Dispensary operations course on Jan. 24 is postponed
Saturday, January 21st, 2012The course on medical cannabis cooperative and collective operations originally planned for January 24 in Pasadena has been postponed. I will announce a new date soon.
Protests in Sacramento and LA
Monday, October 10th, 2011Members of Americans for Safe Access (ASA) and a statewide coalition of organizations will hold a peaceful protest against the Obama Administration’s latest escalation in the attack on medical cannabis in Sacramento on Monday, November 7. Patients and advocates from all over the state should plan to promote the event and attend. Showing robust opposition to the federal crackdown, which targets providers and property owners alike, is an important element in pushing back on federal pressure. Organizers are also hosting events in cities statewide leading up to the event in Sacramento, including a protest on October 24 in Los Angeles.
ASA: Patient Advocates Accuse Obama of Hypocritical, Aggressive Policy on Medical Marijuana
Friday, October 7th, 2011Patient Advocates Accuse Obama of Hypocritical, Aggressive Policy on Medical Marijuana
Millions of taxpayer dollars spent undermining state and local medical marijuana laws
Sacramento, CA – The Obama Justice Department (DOJ) held a press conference in Sacramento today announcing an array of enforcement actions against medical marijuana producers and distributors as well as landlords throughout California. Patient advocates are calling President Obama’s enforcement effort harmful and unnecessary, representing a stark contradiction to his pledge of disengagement in medical marijuana states. The DOJ claimed it was carrying out civil and criminal enforcement actions against medical marijuana providers and sending “warning” letters to property owners leasing to dispensary operators.
Read the entire press release on the ASA website.
Excerpt from RAND Corp. report
Sunday, September 25th, 2011Medical cannabis patients and advocates are still digesting the RAND Corporation report on medical cannabis dispensing centers and crime. The report echoes research conducted by Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the nation’s leading medical cannabis patient advocacy organization, and input for Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck. Chief Beck told the city’s Planning and Land Use management Committee in 2010 that there was no evidence that medical cannabis facilities lead to crime in neighborhoods. The report briefly discusses whylocal regulation is important in the current federal climate:
Recent events promise to bolster the importance of decentralized but locally regulated medical marijuana dispensaries. U.S. Attorneys have sent letters to officials in at least ten states that have been trying to implement centrally regulated supply systems. These letters urge caution, reminding the governors and their legislatures that the federal government will “vigorously” prosecute those involved in the manufacturing and distribution of marijuana, even if they are in compliance with state law. An implication of this federal action is that small-scale privately run dispensaries, operating in the shadow of federal law, will continue to be the most viable source of medical marijuana. Our work aims to inform the debate on local approaches to regulating this market.
Download a copy of the RAND Corporation report and look for more analysis here soon.
Terminology 1 of 3
Saturday, September 24th, 2011It is especially important that our cause be taken seriously. So many Cheech and Chong stereotypes exist and the average American most likely associates cannabis, medical or otherwise, as having to do with hippies, slackers and the counterculture, or worse yet, with hard illegal drugs. That’s why it is imperative we use language carefully.
The issue of terminology is an important one that is often overlooked by dispensary operators. As a dispensary operator, you will have to communicate with a lot of people both in person and in writing. The words you use have a big impact on those who hear them. People will form opinions of you and your dispensary based on the terms in which you discuss it. You should always be aware that the words you use have connotations and associations beyond their basic meaning. You should get in the habit of using terminology that reinforces the associations that are beneficial, while avoiding terminology with undesirable baggage.
