“Medical Cannabis Freedom Day” Expected To Draw Record Crowds
Washington, DC: Thousands of states’ rights supporters and medical marijuana activists will descend upon Sacramento, California this Monday, September 23, to show their opposition to the federal government’s prosecution of medical pot patients and providers. Sacramento’s protest is scheduled to take place at noon on the south steps of the state Capitol.
Monday’s action is in response to the federal government’s recent crackdown on California patients and medical marijuana providers. Since last September 11, federal drug enforcement officials have taken actions against more than 35 California medical marijuana patients, growers and cooperatives – including raiding a pair of northern California dispensaries this month. Under state law, the possession, use and cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes is legal in California.
In recent weeks, California Governor Gray Davis, Attorney General Bill Lockyer and several California Congressmen have called on the federal government to stop targeting seriously ill Californians. Last week, Lockyer sent a letter to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) head Asa Hutchinson and U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft “questioning the ethical basis” for the DEA’s actions.
“We are shocked that the DEA would make medical marijuana its top priority while the … country is at a high state of alert,” said Steph Sherer, executive director of Americans for Safe Access (ASA), which is overseeing Monday’s protests and coordinating free charter bus services to Sacramento for California activists.
Other reform groups participating in the “Medical Cannabis Freedom Day” events include NORML, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, MPP, and The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA).
Organizers are demanding California politicians back a resolution supporting the state’s medical marijuana law and calling on the federal government to stop targeting medi-pot users and their providers. Organizers are also demanding a federal pardon for Bryan Epis, a northern Californian medical marijuana provider facing ten years in federal prison for marijuana cultivation. Because Epis’ prosecution was in federal court, he was unable to raise any arguments pertaining to the medical use of marijuana or California state law.
Washington DC activists will hold a candlelight vigil for Epis and other drug war victims Sunday night in Lafayette Park, followed by a noon protest at the north side of the White House.
For more information on Monday’s demonstrations, please visit the Americans for Safe Access (ASA) website at: http://www.safeaccessnow.org. Free bus reservations to and from the Sacramento demonstrations may be made online at the ASA website. A summary of federal medical marijuana cases in California since September 11 is available online at: http://www.canorml.org/news/fedmmjcases.html