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For Immediate Release: February 26, 2009 Contact: ASA Communications Specialist Kris Hermes at (510) 325-9574 Medical Marijuana Patients React to New "American Policy" - Media conference call Thursday, February 26, 12:00 PM to feature medical marijuana dispensary operators targeted by DEA raids Washington, D.C. - Speaking at a press conference on Feb 25 with DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart, and reiterating a position made by the White House following DEA raids in California on February 4, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters that ending federal raids on medical marijuana dispensaries "is now American policy." The Attorney General's comments are the latest sign of a sea change in federal policy that prohibits the use of medical cannabis in the thirteen states that have enacted such laws. What: Media conference call in response to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder statements on ending DEA raids on medical marijuana dispensaries "now American policy" When: Thursday, February 26, 2009 @ 12:00 PM Pacific (PST) Where: Conference Call # (800) 762-6558 Who: Medical marijuana patients and dispensary operators who were targeted in DEA raids, and ASA Executive Director Steph Sherer. In response to a reporter's questions about DEA raids at medical marijuana facilities in California, Holder said, "What the President said during the campaign... is now American policy." 72 million Americans live in states where medical cannabis is legal, but federal law prohibits its use under any circumstances. More than 100 Americans are currently facing prosecution, sentencing, or serving time in prison for medical cannabis offense right now. ASA hopes the emerging change in federal policy will signal an end to prosecutions and bring those already serving time for medical cannabis offenses home to their families. "There has been a lot of collateral damage in the federal campaign against medical cannabis patients," said Steph Sherer, Executive Director of Americans for Safe Access, the nation's largest medical cannabis advocacy organization. "We need to stop the prosecutions, bring the prisoners home, and begin working to eliminate the conflict between state and federal medical marijuana laws." ASA has provided recommendations for a new national medical cannabis policy to President Obama and the 111th Congress earlier this year. Participant Bios: Steph Sherer is a medical cannabis patient who founded Americans for Safe Access (ASA), 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 in 2002. Larry Epstein operates a legal medical cannabis dispensing collective in Marina del Rey, CA, that was raided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on February 4, despite President Obama's statements on the campaign trail indicating a change in federal policy. Heather Poet operates a medical cannabis dispensing collective in Santa Barbara, CA. The DEA has pressured her landlord to evict the collective using threats of prosecution and civil asset forfeiture. Her case prompted US Representative Lois Capps (D-CA) to ask Attorney General Eric Holder to stop any and all prosecutions of property owners on February 16. Charles C. Lynch was convicted in August 2008 of operating a medical cannabis dispensing collective in Morro Bay, CA. Like all federal medical cannabis defendants, he was not allowed to present evidence about medical cannabis or the fact that he was obeying state law at his trial. He faces decades in prison at his sentencing on March 23. For more information: Policy Recommendations to President Obama: www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/PresidentialRecommendations Congresswoman Lois Capps Letter to Attorney General Eric Holder: www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/CappsLetter

The Unvarnished Truth About the Drug War From the Drug Truth Network NOTE: Our "Player" Interface Now Pauses, Moves Forward and Back :) (To downlad these 29:00 files, click on links below. To simply listen, go to www.drugtruth.net and select the arrow below the shows description.) Cultural Baggage for 02/25/09 Oaksterdam II - Founder Richard Lee, anonymous instructor, Keith Stevenson of Purple Heart Dispensary, Atty. James Anthony of LEAP, Atty. Robert Raich MP3 LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/?q=audio/download/2311/FDBCB_022509.mp3 TRANSCRIPT: TBD Century of Lies for 02/24/09 Oaksterdam I - Richard Lee, founder of Oaksterdam University, Dale Geringer of California NORML, Roger LaChance of Medical Cannabis Safety Commission, Chris Conrad, publisher and Court Qualified Marijuana Expert, Atty. James Anthony, Atty. Robert Raich & Terry Nelson with LEAP report. MP3 LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/?q=audio/download/2310/COL_022409.mp3 TRANSCRIPT: TBD PLEASE NOTE: We now have transcripts, potcasts, searchability, CMS, XML, sorts by guest name and by organization. Next - Century of Lies on Tues, Cutural Baggage on Wed, listen online at www.kpft.org: - Cultural Baggage 12:30 PM ET, 11:30 AM CT, 10:30 AM MT & 9:30 AM PT: Marijuana Dispensaries 1, 2, 3 - Century of Lies 12:30 PM ET, 11:30 AM CT, 10:30 AM MT & 9:30 AM PT: Houston Judge Michael McSpadden Hundreds of our programs are available online at www.drugtruth.net, www.audioport.org We provide the "unvarnished truth about the drug war" to scores of broadcast affiliates in the US, Canada and Now Australia!!! Programs produced at Pacifica Radio Station KPFT in Houston. www.kpft.org Check out our latest videos via www.youtube.com/fdbecker: More than 55 Drug Policy Videos online) Please become part of the solution, visit our website: www.endprohibition.org for links to the best of reform. "Prohibition is evil." - Reverend Dean Becker, Drug Truth Network Producer Dean Becker 713-849-6869 www.drugtruth.net

MPP’s ultimate goal in Nevada is to pass a statewide ballot initiative that would tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol in Nevada, thereby ending marijuana prohibition in the state. This position is an exciting opportunity to play an integral role in a groundbreaking organization that seeks to significantly and permanently reform marijuana policy. Candidates must have excellent oral and written communications skills, experience doing radio and print interviews, and an understanding of politics and public policy. The ideal applicant would have experience doing public relations for political campaigns, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and/or corporations. Applicants who have ties to the Nevada political and business community and/or are fluent in Spanish will be given priority. Professional copy-editing experience would be extremely helpful, but not required. The overarching goal of the position is to maximize the level of public support for ending marijuana prohibition in Nevada. To this end, the Communications Director is responsible for assisting in building a statewide coalition of organizations, editorial boards, and opinion leaders who endorse ending marijuana prohibition, including elected officials, physicians, business leaders, local government leaders, religious leaders, community groups, current and retired members of law enforcement, drug treatment specialists, and parents groups; aggressively pitching reporters and doing interviews to get MPP-NV’s message into the news at every opportunity; writing news releases, op-eds, and letters-to-the-editor; arranging media interviews for the MPP-NV Director; giving public speeches and engaging in public debates; and conceiving of and writing blog posts for MPP’s web site. The Communications Director reports to MPP’s State Campaigns Director, who heads up the Las Vegas office. The salary for the position is $40,000 to $50,000. The position includes full health insurance and an optional retirement package. To apply, please see http://www.mpp.org/jobs/process.html and follow the instructions there. Interviews are being conducted on a rolling basis, so interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. ABOUT MPP With 36 employees, 26,000 dues-paying members and 100,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, MPP is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP works to minimize the harm associated with marijuana - both the consumption of marijuana and the laws that are intended to prohibit its use - and believes that the greatest harm associated with marijuana is imprisonment.