Dear ASA Members and Friends,
I am happy to report that Governor Jerry Brown has vetoed SB 847, a bill by Senator Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) that would have required medical cannabis cooperatives and collectives be located at least 600 feet from residential zones! The Governor’s veto comes after a groundswell of opposition from members of Americans for Safe Access (ASA) and other medical cannabis advocates. I want to say a special thank you to everyone who visited legislative offices, made phone calls, wrote letters, and sent emails. Well done!
The veto of SB 847 shows that grassroots participation makes a difference. We have some big challenges to overcome at the state and local levels, and ASA is already working on next year’s California Campaign. We have just finished a statewide tour to talk with organizers, and are launching a new effort to coordinate grassroots support for ASA’s draft state legislation. Our goals are to defend patients’ civil rights, authorize cooperatives and collectives, and finally protect medical cannabis cultivators.