california unity conference & lobby day...

CALIFORNIANS TO REGULATE MEDICAL MARIJUANA

CALIFORNIAUNITY CONFERENCE

& LOBBY DAY 2012

Hosted by Americans for Safe Access

SACRAMENTO, MAY 19-21, 2012

www.RegulateMedicalMarijuana.org

For more information, see www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org or contact the ASA office at 1-888-929-4367 or 510-251-1856.

Dear Unity Conference attendees,

Welcome to Sacramento! We are thrilled to have you join us for this historic event.

In the fall of 2011, various groups across California came together to push back

on federal attacks and to unite behind a solution for safe access to medical

cannabis. This group helped to create statewide legislation, and created a

Political Action Committee called Californians to Regulate Medical Marijuana ded-

icated to passing AB 2312.

This weekend we hope to solidify our campaign to pass AB 2312 and to address

other items in the legislature. But we also want to create a plan to meet the

needs of our community as a united movement in the years to come.

Our lobby day on Monday will be the first of its kind for medical cannabis in

Sacramento. We have the opportunity to show our California representatives that

we are united and organized. The nation will be watching!

We look forward to a great weekend!

In Solidarity,

WELCOME to the CRMM 2012 Unity Conference


A very special thank you to our conference sponsors!

CONFERENCE SPONSORS


FRIDAY, MAY 18

6:30-8:30 pm Early Registration and meet up

The Cyprus Grille @ Holiday Inn 300 J StreetSacramento, CA

SATURDAY, MAY 19

Sacramento Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO2840 El Centro Rd, Suite 111Sacramento, CA 95833

8:00 am-10:00 am registration

10:00-10:15 Welcome and conferenceoverview

10:15-11:15 What it will take to have safeaccess

Medical cannabis elected champions will sharetheir perspectives from DC to Sacramento onwhat it will take to change the laws that stand inthe way of safe access and activists from SFUnited will give a presentation on what unity hasmeant for their campaign efforts in SanFrancisco.

Video addresses from Congressman DanaRohrabacher (R) Congressman Farr (D),Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D), and SenatorMark Leno (D), SF United for Safe AccessCampaign Stephanie Tucker and Tony Bowles

11:15-11:30 Break

11:30-12:15 The Future of Medical Cannabis

As our movement grows and gains more sup-port, our ability to partner with more mainstreamorganizations and allies. New medical cannabisallies will present information about their organi-zations and how they are joining our struggle.

Dan Rush UFCW, Elan Suderberg AHPA

12:15-1:00 Lunch

1:00-1:15 Navigating the Legal Landscape

Update on CA and Federal Cases From Pack v.City of Long Beach to: People v. Colvin the CAcourts are all over the map when it comes tosafe access. Get an update abut these cases aswell as an update on ASA’s Tenth Amendmentand rescheduling lawsuits.

Joseph Elford ASA chief counsel

1:15-2:30 Regional Breakouts

Join conference attendees from you local regionfor a facilitated discussion on major issuesunique to your communities

2:30-2:45 Break

2:45-4:30 State Strategies

AB 2312 and Beyond: From regional breakoutsthe group will come together and identify issuesnot addressed by AB 2312 and brainstorm onhow we can remain untied to solve these issues

Facilitated by Steph Sherer and Don Duncan

4:30-5:30 CA to Regulate Medical MarijuanaWorking Group breakouts

Getting Endorsements for Your Campaign

Facilitated by Steph Sherer and LannySwerdlow

Using Social Media to Promote yourCampaigns

Facilitated by Jonathan Bair and EugeneDavidovich

Passing City Resolutions City Outreach

Facilitated by Don Duncan

7:30-10:00 ASA 10 year Anniversary Gala

Tickets only $50 for ASA members and $75 fornon-members

Harlows, 2708 J Street, Sacramento

SCHEDULE of EVENTS


SUNDAY, MAY 20

Sacramento Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO2840 El Centro Road, Suite 111Sacramento, CA 95833

10:00-10:15 Welcome and Overview

10:15-11:30 Perspectives on AB 2312

A panel of stakeholders from the medicalcannabis movement will discuss why they sup-port AB 2312

Facilitated by Steph Sherer

Don Duncan, ASA; Kristen Nevedal, EmeraldGrowers Association; Dale GeriengerCANORML; Steve De Angelo, Harborside; YamiBolanos, Purelife Alternative Wellness Center;Northern California Patient, Sothern CaliforniaPatient and a patient cultivator.

11:15-12:15 Learning from our opposition

Facilitated by Dale Sky Jones

Nate Bradley, LEAP; Mike Madrid,GrassrootsLabs; George Mull

12:15-12:45 pm Lunch

12:45-1:30 Local fights at the ballot 2012

Hear from activists on the ground working forand against ballot measures in SacramentoCounty, Imperial Beach, Butte County, LakeCounty and Kern County

1:30-1:45 Winning Messaging:

Messengers vs Message: A brief discussion onwhat messages are best based on polling andfeedback from legislators and to explain that dif-ferent messengers can have a unified message

Facilitated by Don Duncan

1:30-3:00 Lobby training

Practice lobbying to prepare for Monday lobbyday

Facilitated by Steph Sherer

3:00-3:15 Break

3:15-4:30 Messenger break out

Break up into stakeholder groups and do roleplay exercises

4:30-5:30 Constituency meet up

Prepare for meetings on lobby day with otherconstituents that will be in meetings.

8:00 pm Candlelight vigil for medicalcannabis POWs

Federal Building 501 I Street, Sacramento

MONDAY, MAY 21

Capitol Lawn, Sacramento

10:00 am Welcome and Constituency meetup and lobby packet pick up

12:00 pm Press Conference at Capitol

1:00-5:00 pm Constituency meetings

4:00-5:30 pm drop off legislatureworksheets


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Assembleymember Tom Ammiano (D), (video)is the Chair of the Assembly Public SafetyCommittee, a member of the Assembly EducationCommittee, Health Committee and HumanServices Committee. Additionally, he is a mem-ber of the State Legislature’s LGBT Caucus and amember of the Environmental Caucus and theAssembly Coastal Caucus. He is the author of AB2312.

Jonathan Bair is a consultant specializing in sen-sitive, critical and complex public communica-tions. His experience includes working fornonprofit organizations, political candidates, andsmall and mid-sized businesses in a variety ofindustries. Passionate about environmental andprogressive causes since he joined a youth advo-cacy organization in middle school, Jonathan isPresident of the Board of Walk Oakland BikeOakland, Communications Director of the EastBay Young Democrats, and the former Chair ofthe City of Oakland Bicycle and PedestrianAdvisory Committee. A native of Oakland,Jonathan earned a B.A. in History from ReedCollege.

Yami Bolanos founded Purelife AlternativeWellness Center, which is widely regarded as amodel facility and has been featured in numerousnews reports and documentaries on medicalcannabis. She is a co-founder and President ofthe Greater Los Angeles Collective Alliance(GLACA), a trade association for local medicalcannabis facilities that promotes best practices inthe field and lobbies for better regulations.

Tony Bowles has been a medical cannabis advo-cate for over ten years. He was a plaintiff in ASA’ssuccessful lawsuit against the California HighwayPatrol. After helping pass sensible medicalcannabis dispensing regulations in San Franciscoas a ASA chapter member in 2005, he moved to

the Washington DC Metro Area, where he workedto help improve Maryland’s medical marijuanalaw, and establish Washington DC's medical mar-ijuana program. He is a currently a San FranciscoCommunity Liaison for ASA, serves as a CoreMember of the San Francisco Chapter of ASA,and is also a lead organizer of the SF Unitedcampaign, a coalition of patients, activists, dis-pensing centers, and concerned citizens whohave joined together to promote the need for safeaccess in San Francisco and fend off federal gov-ernment attempt to shut down safe access in SanFrancisco.

Nate Bradley, LEAP was a police officer from2003-2009 and a deputy sheriff. During his time inlaw enforcement he worked patrol, backgroundinvestigations, and the gang task force. Most ofhis career was spent proactively working with thelocal community to reduce crime and neighbor-hood problems. In 2010 he became a speaker forLaw Enforcement Against Prohibition and servedas a spokesman for the Yes on Prop 19 cam-paign. In 2011 Nate founded Lawmen ProtectingPatients, a non-profit advocacy organization dedi-cated to protecting the rights of medical cannabispatients. Since founding LPP, he has personallyinfluenced numerous pieces of legislation at theCA State Capitol. Nate also runs a strategic con-sulting company and is a licensed private investi-gator.

Eugene Davidovich brings a wealth of experi-ence and wisdom to serving patients. Eugenegrew up in San Diego and served in the UnitedStates Navy aboard the USS John S. McCainwith deployments to the Persian Gulf, Yokosuka,Japan, and numerous other campaigns. Afterbecoming a medical cannabis patient, he helpedstart a dispensing collective in San Diego in 2008.The next year, as part of Operation Green Rx,Eugene was falsely arrested, his home was raid-

SPEAKER BIOS

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ed, and he was charged with four felonies.Eugene mounted a successful campaign, and ina jury trial, was found not guilty on all charges.As the San Diego Chapter Coordinator and Chairof the local chapter board Eugene has been verysuccessful in growing this group of patients into alarge and potent political force. Eugene alsoserves on the Board of Directors of Canvass for aCause a San Diego.

Steve DeAngelo, Executive Director ofHarborside Health Center, in Oakland is acannabis industry leader, movement strategistand lifelong activist. Steve writes and speakswidely on the subject of cannabis, and his cre-ation of the world’s model medical cannabis dis-pensary has been extensively covered in nationaland international news media. His past accom-plishments include organizing I- 59, WashingtonD.C.’s medical cannabis initiative; Hemp Tour;and Ecolution, Inc. A Summa Cum Laude gradu-ate of the University of Maryland, Steve is afounding, charter member of ASA (Americans forSafe Access); on the board of the EmeraldGrowers Association and the star of theDiscovery Channel mini series, “Weed Wars”which is currently rolling out internationally.

Don Duncan is a founding member of the Boardof Directors and California Director of Americansfor Safe Access (ASA), the nation’s leading med-ical cannabis patients’ advocacy organization. Heis a twelve-year veteran of the medical cannabisfield, having opened dispensaries in Berkeley,West Hollywood, Los Angeles, and Palm Springs.He is a leading consultant in the field.

Joseph Elford is chief counsel for ASA. Aftergraduating from Yale Law School in 1996, Joeserved as a law clerk for the Honorable VaughnWalker of the United States District Court for theNorthern District of California before working incriminal defense. In 2003, after assisting in allfacets of the highly publicized prosecution ofEdward Rosenthal and, later, his appeal, Joejoined ASA as the organization's attorney. In addi-

tion to compelling the California Highway Patrolrevise its policy regarding the seizure of medicalmarijuana from qualified patients through a civilaction in 2005, Joe has served as counsel forGary Ross in his challenge to the indiscriminatefiring of medical marijuana patients by privateemployers, which is pending before the CaliforniaSupreme Court. Joe has also trained publicdefenders throughout the state how to defendmedical marijuana patients.

Congressman Sam Farr (D) (video) is the U.S.Representative for California's 17th congressionaldistrict, serving since 1993, Farr serves on thepowerful House Appropriations Committee, whichoversees the distribution of the federal budget.Farr is the Ranking Member of the AppropriationsSubcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Developmentand Food and Drug Administration, as well as sitson the Subcommittee on Military Constructionand Veterans Affairs. Rep. Farr co-chairs theCongressional Organic Caucus, CongressionalTravel & Tourism Caucus, Defense CommunitiesCaucus, House Oceans Caucus,and Unexploded Ordnance Caucus

Dale Gieringer has been the state director ofCalifornia NORML since 1987. In this capacity hehas spoken with thousands of medical marijuanausers and is the author of "Marijuana MedicalHandbook." He is Vice-Chairman of the nationalNORML board of directors. He is also director ofthe California Drug Policy Forum (DPFCA) andtreasurer of the Oakland Civil Liberties Alliance(OCLA). He has published research on the eco-nomic benefits of legalization, medical marijuanausage, the history of marijuana and drug prohibi-tion, potency testing, marijuana and driving safe-ty, and drug urinalysis. He sponsoredpath-breaking R&D on vaporizers as a smoke-free delivery system for cannabis. He has testi-fied before the legislature, local governments, andcourts on issues related to marijuana. He wasone of the original co-authors of California's med-ical marijuana initiative, Prop. 215, the proponentof Oakland’s Measure Z cannabis initiative in


2004. a sponsor of California's pathbreakinglegalization bill, AB 390, and a consultant onnumerous other cannabis reform campaigns.

Dale Sky Jones is based in Oakland, CA and isfocused on enhancing the debate for cannabispolicy reform throughout the country. She isdeveloping cannabis education courses andteaching for Oaksterdam University to help sup-port sustainable growth with quality training forthe cannabis industry. Important initial stepsinclude establishing the political climate that willencourage cannabis policy reform. After therecent retirement of the founder, Richard Lee,Dale has taken over as President and CEO totake the school to the next level. Dale is servingon the Steering committee for the Unity Coalition,is on the board of directors for the NationalCannabis Industry Association and the MedicalCannabis Association. She is the Chairwoman ofthe Board for the Coalition for Cannabis PolicyReform, previously Spokeswoman for the Prop 19Campaign in California.

Senator Mark Leno (D), (video), was elected tothe State Senate in 2008, representing California’s3rd Senate District encompassing all of MarinCounty, and parts of Sonoma and San FranciscoCounties. Senator Leno chairs the Senate Budgetand Fiscal Review Committee.

Mike Madrid, Grassrootslabs has been changingthe outcomes of political campaigns throughoutthe country for over 15 years. His active involve-ment in local, state, and federal races has helpedhim to develop a keen insight into the successfulcharacteristics of winning campaigns. He is anationally recognized expert on Latino votingtrends. The completion of his thesis atGeorgetown University in Washington DC onLatino voters became the basis for his pioneeringwork on Latino communications and outreachstrategies in California, Texas, Florida and nation-wide. He has served as the press secretary forthe California Assembly Republican leader and asthe political director for the California Republican

Party.

George Mull is a fifth-generation Californianpracticing law in Sacramento. Since 2010, he hasserved as the President of the CaliforniaCannabis Association, a trade group made up ofnot-for-profit organizations providing access tomedical cannabis to qualified patients in the state.He received a Juris Doctor with Distinction fromUniversity of the Pacific, McGeorge School ofLaw. As an attorney, George has counseleddozens of collectives as to formation and opera-tional issues, and has successfully defendedthem in court and administrative actions. He hasalso been instrumental in the formation of a med-ical cannabis testing lab and edibles manufactur-ers. George has worked closely with otherchampions of patient’s rights and continues to beinvolved in the development of legislation at thestate and federal levels.

Kristin Nevedal is the Chair of the EmeraldGrowers Association. Kristin moved to HumboldtCounty in 1996 to attend the Heartwood Institute.In 2001 she became a residential faculty memberin the Asian Healing Arts Program. In addition toher background in healing work, Kristin is an avidgardener with several years of experience work-ing in the nursery industry in Humboldt County.Kristin was a founding member of the HumboldtGrowers Association in the spring of 2010, thenjoined the Board of MendoGrown in the fall of2011 and is now Chair of the new regionallyfocused Emerald Growers Association. In theseroles, she has focused on regulatory policy andbest-practices cultivation standards that promotea healthy, sustainable and environmentally friendlymedical cannabis industry.

Alison Sterling Nichols is the Executive Director,Emerald Growers Association. Alison has spentover 20 years working in environmental activism,habitat conservation and endangered speciesprotection. She moved to Humboldt County 18years ago to attend graduate school at HumboldtState University in Natural Resources

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Management. In 2006, frustrated with the politicalstate of the nation, she shifted her environmentalfocus to politics and was the campaign managerfor the Humboldt County District Attorney’s suc-cessful re-election campaign. She is dedicated topromoting the region’s high-quality medicalcannabis while working to ensure the local biolog-ical resources and natural beauty of the regionflourish.

Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R) (video) iscurrently serving his 12th term in Congress, DanaRohrabacher represents California's scenic 46thDistrict. Congressman Rohrabacher servesas Chairman of the Investigations and OversightSubcommittee of the House Committeeon Foreign Affairs and is a senior member on theHouse Committee on Science.

Dan Rush is the National Director for the MedicalCannabis and Hemp Division of the United Foodand Commercial Workers International Union(UFCW). A native of Oakland California, Mr. Rushis a medical cannabis industry pioneer andauthority. Dan is the spokesperson for the 2012California Medical Marijuana Regulation, Controland Taxation Act (CMMRCTA) and the board sec-retary of the Coalition for Cannabis Policy Reform(CCPR).

Steph Sherer is a medical cannabis patient andthe founder and Executive Director of Americansfor Safe Access. She has worked with communitydevelopment, education, social justice, humanrights, peace, social change, labor and youth pro-grams. She is a powerful advocate, a skilledspokesperson, and an energetic initiator of cam-paigns. Steph is a nationally recognized activist inthe global justice movement and is a guest lectur-er at University California, Berkeley and GeorgeWashington University, DC.

Elan Suderberg, American Herbal ProductsAssociation (AHPA) and CEO of AlkemistsLaboratories, holds a degree in Chemistry fromCalifornia State University Long Beach and hasauthored numerous journal articles on phyto-

chemistry and analytical techniques for the natu-ral products and nutraceutical industry. At the ageof 18 Élan began to study botanical microscopyand is now the instructor for the American HerbalProducts Association (AHPA) Seminar onMicroscopic Identification of Popular BotanicalMaterials. He is a board member of AHPA’sEducation and Research on BotanicalsFoundation and is the chair of the Hemp andMedical Marijuana committee. He also serves asa technical advisor for the American HerbalPharmacopeia.

Lanny Swerdlow, RN LNC is a member of theBoard of Directors and Founder of the InlandEmpire Patients Health and Wellness Center inRiverside - a unique medical marijuana collectivethat operates a farmer’s market as part of itsmedicinal marijuana distribution system. This isthe collective whose case is now before theCalifornia Supreme Court that will decide if it islegal for cities to ban the operation of collectivesunder their zoning laws

Stephanie Tucker is the co–founder of the SanFrancisco United Coalition and is the electedspokesperson for the San Francisco MedicalCannabis Task Force/ MCTF. She is a native SanFranciscan and comes to the medical cannabiscommunity with over 15 years of experience as apolitical and grassroots organizer in the Bay Area.Working with success on a wide range of socialjustice and civil rights issues from renters’ rightsto immigration, from protecting music and culturalevents to safe access to medical cannabis.Tucker also founded the San Francisco Late NightCoalition/SFLNC a political Action Committeededicated to protecting and preserving music andart culture in San Francisco. The SFLNC is alsoresponsible for creating the San FranciscoEntertainment Commission, which is still in exis-tence today.

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Join ASA to help pass

AB 2312regulatemedicalmariju

ana

.org

I SUPPORT

AB2312

AmericansForSafeAccess.org

Better for you, better for the planet.

10AM – 8PM 10AM – 8PM

Browse the full menu on our new mobile app.NEW HOURS: 10AM – 8PM EVERYDAY Harborside retail boutique

NOW OPENIN OAKLAND!

Showcasing the versatility of cannabis with the finest artisanal accessories.

Nurtured by soil, sun, atmosphere and season, buds grown in a natural environment express an endless range of distinctly fresh and clean flavors. As legal changes have allowed more planting in the full sun, the quality and potency of sun-grown cannabis has risen dramatically. And it’s better for the planet. With 8% of California's electricity being used for indoor cannabis, every

purchase of sun-grown medicine will contribute to huge energy savings. Come to Harborside for the very best selection of top-quality, sun-grown cannabis.

C A L I F O R N I A

NOTHING COMPARES to well-grown, well-cured, sun-grown cannabis.

S U N G R O W N

A Tradition of Social and Community Care

www.mybpg.com

BPG proudly supports

and AB 2312

UFCW Local 770 Supports Assembly Bill 2312

Ricardo F. Icaza, President

www.ufcw770.org

John M. Grant, Secretary- Treasurer

Sensible Statewide Regulations for Medical Marijuana

Safe Access for Patients

Good Jobs and Revenue for California

One Uniform Code for Law Enforcement to Respect

Thank you for attending the Unity Conference 2012

More Resources to help you with your advocacy:

Raid Response Campaign: AmericansForSafeAccess.org/RaidResponse

Activist Training Center: AmericansForSafeAccess.org/TrainingCenter

Federal Advocacy Project: AmericansForSafeAccess.org/FederalAdvocacy

California Campaign for Safe Access: AmericansForSafeAccess.org/CaliforniaCampaign

Think Tank & Policy Shop: AmericansForSafeAccess.org/PolicyShop

ASA Forums: AmericansForSafeAccess.org/punbb

ASA Blog: AmericansForSafeAccess.org/blog

Like us on FaceBook: www.facebook.com/safeaccessnow

Follow us on Twitter @safeaccess

california unity conference & lobby day...

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