Protest Will Take Place In 9 Cities, 6 States
Coordinated day of action calls attention to unprecedented attack on medical marijuana community
Medical marijuana activists are planning to protest the Obama Administration’s attack on medical marijuana states this Thursday, February 16, by staging protests in nine cities and six states.
Rallies are planned to take place at an Obama fundraiser in San Francisco, as well as at the president’s campaign headquarters in Sacramento (CA) and San Diego (CA), and at federal buildings in several cities, including Trenton (NJ), Phoenix (AZ), Seattle (WA), Eugene (OR), and Portland (ME).
The rallies are an attempt to draw attention to Obama’s failure at keeping his promise not to “circumvent” state medical marijuana laws and to highlight the unprecedented attack on patients and their providers across the country. During Obama’s tenure in office, his Justice Department has conducted nearly 200 SWAT-style raids on legitimate dispensaries and growers, resulting in more than 60 federal indictments, costing the taxpayers tens of millions of dollars at a time of fiscal crisis.
The Obama Administration has also employed numerous federal agencies, including the DEA, FBI, ATF, VA, and IRS to shut down access to medical marijuana, and cut off services for, or otherwise discriminate against, literally hundreds of thousands of patients across the country.
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| Americans for Safe Access |
| Steph Sherer, ASA: “The literal and figurative assault on medical marijuana patients currently underway by the Obama Administration is unprecedented in this country’s history” |
”President Obama’s most widespread and cynical attack so far has been direct threats from more than a dozen of his U.S. Attorneys against elected officials in at least 10 medical marijuana states,” said Steph Sherer, executive director of
Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a medical marijuana advocacy group which is organizing Thursday’s protests.
“The literal and figurative assault on medical marijuana patients currently underway by the Obama Administration is unprecedented in this country’s history, despite hollow proclamations to the contrary,” continued Sherer. “The intensity and breadth of the attacks has far surpassed anything we saw under the Bush Administration and has resulted in the roll-back of numerous local and state laws.”
The latest attack came just this week from the U.S. Attorney for Delaware, whose threats have suspended that state’s medical marijuana program.
Patient advocates are calling on Obama to end his attacks on the medical marijuana community and begin to address this issue from a public health standpoint. In addition to keeping his pledge of deprioritizing enforcement, advocates are encouraging Obama to reschedule marijuana for medical use.
ASA is currently litigating the rescheduling issue in the D.C. Circuit and has also filed a separate lawsuit challenging the Obama Administration’s violation of the Tenth Amendment by derailing state medical marijuana laws.
More Information
The medical cannabis community is under attack by Obama’s Administration. Join medical cannabis rallies across the country in celebration of Medical Marijuana Week to stand up for our right to safe access!
San Francisco, California Rally
Date: February 16, 2012
Time: 5:30pPT-7:30pPT
Meeting on the NE Corner of California Street and Taylor at Huntington Park
Sacramento, California
Date: February 16, 2012
Time: 12:00pmPT
Address: 501 I Street, Sacramento, CA.
San Diego, California
Date: February 16, 2012
Time: 12:00pPT
Address: 940 Front Street, San Diego, California
Corona del Mar, California
Date: February, 16 2012
Time: 6:30aPT-8:30aPT
Address: 5 Crowns Restaurant, 3801 E. Coastal Highway, Corona del Mar, CA
Trenton, New Jersey Rally
Date: February 16, 2012
Time: 11:00aET
Address: Federal Building, 402 E. State St., Trenton, NJ, 08608
Phoenix, Arizona Rally
Date: February 16, 2012
Time: 12:00pMT
Address: Federal Building, 203 North First Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85003
Eugene, Oregon Rally
Date: February 16, 2012
Time: 12:00pPT
Address: Federal Building, 405 East Avenue, Eugene, Oregon
Portland, Maine Rally
Date: February 16, 2012
Time: 12:00pET
Address: Federal Building, 156 Federal Street, Portland, Maine
Seattle, Washington Rally
Date: February 16, 2012
Time: 12:00pPT
Address: Federal Building, 915 2nd Ave., Seattle, WA 98101
Meet at 2nd Ave. and Madison at 11:45.
