A victory over the DEA and more

From Americans For Safe Access:

We are happy to announce that after months of public pressure, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has removed factually inaccurate information from its website claiming that cannabis was a gateway drug, caused irreversible cognitive decline in adults, and contributed to psychosis and lung cancer. This change comes after we filed a legal request with the Department of Justice last year demanding that the DEA immediately update and remove factually inaccurate information from their website and materials

That said, we still face major obstacles in our fight for safe and legal access to this medicine. I sent a note last week about swearing-in of former Senator Jeff Sessions as U.S. Attorney General, a strong opponent of legalizing cannabis. As the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, Jeff Sessions could cause chaos for medical patients across the country.

That’s why we need your support to help educate Jeff Sessions and other decision makers about why medical cannabis is just that – medicine. In the fifteen years since I started ASA in 2001, advocates of medical cannabis have invested greatly in this fight to move toward creating a safe federal and state environment for patients to access the medicine they need. Every year our patient advocates come to Washington D.C. for the National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference to learn about the latest in our industry and how they can help change hearts and minds about how medical cannabis is safe and essential to the health of countless patients.

Over the years, many of our patient advocates have made the difference in our efforts to educate and persuade lawmakers to support our cause. Thanks to scholarship sponsor Dr. Bronner, advocate Lisa Bean, along with fellow advocates Risa Horowitz, and Sarah Armstrong met with California Representative Julia Brownly during the 2016 Unity Conference’s lobby day on March 22, 2016. The very next day, Rep. Brownly co-sponsored the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States Act (CARERS)!

Our champions have provided real impact, in their states and with elected official in Washington D.C. We will continue to work to remove cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act and legalize its use in the United States, however it’s a long road ahead.

We need your support to accomplish this! Will you help the cause and participate in the 2017 Americans for Safe Access Unity Conference?

Sponsor a scholarship. Your scholarship will make the difference in supporting work to encourage and educate public officials about medical cannabis and holding down the front lines! Send people to learn how to become patient advocates in your states and many others! Contact unity2017@safeaccessnow.org for more information.

Attend the ASA conference and become an advocate yourself! Many attendees of ASA conferences have become leaders in passing medical cannabis laws in their home states! You will meet and learn from other business owners, patient advocates, and researchers invested in the fight. To learn more and register visit

Thanks for being a part of the ASA family and I hope to see you in Washington D.C. in April!

Best,

Steph Sherer
Executive Director, Americans for Safe Access

Safe Access Now

P.S. Check out my editorial on The Hill where I talk about the "discredited gateway theory."