In a statement signaling what may be the most important federal victory in medical cannabis policy in history, President Barack Obama vowed once again to end DEA Raids under his administration.

National HIV/AIDS and advocacy groups including the National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA) call for congressional hearings in response to a new study from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) on medical cannabis and neuropathic pain, published in Neurology. The study is the first of its kind in the U.S. in nearly 20 years to indicate the medical efficacy of cannabis.

A San Francisco patient who is attempting to get police to return his medical marijuana got a legal boost yesterday from three HIV/AIDS organizations, including the nation’s oldest, and a leading drug policy group. The organizations filed a “friend of the court” brief with the state’s Court of Appeal for the First District, arguing that state law enforcement agencies should be compelled to respect the rights of patients to possess cannabis.

Another medical marijuana patient was incarcerated in federal prison today. Stephanie Landa, 60, reported to federal authorities in San Francisco to begin a 41-month sentence for her part in growing medical cannabis as part of a patient collective there. At least another 91 Californians are facing a similar fate, as medical-marijuana related arrests and prosecutions have escalated since 2005, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled federal charges may be brought against patients and their caregivers and providers, despite state laws protecting them.

A state court today handed a critical victory to medical marijuana patients nationwide, affirming the ability of states to exempt qualified patients from criminal penalties, despite federal policy that prohibits all marijuana use. Following oral arguments by the Americans for Safe Access and others, the court rejected the bid by three counties to invalidate California's medical cannabis laws.

Last week the California Supreme Court further clarified the state’s medical cannabis laws with a ruling that makes clear there are no conflicts between the initiative passed by voters in 1996 and the law passed by the legislature in 2003.

A jury took less than a day to find a medical cannabis patient guilty of violating federal marijuana laws. Dustin Costa, 60, a prominent medical cannabis activist and former Marine, was found guilty of manufacture of marijuana, possession of marijuana for distribution, and possession of a firearm. Mr. Costa's sentencing date has not been set, but he could face in excess of 20 years in prison. Mr. Costa indicated he will appeal his conviction to the Ninth Circuit Court.

Americans for Safe Access, the national medical cannabis advocacy group, yesterday took home a third-place award for “Best New Exhibitor Booth” from the American Public Health Association.

The first federal trial of a medical marijuana patient since the high-profile 2003 conviction of author Ed Rosenthal starts in district court in Fresno tomorrow.

California’s medical marijuana patients are now protected from arrest and seizure of their marijuana, thanks to a binding agreement between Americans for Safe Access (ASA) and state officials.

Nearly two dozen federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents in full tactical gear descended on a medical cannabis dispensing collective in San Francisco and at least half a dozen other related locations today, seizing medicine and making more than a dozen arrests. It is the third such action in California in the past week.

California’s medical marijuana dispensaries are a benefit to both patients and local communities, according to a report released at a press conference in San Diego today as part of the annual League of California Cities convention.

Why medical marijuana dispensaries are good for local communities will be the focus of a press conference at noon tomorrow at the San Diego Convention Center. The press conference marks the release of a statewide report on local dispensary regulations in California, presented as part of the California League of Cities annual conference.

Medical organizations, California state legislators and disability rights organizations have all filed supporting briefs with the California Supreme Court in a landmark employment rights case involving medical marijuana. The amici curiae or ‘friend of the court’ briefs all argue that medical marijuana patients deserve civil employment protections provided by California state law.

Today the Kern County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an ordinance allowing medical cannabis dispensing collectives to operate there. The ordinance was passed as presented. Supervisors considered the measure at their June 13 meeting, but modified it to protect patient privacy after hearing the concerns of patients.

Federal agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) today raided as many as 13 San Diego-area medical marijuana dispensaries and arrested at least two of the dispensary operators.

Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved two pieces of medical marijuana legislation that will help improve safe access for patients throughout the County. The Board voted in favor of an ordinance to regulate medical cannabis dispensing collectives (dispensaries) in unincorporated LA County and voted to move forward with the state Medical Marijuana ID Card Program.

One week after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a baseless, one page press release claiming that marijuana had no medical benefits, Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) led a bipartisan group of 24 House members in calling on the agency to explain its reasoning and show scientific proof to support its view.

Emeryville, CA – James Blair, a spinal injury patient arrested on marijuana cultivation charges in 2003, received a check today from the City of Emeryville for $15,000 for marijuana seized by the Emeryville Police Department. Assisted by the patient advocacy group, Americans for Safe Access (ASA), Blair received one of the largest cash settlements to date in a case of wrongful police action in regard to medical marijuana. The City of Emeryville has now adopted a policy of not confiscating medical marijuana from qualified patients who show a valid medical marijuana identification card or doctor’s recommendation.

Palm Desert, CA – Despite assertions from federal officials that they would not be going after medical marijuana patients or small cooperatives, DEA agents, along with Riverside County Sheriff's officers, this morning raided a small medical marijuana collective cultivation outside of Palm Desert that had recently been pictured in the press, injuring a 53 year old medical marijuana patient.

Washington DC – By the request of Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the nation’s largest medical marijuana advocacy organization, Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) this week led a group of three other House lawmakers in calling for a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation of how much money the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) spent each year over the past decade to enforce federal medical marijuana laws. Joining Hinchey in the GAO request are Congressmen Ron Paul (R-TX), Sam Farr (D-CA), and (D-MA). (The request may be viewed at http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3142)

Merced activists believe the federal case of medical marijuana patient, caregiver, and activist Dustin Costa represents a dangerous turn for California's medical marijuana law, as the arrest of DC on federal charges for medical marijuana cultivation was effectively a re-arrest for what had originally been a state case. This was the third case in 2005 in which California law enforcement in the Central Valley has conspired with the DEA to deny a fair trial to a patient-caregiver who sought to operate legally in accordance with Prop. 215.

SAN DIEGO – The American Civil Liberties Union, Americans for Safe Access and the Drug Policy Alliance announced today that they would intervene in the San Diego County Board of Supervisors’ federal lawsuit against the State of California. The Supervisors’ lawsuit seeks to overturn California’s Compassionate Use Act, which permits patients to use, and doctors to recommend, medical marijuana under the explicit protection of state law. The group plans to file a motion to intervene in federal court on behalf of medical marijuana patients and their doctors by the end of the day.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Ed Rosenthal, the renowned author, activist and cultivation authority whose case focused the nation’s attention on medical cannabis, is expecting an imminent decision on his appeal arguing he never should have been convicted of three marijuana felonies. The government claims he not only deserved conviction, but also appealed his one-day, time-served sentence, and is seeking to send him to prison for a minimum of five years.

NATIONWIDE -- Over two hundred medical marijuana patients and advocates protested DEA raids on 13 medical marijuana dispensaries outside the Federal Building in San Diego today, and further protests are planned in thirteen other cities nationwide at 12 noon tomorrow, Wednesday, Dec. 14.

San Diego, California – The Drug Enforcement Administration raided at least 13 medical marijuana dispensaries today throughout San Diego, seizing patient records, computers, files, and medical marijuana. No one was arrested on suspicion of drug-dealing, officials said, though a handful were arrested on outstanding warrants that were unrelated to the use or possession of medical marijuana, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

OAKLAND – Today’s issue of Time magazine reports that new research on the medical use of marijuana is one of the most significant medical developments of 2005. This article comes just one week after the final deadline for response to a legal challenge brought by a medical marijuana advocacy group that asks the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to stop claiming there is no medical use for marijuana.

NATIONWIDE -- In the continued push to resolve the state-federal conflict over medical marijuana laws, hundreds of patients and advocates rallied today at the Washington DC headquarters of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and six regional outposts in San Francisco, Denver, Seattle, Kansas City, Philadelphia and Dallas, demanding that HHS head Michael Leavitt respond to rescheduling petitions and admit marijuana has medical use.

NATIONWIDE -- In the continued push to resolve the state-federal conflict over medical marijuana laws, patients and advocates will rally at regional outposts of federal Health and Human Services. The events will occur simultaneously in seven cities nationwide to demand that science and public health prevail when HHS makes its decision on petition requests to reschedule marijuana. Currently, ten states have laws permitting patients to legally use marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation, but these laws are at odds with the federal prohibition that categorizes marijuana as more dangerous than cocaine or amphetamines.

CALIFORNIA -- The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is unveiling new procedures for handling medical cannabis, thanks to action by Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a medical marijuana patient advocacy organization. ASA research has shown that one-quarter of all medical cannabis arrests and seizures in California have been at the hands of CHP officers, but a suit filed against them by ASA for failure to uphold state law has resulted in a fundamental change in how officers are to treat patients and caregivers.

Nationwide --- On Tuesday, July 19, medical marijuana patients, doctors and advocates will be memorializing the life of a well-known patient - activist who committed suicide by demanding Congress take immediate action to avert such tragedies.

OAKLAND – Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a medical marijuana patient advocacy group, today filed a motion for a preliminary injunction against the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The injunction seeks an accelerated decision from the court in putting an end to the CHP's policy of seizing marijuana from qualified patients. The injunction is a follow-up to ASA’s lawsuit filed against the CHP on February 15, 2005.

CALIFORNIA – In the past 6 weeks, California law enforcement agencies have participated in or spearheaded raids on medical marijuana dispensing collectives in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Sacramento. Advocates are concerned that state and local law enforcement are making a habit of ignoring the Compassionate Use Act by notifying the DEA when marijuana is implicated in a state or local investigation, thereby nullifying a medical defense in federal court. In response to local law enforcement’s failure to protect state law, activists will engage in protests in 4 California cities Tuesday, entreating local police to ‘cease and desist’ participating with federal medical cannabis dispensary raids.

California – Medical marijuana patients and supporters across the state called in protest to Governor Schwarzenegger, after learning that the California Department of Health Services (DHS) suspended implementation of the long-awaited voluntary ID program for patients and caregivers.

San Francisco -- Robert Schmidt, a medical marijuana dispensary operator, cultivator, patient, and researcher was sentenced today by Judge Stephen Breyer to 41 months in federal prison, and 3 years supervised probabtion. Mr Schmidt's dispensary in Sonoma County, named Genesis 1:29, was shut down by federal agents in a raid in September 2002. Today's sentencing was the first since the US Supreme Court decision on Gonzales vs Raich, in which the court decided that state-legal patients and caregivers could still be prosecuted under federal law.

FRESNO, CA – Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a medical marijuana patient-advocacy group, served a lawsuit today against the city of Fresno for restricting medical marijuana dispensing collectives from operating as enumerated in California law. (To read the lawsuit, go to http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=2017) The city of Fresno is one of seven localities that have passed legislation restricting the rights of qualified patients and their primary caregivers -- limiting to three the number of qualified patients and primary caregivers who can form into cooperatives.

Sacramento -- California Department of Health Services today launched a pilot medical marijuana ID card program as outlined by a law passed by the California legislature in 3 California counties Amador, Del Norte, and Mendocino. Trinity County will begin its program in a couple of weeks. A wider state roll-out of the piloted system will commence this summer on August 1.

Washington DC – A medical marijuana advocacy group filed an appeal with the Department of Health and Human Services after the agency declined their request to either correct or deny their petition seeking to dismiss government assertions that marijuana is dangerous and medically useless.

NATIONWIDE – The United States Supreme Court will render its decision in the Ashcroft v. Raich case any day. In the most-watched case before the U.S. Supreme Court this term, two California women argued that the federal government does not have the right to punish them for using the medical marijuana their doctors recommend and their state says is legal.

SACRAMENTO – In light of a recent statement by California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, medical marijuana advocates are calling on him to issue a formal legal opinion requested by numerous public officials over the years. Americans for Safe Access, a medical marijuana advocacy group, is asking Lockyer to answer the latest overdue request “to clarify the scope of permissible conduct of California officials,” made by Assemblymember Mervyn Dymally (D-CA) in June 2004 in regards to medical marijuana.

Fresno, CA - A medical marijuana advocacy group has filed suit against the city of Fresno for enacting a ban on medical marijuana dispensaries. The lead plaintiff, William McPike, is suing Fresno with Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a medical marijuana organization concerned with what they contend are the illegal permanent bans passed by Fresno and 3 other California municipalities.

OAKLAND – A medical marijuana rights group, Americans for Safe Access, is filing a group lawsuit on behalf of seven legal medical marijuana patients and caregivers against the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and Governor Schwarzenegger for the CHP policy of confiscating marijuana despite valid documentation of their legal patient status.

San Diego, California – The Drug Enforcement Administration raided at least 13 medical marijuana dispensaries today throughout San Diego, seizing patient records, computers, files, and medical marijuana. No one was arrested on suspicion of drug-dealing, officials said, though a handful were arrested on outstanding warrants that were unrelated to the use or possession of medical marijuana, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

BERKELEY -- The following is a statement on the nomination of Michael Leavitt as New Health and Human Services Secretary by Steph Sherer, executive director, Americans for Safe Access:

EMERYVILLE – James Blair, a spinal injury patient arrested on marijuana cultivation charges a year ago, marked the anniversary of the incident today by suing the City of Emeryville and the Emeryville Police Department. Assisted by the patient advocacy group, Americans for Safe Access (ASA), Blair is suing Emeryville Police Department (EPD) for damages resulting from his wrongful arrest and seizure as well as injunctive relief to force Emeryville to adopt sensible police policies with regard to medical marijuana.

In the most-watched case before the U.S. Supreme Court this term, two California women will argue Monday that the federal government does not have the right to punish them for using the medical marijuana their doctors recommend and their state says is legal. But activists are looking beyond the Court’s decision in Ashcroft vs. Raich, pushing formal petitions that would force federal agencies to recognize medical uses for marijuana and allow doctors to prescribe it.

Patients and doctors are converging today at 10:15am on the steps of Health and Human Services, demanding the government admit that marijuana has medical uses and stop blocking access.

When the government says there is no medical use for marijuana, it’s just plain wrong, according to a petition being filed Monday under the Data Quality Act, a little-known law that requires federal agencies to rely on sound science.

Federal agents descended on the foothill town of Roseville yesterday to raid one of the Sacramento area’s only licensed medical marijuana dispensaries. Local advocates are calling for noon protests Wednesday at the federal buildings in Sacramento and San Francisco.

How America’s Drug War has become an attack on our country’s most disadvantaged is the topic of two talks to be delivered by the Executive Director of Americans for Safe Access. Steph Sherer, a medical marijuana patient, noted activist, and expert on drug policy was invited to address two plenary sessions of the Boston Social Forum, a gathering of several hundred national progressives at the University of Massachusetts.

Tuesday at Noon, medical marijuana patients and local activists will be demonstrating in front of the California Highway Patrol headquarters in Oakland. They will be protesting a June 30th incident on Market Street that ended with four suspects being turned over to the federal Drug Enforcement Agency after CHP officers uncovered a marijuana-growing operation there.

At 2:00 pm today, medical marijuana protesters are gathering at a Sarasota Congressional office demanding an end to the federal government's refusal to respect state laws and the will of the people. They are denouncing Rep. Katherine Harris’ vote to continue federal arrests of medical marijuana patients.

Medical marijuana patients, their families and national advocates will be at the office of Rep. E. Clay Shaw, Jr. today at 10:00 am, protesting his vote to continue imprisoning sick and suffering Americans even in states that have laws protecting them.

At noon today medical marijuana protesters are gathering at a local Congressional office demanding an end to the federal government's refusal to respect state laws. Congress will be voting today or tomorrow on a bill to stop the federal arrest of patients in states that allow the medical use of marijuana.

The U.S. House of Representatives will be voting today or tomorrow on a bi-partisan bill to stop the federal arrest of patients in states that allow the medical use of marijuana.

The U.S. Supreme Court today announced it will take up a landmark California case that recently established a medical exception to the federal prohibition on marijuana. In December 2003, a federal appeals court in San Francisco ruled in the case of two California women and their caregivers that federal prosecutions of many medical marijuana patients and their caregivers are unconstitutional. That precedent has already affected many other medical marijuana cases.

A Chico man will be before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco this morning, arguing that his 2002 conviction for conspiring to grow medical marijuana was not only unconstitutional but based on misconduct by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Sacramento.

Since medical marijuana patient and caregiver Bryan Epis was sentenced in October 2002 to a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison, his case has become the prime example of how far – and how wrong – the federal government can go in prosecuting its war on drugs.