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Yesterday was a hard day for medical marijuana advocates across the country.  We defeated several local initiatives banning dispensaries in California and Colorado and (fingers crossed) our "NotCooley" campaign provided the narrow margin necessary to ensure victory for California Attorney General-Elect Kamala Harris.  But voters rejected statewide medical marijuana initiatives in Arizona, Oregon and South Dakota, while measures to increase taxes on medicine in California won.   And of course, the US House of Representatives is now in the hands of dangerous politicians who do not share our vision of safe access.
 
We have never had so much to lose and our fight begins today!  It is more important than ever that we work together to protect the gains we've made and fight even harder for what we know is possible.  Americans for Safe Access (ASA) needs your support now more than ever.
 
The national landscape for medical marijuana has changed, but our course remains the same. Since 2006, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) has been working full time in Washington, DC to: 1) Put an end to federal interference with state medical marijuana laws, 2) End the ban on clinical research, and 3) Create a plan to guarantee safe access for the entire nation. That work is ongoing and we will not stop until all Americans have safe and legal access.
 
But we cannot do this alone. This year, I traveled all over the country to meet patients and advocates and I am deeply moved by your commitment to safe access.  Unfortunately, I am also shocked by how few of you engage regularly with your federal representatives.  If you are not meeting with them, then they are only hearing about medical cannabis from our opposition.
 
These election results mean we need to fight harder!  With your help, ASA can be ready for new challenges and bigger victories.  Together we can stand up to our opponents in Congress and prepare for 2012 and beyond.   Can you make a contribution to ASA today, so that we can keep fighting?

We must be our own liberators; no one is going to do our work for us.
  
Republican Party control of the House of Representatives may make our work more difficult, and that’s why it is more important than ever that ASA bring an educated and empowered constituency with real solutions to the table. We have to show the new Congress that patients’ voices cannot be ignored! That is the only way we will get policymakers to bridge the divide between federal and state laws regarding medical marijuana.
 
ASA will continue to work on Capitol Hill and with the Administration to improve the federal government's understanding about medical marijuana, as well as both the immediate and long term needs of our members. We may have lost several battles yesterday, but we have not lost the fight by any means. We’ve become used to working hard to defy the odds, but we need your supportright now to keep making a positive difference in the lives of patients.
 
Join the fight today and help us make that difference!
 
Steph Sherer
Executive Director

Americans for Safe Access

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Dear friends,

Over 3,392,000 voters, perhaps including you, expressed their disapproval of the current system of criminalization and their support for legalization.  They expressed hope for a safer, more rational society where a personal choice is treated as a freedom, not a crime.

The “L” word, “legalization”, has become acceptable.  You saw and heard a public debate the likes of which has never occurred in California, or in the nation.  It became respectable and normal to discuss legalization.

This time we didn’t win.  But we will. 

The local and national media coverage of Prop 19 was extensive.  And it featured and highlighted LEAP speakers, especially Joseph McNamara, Stephen Downing and Jim Gray, who appeared on television commercials, public service announcements, radio interviews, blogs, and in newspaper articles and columns.  LEAP speakers Russ Jones, Kyle Kazan, Nate Bradley and Diane Goldstein made appearances that drove the message of legalization home. 
 
LEAP was anywhere people wanted us to be--in other words, we were everywhere.  You can count on us to be present wherever legalization is up for debate.

Our presence reflected your support of Prop 19, and your support of LEAP.

We knew that win or lose, our involvement would continue.  If it won, the federal and state government would make every effort to stop, challenge and otherwise drag down its implementation. We look forward to crossing that bridge.

We are proud that Prop 19 achieved what it did with LEAP speakers’ support, and are confident that it would have achieved significantly fewer votes without us.

It just means that we have work to do between now and 2012.  And believe me, there will be an initiative in 2012.  And with your support, it will win.

Thank you again for your support of LEAP and Prop 19.  Your donation will help us continue to fight for the cause.

Sincerely,

Major Neill Franklin—Retired
Executive Director

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