The Compassionate Coalition

Dear Ventura County Medical Marijuana Supporter,

As we have stated in the past, patients in Ventura County need your help. Safe Access now and local activists are pressuring the countyboard of supervisors to follow state law – specifically, byimplementing the medical marijuana ID card program.

Progress in Ventura County cannot be made without local patients andsupporters, like yourself, speaking out to let their elected officialsknow they care about the rights of medical marijuana patients.

Please help us to gain support in Ventura by taking the following three actions:

1.) Contact your representative on the county board of supervisorstoday and urge them to support implementation of the medical marijuanaID card program. Call (805) 654-2251, tell the operator where you liveand ask to be transferred to your board member's office.

Feel free to use the talking points and tips provided at the end ofthis message when asking your board member to support theimplementation of the ID card program.

2.) In addition to contacting individual board members, patients willbe speaking out at three upcoming Board of Supervisors meetings andyour participation at one or more of the following meetings will becrucial to our success in Ventura County:

Location:
County Government CenterBoard of Supervisors Hearing Room800 S. Victoria AvenueVentura, CA 93009

Map: http://snipurl.com/vcmap
Dates & times:
- Tuesday, December 04, 8:30am
- Tuesday, December 11, 8:30am
- Tuesday, December 18, 8:30am

Please contact me either by phone at (866) 287-6792 or by e-mail atsafeaccessnow@gmail.com if you are able to attend any of thesemeetings to speak up for patients' rights in Ventura County.

3.) Yesterday (11/25), the Ventura County Star ran a great columnpraising the late Dr. Claudia Jensen. Please write a letter to theeditor thanking them for their kind memorial to Dr. Jensen.Additionally your letter can give you an opportunity to urge the Boardof Supervisors to honor Dr. Jensen's memory by protecting localpatients and implementing the medical marijuana ID card program,without further delay.

The column can be read here: http://snipurl.com/vcstar1

Letters must be no more than 300 words, include your full name andmailing address (only name and city are published) and should be sentto letters@venturacountystar.com

Feel free to use one or two of the talking points listed at the end ofthis message when composing your letter and don't hesitate to contactme at (866) 287-6792 or safeaccessnow@gmail.com if you have questionsabout letter writing.

Once the medical marijuana ID card program is made available topatients and caregivers in Ventura County, those who choose to obtaincards will gain further protection from unnecessary arrest or seizureof property by state and local government.

Don't you think it's about time that Ventura County's leadersacknowledge California's long-standing medical marijuana laws? If so,please take action so that we can make patient protection in Ventura areality.

Sincerely,Aaron Smith
Safe Access Now
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Talking points supporting implementation of the state medicalmarijuana ID card program in Ventura County:

• The cards protect patients and caregivers from lengthy detainment,arrest, seizure of property or unnecessary court proceedings. Whilecases involving legal medical marijuana patients are ultimatelydismissed, this causes an undue burden on our judicial system and mostimportantly, the seriously ill.

• The majority of California's counties have already implemented theprogram, including all of Ventura's adjacent counties. There is noreason for Ventura County to enforce state law any differently thatits neighbors do.

• The ID card program will greatly assist law-enforcement because itoffers an easy means of identifying bona fide medical marijuanapatients, freeing up their valuable time serving the community.

• The county has a legal responsibility to implement the program, as arequirement of Senate Bill 420, passed into law in 2003 and laterupheld by the San Diego Superior Court in December 2006.

• Voters' support for safe and legal access to medical marijuana hasonly grown stronger since the passage of the Compassionate Use Act in1996. Three out of four Californians now support implementation of thestate's medical marijuana laws—including 63% of Republicans.----Tips for effectively communicating with elected officials:

• Keep It Short and Simple. Present your opinion on the singlelegislative issue at hand, and try to be brief. Most e-mail is quicklyscanned and tallied for the opinion it reflects.

• Be courteous and respectful. Avoid name-calling or hostilestatements, even if you know that the legislator in question does notagree with your position• Be concise and stay on topic. There are a range of drug policyreform issues; however they must remain separate from the immediateissue at hand (in this case, the ID cards). Identify, if possible, thespecific title and bill number of the legislation you are writing orcalling about. Give your opinion in a brief, polite and concise way.

• Get follow-up. Ask that the legislator of their staffer to respondto you with a reply. Thank him or her for taking the time to consideryour position on the issue. Be sure to provide your name, and includeyour phone number or other contact info. Additionally, ask for thename of the staffer you spoke with and record it so that if you do notreceive a response within two weeks, you know who to call back.

• Let the person you're calling know where you live. If you are aconstituent living in the legislator's district, be sure to includethis fact in your letter or phone conversation. It is not necessary togive out your exact street address but let them know whichneighborhood you live in or the nearest cross streets to yourresidence.