimed at obstructing the effective implementation of duly enacted state medical cannabis laws!

Earlier this week, ASA’s National Office was notified that Sen. Coburn (R-OK) intended to add a medical marijuana amendment to S. 982, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. Frustrated by the Obama Administration’s continued pledge to not interfere with state medical marijuana laws, Sen. Coburn (R-OK) attempted to slip in legislation designed to undermine these programs.

The text of Sen. Coburn’s amendment is as follows:

SEC._. MEDICAL MARIJUANA. The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall- (1) require that State-legalized medical marijuana shall be subject to the full regulatory requirements of the Food and Drug Administration, including a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy and all other requirements and penalties of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (21 USC 301 et seq.) regarding safe and effective reviews, approval, sale, marketing, and use of pharmaceuticals; and (2) require that any State-legalized marijuana likely to be offered to, or purchase by, consumers as marijuana intended to be consumed as a cigarette or through the oral cavity will be subject to section 900 of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (as amended by section 101).”

At present, the ONLY way for medical marijuana to be properly evaluated by the FDA is for privately-funded sponsors to conduct FDA-approved clinical trials (like any other drug evaluation).   If Senator Coburn’s intentions with regard to the medical efficacy of marijuana were genuine, he would consider first removing the monopoly imposed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on licenses for the cultivation of medical-grade cannabis for research purposes. Currently, the DEA exclusively licenses the cultivation of medical-grade cannabis to the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA), which primarily investigates only the negative effects of cannabis. This monopoly obstructs any investigation and research in the U.S. into the medical properties of cannabis and thwarts the normal drug approval process.

This isn’t the first time Sen. Coburn has attempted to add this amendment to unrelated legislation. Recall, he made a similar attempt in 2007 when he tried to append the amendment to an unrelated FDA prescription drug bill.  In fact, then-Senators Obama and Clinton voted against the measure. While Sen Coburn managed to slip it in at committee level, ASA managed to get it removed during conference committee.

Today, in a 10-13 party-line vote, we managed to kill the amendment in Committee!  Senators Dodd (D-CT) and Reed (D-RI) were key opponents to the amendment.

SEND YOUR THANKS and PRAISE to the each of the following offices:

Senator Bingaman (D, NM)
Phone: (202) 224-5521
Email: senator_bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov

Senator Brown (D, OH)
Phone: (202) 224-2315
Email: http://brown.senate.gov/contact/

Senator Casey (D, PA)
Phone: (202) 224-6324
Email: http://casey.senate.gov/contact/

Senator Dodd (D, CT)
Phone: (202) 224-2823
Email: http://dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/3128

Senator Hagan (D, NC)
Phone: (202) 224-6342
Email: http://hagan.senate.gov/?p=contact

Senator Harkin (D, IA)
Phone: (202) 224-3254
Email: http://harkin.senate.gov/c/

Senator Kennedy (D, MA)
Phone: (202) 224-4543
Email: http://kennedy.senate.gov/senator/contact.cfm

Senator Merkley (D, OR)
Phone: (202) 224-3753
Email: http://merkley.senate.gov/contact/

Senator Mikulski (D, MD)
Phone: (202) 224-4654
Email: http://mikulski.senate.gov/Contact/contact.cfm

Senator Murray (D, WA)
Phone: (202) 224-2621
Email: http://murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm

Senator Reed (D, RI)
Phone: (202) 224-4642
Email: http://reed.senate.gov/contact/contact-share.cfm

Senator Sanders (I, VT)
Phone: (202) 224-5141
Email: http://sanders.senate.gov/comments/

Senator Whitehouse (D, RI)
Phone: (202) 224-2921
Email: http://whitehouse.senate.gov/contact/

On March 23, convicted Morro Bay collective operator Charles C. Lynch will be sentenced in federal court for obeying California law. If you follow medical cannabis politics in California, Charles’ story is already familiar. He opened Central Coast Compassionate Caregivers (CCCC) in Morro Bay in 2006, with the blessing of the City Council and support of the community. San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Pat Hedges objected to his facility, however, and called in the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to bust Charles in 2007. He was convicted in 2008, after the judge disallowed any testimony about medical cannabis or state law. Now, he faces up to 100 years in federal prison – despite the fact that all of his conduct was legal under state law!

This story has become all too common for medical cannabis patients and providers in California. Charles is one of approximately one hundred people waiting for trial, sentencing, or serving time for medical cannabis “crimes.” But last night, the entire nation heard a report of what is about to happen to Charles C. Lynch, when ABC aired a segment on their popular news magazine, 20/20. John Stossel explained to viewers that Charles C. Lynch is a victim caught in the crossfire of a conflict between state and federal law – something most Americans have never considered.

Charles’ story illustrates that, until federal law is harmonized with the laws of the thirteen states that have already legalized medical cannabis, doing things by the book can land you in jail. That is an important message to send to Congress, since there are early signs of a developing policy in Washington, DC, which points towards tolerating state medical cannabis programs. The new President and Congress should be mindful of Charles and the other victims when codifying that policy. In is unconscionable to leave the victims of the failed policy in jail once the Federal Government comes to its senses on medical cannabis – especially not those who scrupulously obeyed the letter and spirit of the law.

Charles C. Lynch will be sentenced at the federal courthouse in Los Angeles on Monday, March 23, at 8:30 AM in Courtroom 10. I urge everyone in the Los Angeles area who sympathizes with his position to be there in court to support Charles and his family in the difficult time. I hope you will also keep working with Americans for Safe Access (ASA) to be sure no one has to follow in Charles’ footsteps.