With some municipalities decriminalizing domestic violence in order to save money, and law enforcement directives that include do-not-respond lists to save money, ASA C0-founder Don Duncan sends letter to community-at-large.
By Don Duncan  |  Americans For Safe Access
Melinda Haag, an Obama appointee, is serving her first term as U.S. Attorney for the North District. Her previous work includes white collar crime, civil rights abuses and child exploitation. Now she endorses a system that removes children from loving homes if medical marijuana is involved. (Photo credit: AP)
As you have probably already heard, the four US Attorneys from California held a press conference on Friday in Sacramento to announce a major new crackdown on medical cannabis dispensing centers and cultivators.
They assert that all of the state’s providers and cultivators are illegal and demand that they close. President Obama’s Department of Justice (DOJ) also dusted off a cynical Bush-era tactic.
The DOJ started mailing letters last week to property owners who rent to medical cannabis tenants threatening them with prosecution and asset forfeiture. If we do not check this newest federal attack on patients’ access in California, I am certain we will see it in others states soon.
We are already talking with state and federal lawmakers about the new federal offensive. California Senator Mark Leno (D-SF) agreed to speak up on Friday, and we anticipate a comment from US Congressman Sam Farr (D-CA) this week.
ASA will begin be mobilizing our members in California and elsewhere this week to visit the district offices of each member of Congress. This is part of an effort to demonstrate widespread opposition to the crackdown, and to show elected officials that there is a safe place to stand politically when it comes to medical cannabis.
You’ll be hearing a lot more from state and federal leaders in the days and weeks to come, and we are looking into legal options. I have updated our FAQ for property owners, in hopes they will not choose to evict tenants.
This week, ASA will start a proactive media campaign to shame the Obama Administration for abandoning his more reasonable approach to the issue and intentionally widening the circle of federal victims.
We need this broad support if our one-on-one outreach to elected officials is going to be effective. If we can persuade influential lawmakers to lean on the DOJ, we can stop the federal attack before it spreads to other states – just like we did in 2007.
We need to win this fight soon. We have other important work to do.
ASA is working with the medical and scientific community to bring medical cannabis into the mainstream.
We are supporting new bills in Congress that will protect state programs from federal interference and intimidation and we are pursuing important litigation against the Department of Health and Human Services to force a change in the scheduling of cannabis under federal law.
I know cooperative and collective operators, cultivators, and industry leaders are worried. Let’s channel that energy towards fighting back!
As always, please feel free to email me at don@safeaccessnow.org to discuss.
Thanks,
Don
ASA Press Release on DOJ Announcement
