• ASA ACTION: City of San Diego Sides with ASA on Patient Rights
• MONTANA: Corrections Officials Try to Block Access
• NEW MEXICO: Patient Grateful, but Still Fearful
• NEW JERSEY: Medical Marijuana Bill Languishes in Legislature
• FEDERAL: Nomination for US Attorney Bodes Ill for California
• CANADA: Crusading Patient Memorialized
• SENIORS: Aging Americans Look to Medical Marijuana
• DISPENSARIES: Operator Defends Safe Access
• CALIFORNIA: Medical Cannabis Conflict on North Coast
• ASA BLOG: Comments from ASA Staff and Guests

ASA ACTION: City of San Diego Sides with ASA on Patient Rights

When officials from three counties tried to opt out of California’s requirement that they issue medical marijuana patients ID cards, ASA’s legal team took action. ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford appeared in court on behalf of a coalition of advocacy groups to argue that state law must be respected, and won. San Diego County was alone in deciding to appeal the ruling, and now the city of San Diego has filed a brief arguing in favor of patients.

City files amicus brief for medical ID cards
by Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union Tribune
In the legal tug of war between the county and state over medical marijuana, the city of San Diego has sided with Sacramento – and voters.

County Wants Relief of Duty Providing ID Cards for Medical Marijuana Users
Fox 6 San Diego
The city of San Diego has taken the state's side against San Diego county in a battle about medical marijuana use, according to court documents.

County, City At Odds Over Medical Marijuana
NBC San Diego
The city of San Diego joined the fight in support of medicinal marijuana Friday, issuing a request to the state court to confirm that ailing patients have the right to use the drug for medicinal purposes.

MONTANA: Corrections Officials Try to Block Access

Medical care for Montanans under state supervision would be limited if corrections officials get their way. But there is substantial opposition to the plan, which would eliminate access to the state’s medical marijuana program for those on parole or probation.

Medical Pot Ban Sought for Parolees
by Mattt Gouras, Associated Press
Montana's Department of Corrections is facing stiff resistance to a proposal to prohibit all people on parole or probation from obtaining medical marijuana.

Medical Marijuana - No medicine for parolees
by Patrick Duganz , Missoula News (MT)
Convicts on parole or probation in Montana currently have the same rights as anybody else to use medical marijuana as prescribed by a physician, but the Montana Department of Corrections (DOC) wants to alter this policy because of a perception that parolees are “doctor shopping” for the legal medication.

NEW MEXICO: Patient Grateful, but Still Fearful

Federal officials routinely say they are not going after sick people who use medical marijuana, but their actions say otherwise. The federal response to New Mexico enacting a medical marijuana program was to raid the home of a paraplegic man with a handful of cannabis plants, an action that elicited an angry letter to Washington from New Mexico Governor and presidential-hopeful Bill Richardson. None of that is lost on this aging AIDS patient.

Where are they now? "Lisa," 62-year-old medical marijuana patient
Albuquerque Tribune (NM)
The only thing still keeping her together, sane and alive, she said, is that the state has given her a license to use and grow her own medical marijuana.

NEW JERSEY: Medical Marijuana Bill Languishes in Legislature

The governor has promised to sign a medical marijuana bill if it ever reaches his desk, but so far legislation has been blocked in a state senate committee, despite strong public support. This OpEd from the widow of an MS patient whose suffering was eased by medical marijuana points out that protecting patients from prosecution makes good fiscal sense.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA: Proposed bill cost-effective
by Jim Miller, OpEd, Asbury Park Press (NJ)
There is a health care proposal that a key New Jersey lawmaker refused to post for a floor vote. It's the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act. The program's cost would have been negated by the registration fees charged to participants. It would have cost the state virtually nothing. It would have saved New Jersey money in other areas. Not only is the proposed bill financially feasible, it would have eased the suffering of so many seriously ill and dying residents.

FEDERAL: Nomination for US Attorney Bodes Ill for California

The US Attorney’s office in Northern California has proven repeatedly that it is not afraid to subvert the will of the people in its district, repeatedly prosecuting medical marijuana patients and providers -- despite state law, local ordinances and overwhelming public support. The past actions of the new nominee for the post indicate he may make the conflict even more intense, if confirmed. But questions over his role in the Iran-Contra scandal make that confirmation less than a sure thing.

Drug Warrior's Shadow Looms Over California's Pot Clubs
by Steven Wishnia, AlterNet
Bush's pick for a CA prosecutor post of hardliner Joseph Russoniello signals a possible crack down on the state's multi-billion dollar pot industry.

CANADA: Crusading Patient Memorialized

As compelling as the thousands of scientific studies on medical uses of cannabis are, it is the experience of individual patients that has propelled the movement for legal access. That is no less true in Canada than the US.

Woman led fight to legalize medical marijuana
by Karen Kawawada, Waterloo Record (Canada)
In recent years, when people saw Catherine Devries of Kitchener, they saw a tiny and obviously ill woman who needed to use a wheelchair when she managed to get out of bed at all. But her family and friends don't remember the trail-blazing medical-marijuana activist as frail. Anything but.

SENIORS: Aging Americans Look to Medical Marijuana

The benefits of medical cannabis are particularly clear for older patients who frequently confront problems related to side effects and interactions between increasing numbers of prescription drugs. The broad-spectrum therapeutic potential of cannabis means that it can frequently be substituted for multiple medications, reducing ‘polypharmacy’. Unfortunately, seniors have difficulty getting good information about medical marijuana, as evidenced by this piece from Consumer Affairs, which gets a host of facts flatly wrong. (For example, there are 12 states where medical marijuana is legally available, not the “more than half” the author claims.)

The Healthy Geezer: Medical Uses of Marijuana
by Fred Cicetti, Consumer Affairs
Q. I heard that marijuana helps glaucoma. I’d like to try it, but won’t I get in trouble?

DISPENSARIES: Operator Defends Safe Access

While many would like to dismiss those who operate medical cannabis dispensing collectives as mere drug dealers, the zeal with which those operators defend their patients suggests otherwise. While dealers will do anything to avoid law enforcement, dispensary operators typically seek out local officials to work out ways to remain where they can serve their patients, or even go to court.

West Slope: Cameron Park pot shop owner won't close without a fight
by Ken Paglia, Mountain Democrat (CA)
A Cameron Park medical marijuana dealer will be appealing El Dorado County's refusal to renew his business license.

CALIFORNIA: Medical Cannabis Conflict on North Coast

The voters in Ukiah on California’s northern coast made clear in a voter initiative seven years ago that they do not want local law enforcement interfering with qualified medical marijuana patients or providers. But some in the community remain resistant, with one group leading an effort to repeal the local ordinance. The local paper has even printed a negative article based on speculative opinion as part of a series of articles on medical cannabis.

'Pot docs' issuing 'Get Out of Jail Free' cards
by Linda Williams, OpEd?, Willits News
While most think of cancer and AIDS when hearing of medical marijuana, in recent years most marijuana recommendations have been issued for far less serious illnesses by a small cadre of "pot docs." Medical marijuana recommendations seem to be evolving into Get Out of Jail Free cards rather than treatment for serious medical conditions.

Ukiahan seeks to overturn Measure G
by Mike A'Dair, Willits News (CA)
Local television producer Jimmy Rickel has taken a bold step to answer former Congressman Dan Hamburg's challenge to put Measure G up to a vote.

ASA BLOG: Comments from ASA Staff and Guests

ASA's blog is helping keep activists informed on the issues and events affecting medical marijuana patients and providers.

California Weekly Round Up
by Sonnet Seeborg Gabbard
Oakland Mayor Dellums Speaks Out for Safe Access; Court Appeals Verdict: Patient’s Conviction is Reversed; Ukiah City Council Calls for Medicine Limits- Board of Supervisors to Consider Ballot Initiative; Orange County Begins Issuing Medical Cannabis ID Carrds

MORE ABOUT AMERICANS FOR SAFE ACCESS

Find out about ASA at http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org. More medical marijuana news summaries can be seen at http://www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/News.