Defending Patients' Rights - Important News Updates

Solano Patients Fighting for Medical Marijuana Rights
Though Solano County has been vigorously prosecuting and harassing
medical marijuana patients, the Solano Patients Group(SPG) is
responding with full-force!! Congratulations to the SPG for an
incredible article in the The Daily Republic:

The Daily Republic: STUCK IN THE MIDDLE - Medical marijuana users try
to navigate conflicting state and federal legislation - July 15, 1006

FAIRFIELD - Damon Frach couldn't find relief for his agony when he
broke his neck in a snowboarding accident about two years ago. The
spill exacerbated previous injuries in his shoulder and leg. The
Benicia resident said he suffered allergic reactions to OxyContin and
other opiate-based pain relievers. He had trouble breathing and
swelled up after taking the medications. Then Frach started using
marijuana, which soothed his aches without making him sick.

Earlier this year police searched Frach's apartment and arrested him
on suspicion of growing marijuana, Frach said. Later, a Solano County
Superior Court Judge granted Frach's motions for dismissal, according
to court records.

One of the founder of the Solano Patients Group commiserated with
Frach one recent afternoon at a downtown coffee shop. "Sounds
familiar to me," said Galen Lawton, a Fairfield businessman.

Lawton helped form Solano Patients Group nearly two years ago after
he was arrested on suspicion of growing 100 marijuana plants in his
home. Members became high profile in recent months because they spoke
at city council meetings and Solano County Board of Supervisors
meetings about medical marijuana. Members also demonstrate for
medical marijuana patients when they are attending court hearings.

The Solano Patients' Group is a branch of the Compassionate
Coalition, a nationwide medical marijuana advocate organization. The
nonprofit organization strives to defend the rights of medical
marijuana patients and care providers, members say...
Read the full article:
http://www.compassionatecoalition.org/node/3842
{http://www.compassionatecoalition.org/node/3842}

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Sacramento/National CC Meeting: July 19th
Please join The Compassionate Coalition for our next planning meeting
and information session! At this important meeting we will discuss
changes to the leadership of the coalition, including election of a
new Chairman of the Board, and moving the national meetings to Solano
County. Other agenda topics include: Patient meetings, news updates,
court support, and business items. This group meets the first and
third Wednesday of each month at 7:00PM at the River City Patient
Center, 1512 C El Camino Ave, Sacramento, CA. Note: Any patients who
wish to use their medicine at this meeting must be registered and
verified in advance by the River City Patient Center.

For information please contact Nathan Sands at
nathan [at] CompassionateCoalition.org
{mailto:nathan [at] CompassionateCoalition.org}
http://www.CompassionateCoalition.org
{http://www.CompassionateCoalition.org}

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Central Valley Patients Coalition (CVPC) Meeting: July 22nd
"Hello all, I just wanted to send out a bit of a more detailed
reminder for the meeting on July 22, at 1:00pm for the CVPC. The
location for the meeting will be held at 4213 McHenry Ave #F in
Modesto, CA 95354. We would like to go over local and current issues
at the meeting, one of the most important being the safety of our
patients, and getting one of our areas best fighters for compassion
and patients rights, our acting-President, Michael O'Leary. As our
publicist Shirley Cox mentioned in a previous email, we will also be
discussing and going over rough drafts to start a "Letters To the
Editor" campaign. The CVPC would like to encourage those that are
able, willing and that have the drive and desire to do so, to please
bring a copy of your own letter and/or some ideas to add to ours.
After the discussion and review, there will be a vote to choose which
2 or 3 "templates" to send and what papers to send them to. Shirley
will be making and sending the copies.

The CVPC will also be setting up our goals for the year, as well as
way to implement those strategies. Some of these will include
short-term goals, ie: ways to help to The Healthy Choice (THC) so
that its owners and volunteers are not wrongfully prosecuted. As well
as the long-term goals: Securing the safety of patients rights in our
area and continuing the membership and growth of the CVPC. Finally,
we will be discussing ways to ensure support for Michael and the THC
for his court date on August 15th, 2006 between 1-1:30pm at the
Modesto Superior Courthouse.

We do hope that those patients that can and are able, do make it out
to Modesto to attend our meeting on the 22nd. Best regards and wishes
to all."

Darian Burnham
CVPC Secretary
JollyD_CA [at] yahoo.com {mailto:JollyD_CA [at] yahoo.com}

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Solano Patients’ Group Meeting: July 25th
The SPG will be meeting on July 25th at 7:00 PM. Meeting location
will be at 2145 Collinsville Road in Birds Landing, CA 94512. More
info: Linda Jimenez, Secretary/Treasurer: 707-635-3752 or
linda4spg [at] CompassionateCoalition.org
{mailto:linda4spg [at] CompassionateCoalition.org} or
http://www.SolanoPatientsGroup.org {http://www.SolanoPatientsGroup.org}

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Court Support Dates for Solano County
**Rob Taylor - July 24th @ 10:00am - Dept 8 RM 207 JUSTICE CENTER -
600 Union Ave, Fairfield
**Lark Freeman - July 24th, 10am, DPT 8 RM 207, JUSTICE CENTER - 600
Union Ave, Fairfield
**Benjamins - July 31th @ 1:30pm - Dept 8 RM 207 JUSTICE CENTER - 600
Union Ave, Fairifield
**Lawtons – Sept. 1st, @ 8:30am- Dept 12 Courtroom 101 - 321 Tuolumne
Street, Vallejo

SPG is planning out being outside with signs for all the court dates
above. If anyone can come and join us in our peaceful demonstration
outside the courthouse, please call us so we maybe coordinate times
to meet. 707-635-3752

Thank You,
Linda Jimenez
Secretary/Treasurer
Solano Patients' Group

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Sacramento ASA Meeting: July 27th
The Sacramento chapter of ASA meets on the second and fourth Thursday
of each month, at 5:00 PM. Meetings are open to the public, and are
held at The Capitol Wellness Collective at 14th and X Streets in
Sacramento, CA. For more information, please call (916) 325-9000.

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AAMC Meeting: July 29th
The El Dorado County American Alliance for Medical Cannabis will meet
on Saturday July 29th from 2:15pm until 4:20pm, at the Garden Valley
Grange, 4940 Marshall Road, Garden Valley, California. Note: The
group normally meets on the fourth Saturday of each month.
http://www.ElDoradoCountyAAMC.com {http://www.ElDoradoCountyAAMC.com}

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Rev. Joseph Fortt court support: July 31st
Former dispensary owner Rev. Joseph Fortt will be in court on July
31st, at 9:00 AM, at the Fresno Federal Courthouse, 2500 Tulare, in
Fresno, California. Rev. Joe's dispensary was based on an integrated
model of holistic healing, of which medicinal cannabis was a
component. He credits this therapy with enabling him to live with
AIDS. Joe's months-long stay in the brutal Fresno County Jail has
ravaged his health; please show your support!

Thanks to Peter Keyes for providing this information and keeping us
up-to-date on the case. For more information contact Peter at:
petergkeyes [at] hotmail.com {mailto:petergkeyes [at] hotmail.com}

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Postponed: Louis Fowler in Court: August 4th
Louis Fowler's court appearance has been moved to August 4th. Thanks
to Peter Keyes for providing this information and keeping us
up-to-date on the case. For more information contact Peter at:
petergkeyes [at] hotmail.com {mailto:petergkeyes [at] hotmail.com}

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Joaquin Brand Court Support: September 8th
Joaquin Brand will appear in court on September 8th, with a 3 day
trial tentatively scheduled for September 9th to 11th. Please support
Joaquin in Department 8 at 2775 Richardson Drive in Auburn, CA; more
information to follow.

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Patrick McCartney Reveals "The Law Enforcement Conspiracy"

Pouring through government files, court transcripts and public
documents from record requests, Northern California journalist
Patrick McCartney is working to reveal "The Law Enforcement
Conspiracy" against medical marijuana in California. McCartney's
research reveals that the conspiracy to subvert Proposition 215 began
only days after voters approved the ballot measure. Much of the secret
cooperation between state and federal officials occurred in the
sprawling Eastern District, the largest of California's four federal
court districts. Its 34 largely rural counties include such
battleground locations as Solano, Fresno, Merced, Stanislaus, San
Joaquin, Sacramento, Kern, Shasta, Tehama, Placer, El Dorado and many
more.

While serving as city editor of the Auburn Journal in 2001, Patrick
McCartney was silenced from writing about the medical-marijuana issue
in Placer County. Instead of backing off, McCartney decided to
research and tell the story of why qualified medical patients were
still being arrested and prosecuted four years after voters made
their medicine legal.

Since that time, McCartney has gathered thousands of pages of
documents that spell out California law-enforcement's continuing
opposition to the Compassionate Use Act of 1996.

He and co-author Martin Lee of Sonoma County are negotiating with a
publisher for a book that will expose the conspiracy, and help to end
harassment and intimidation of medical marijuana patients. McCartney
and Lee will summarize their finding about law-enforcement's role
since 1996 for an article they are on assignment to write for The
Nation magazine on the tenth anniversary of Proposition 215 this
fall.

After five years work on the project, however, McCartney is also
running short on funding, and would appreciate any support that you
can provide at this critical time.

Please help support Patrick McCartney's continuing work by sending
your donation to: Patrick McCartney, 12116 Persimmon Terrace, Auburn,
CA 95603. McCartney can also be reached at ElPatricio [at] aol.com or (530)
823-3040.

McCartney also welcomes copies of any government document, court
transcript, arrest report or other material that would contribute to
a deeper understanding of the medical-marijuana movement in
California.

Thank you in advance for your support!

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The Compassionate Coalition is an all-volunteer, non-profit,
educational organization. We work to defend the rights of medical
marijuana patients and care providers, and your support enables our
work to continue. Please consider making a donation today:
http://www.compassionatecoalition.org/donate
{http://www.compassionatecoalition.org/donate}

Thank you for defending the rights of medical marijuana patients!

Nathan Sands
Chairman of the Board
The Compassionate Coalition
http://www.CompassionateCoalition.org
{http://www.CompassionateCoalition.org}
nathan [at] CompassionateCoalition.org
{mailto:nathan [at] CompassionateCoalition.org}

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