General

RALLY FOR RESCHEDULING MARIJUANA AS MEDICINE

Tuesday, 05 October 2004
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Organizer: Americans for Safe Access

STOP THE FEDERAL WAR ON PATIENTS FOREVER
PATIENTS CONVERGE TO DEMAND RESCHEDULING
MEDICAL MARIJUANA: HEALTHCARE, NOT POLITICS

WHAT IS IT? This rally of medical marijuana patients, allies, and medical associations will affirm that marijuana DOES have accepted medical use, and to recommend its immediate rescheduling! Its time that HHS accepts that Our Health is in Their Hands, and does their job.

WHY HHS? To ensure safe access for ALL patients, marijuana must be rescheduled, and its medicinal value recognized on the federal level. This will allow the country to have the
conversation that is needed about cannabis therapies. We should be figuring out how to get this medicine to patients, not still debating on whether or not marijuana is medicine. Health and Human Services (HHS) has the power to make this change. If HSS allows that marijuana
has medical value, the DEA must recommend rescheduling. However, in 2001, HHS ruled that
marijuana had, No currently accepted medical use in treatment. They did not address the
mountain of data recognizing cannabis as a useful treatment, by itself or as an adjunct to
other therapies. This allowed the DEA to reject reaicheduling and gave them implicit permission
to raid patients. Six months later, the DEA started raiding and closing California dispensaries.

WHY OCTOBER?

A. This is an opportunity to educate the American public on Bush's record before the election.
The Bush/Ashcroft attack on patients was so unpopular that they have retreated in this
election year. We will be there to remind those voters with short memories about Bush's war
on patients.

B. The next Administration & Congress need to know there is a way to end the war on patients
outside of the legislature. There is a petition for rescheduling cannabis in front of Health and
Human Services right now. Marijuana can and should be rescheduled by health officials, not
politicians, and this is how it can happen.

C. The Supreme Court will hear the Raich/Monson case after October. Whether it wins or
loses, we need to look ahead to the future of protecting ALL patients.

LOGISTICS

Oct 2-3: 9 am - 5pm. Patient convergence: Come early and help create exciting visuals to express
ourselves, participate in activist trainings, and build a stronger medical marijuana community!
(Flemming Center, 1426 9th st. NW and P st. Mt. Vernon Square/Convention Center and Shaw/
Howard University are the closest Metro stops.)

Oct 4: 10 am. Press conference at National Press Club of medical professionals & patients
calling for rescheduling, announcing next day action and ASA petition submission. Evening,
town hall meeting of all patients' unions and participants. Time/location TBA*

Oct 5: 9:45 am. Meet by Smithsonian Castle, (Federal Triangle Metro on blue line) and march
together to HHS for 10 am rally at 200 Independence Ave, SW

Suggested Dress: Red tops and white pants/skirts to show a sense of medical emergency.
We will all be making t-shirts with our messaging on the weekend with that scheme, and may
have some to sell. We are staying way from the big 'leaf' icon, highlighting images of hands &
pharmaceutical medicine containers instead. Docs encouraged to wear white coats. Lobbyist
attire unnecessary!

Accommodation: We recommend Hostelling International http://www.hiwashingtondc.org/
1009 11th Street N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001 (202) 737-2333 *Or*

Best Western Downtown/Capitol Hill
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-386461-best_western_downtown_capitol_hill-i
724 Third St Washington, DC 20001 202-842-4466

Transportation: Buses will be leaving from the following cities

*New York, NY (10/04/04 early am-10/05/04 night) contact: Sasha sjetton@hotmail.com or
212-665-2257

*Philadelphia, PA (10/04/04 early am-10/05/04 night) contact: Stacey@safeaccessnow.org

*Providence, RI (10/04/04 noon-10/05/04 night) contact: Micah micah@ssdp.org or 401-
829-0904

Carpools:

Oakland, MD 21550, Morgan Town, WV, SW Penn and Eastern MD (10/04/04 noon-10/05/04
night) contact Curtis sovranoro@aol.com or 301-387-7833

If you can organize a bus or carpool from your region, contact Stacey@safeaccessnow.org
ASAP!

WHO ARE WE? Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is the largest national grassroots coalition
working to protect the rights of patients and doctors to legally use marijuana for medical
purposes. Our mission is to ensure safe, legal access to marijuana for all who are helped by it.
We provide legal training for lawyers and patients, medical information for doctors and
patients, media support for court cases, activist training to grassroots organizers, and rapid
response to law enforcement encounters. We work with local, state and national legislators to
raise awareness of issues concerning medical marijuana patients. For more information, call
510-486-8083 or visit www.safeaccessnow.org

Location:
WHERE: HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS), WASHINGTON DC
200 INDEPENDENCE AVE, SW

URL: http://www.safeaccessnow.org