The Pursuit of Safe Cannabis and Hemp For
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Table of Contents Welcome Letter....................................................page 4 Unity Sponsors....................................................page 8 ASA Board of Directors.....................................page 11 ASA Staff...............................................................page 12 Agenda...................................................................page 15 Speaker Biographies..........................................page 19 Save the Date! ASA 2021 Information..........page 28 6th: Absolute cleanliness is Godliness! Balanced food for body-mind-soul-spirit is our medicine! Full truth our God, half-truth our enemy, hard work our salvation, unity our goal, Free Speech our weapon, All-One our soul, self-discipline the key to fr eedom, All-One!!! unit y, unite l ove help unites o, S e! All-One wledg kno ab to ov y e! ke F or the we is ’r e All-One! epetition R As ools! f t each f or andering 6, w 000 e ’r we ye or ar s astr onomer mankind, unite s Abr Help aham last! & n’t Isr wo ael: “ disappointments , past the of out eep k , els jew en giv re a ” arless fe E xc the ep To tions Eternally rthwhile! wo ? ays Absolute alw is e lif , None!!! smile a S o, with when orld w y our the f ce ello Fa GOOD FOR YOU AND SPACESHIP EARTH. w man All-One! y ou One! measur e, Uniting t ak ee! fr e him at mankind his all FAMILY SOAPMAKERS SINCE 1858 MUCH LOVED FOR GOOD REASON best: True to the vision of Dr. E.H. Bronner and Cleanliness is Godliness! 18 uses in 1 mild with e-unite ov -l 157 years of soapmaking tradition: Work yet mighty soap. Eective, ecological, that ork w hard! Improve! Make the best better! versatile–vegan and cruelty-free. Certi- le ve to w r, Seek the purest, most eective organic ed Fair Trade ingredients, made with lift ho and fair trade ingredients, like hemp oil organic oils, no harsh synthetics. 100% him enemy 100% higher & for a soft, smooth lather that won’t dry biodegradable in a post-consumer Available in Eucalyptus, Rose, Tea Tree, Citrus Orange, Almond, Baby Unscented, Peppermint and Lavender your skin. Body, hair, face, mouth & teeth – recycled bottle. Enjoy only 2 cosmetics, , ov friend food, dishes, laundry, mopping, pets – Dr. enough sleep & Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps DR. BRONNER’S In all we do, let us be generous, erlook teach Bronner’s is the very best soap for hu- to clean body-mind-soul-spirit instantly fair & loving to Spaceship Earth IS CERTIFIED and all its inhabitants. For we’re the Then man, home and Earth. Dilute! Dilute! OK! uniting One! For we’re All-One or None! CONTAINS AT LEAST 70% FAIR TRADE INGREDIENTS FAIR FOR LIFE CERTIFIED BY IMO - - re st ! done! h 7t Get Get d! har ork w , time a at thing one Do ead! d ’s He ault? f without man the Find ahead! ears y 10 act & Think friend. my , smile & e ag our c ve Ha hate! -true half no e, -mat r ove -l -teacher ainer -tr -builder vider o -pr pilot ect perf a be to d har s ork w swallow Each : Welcome Letter Welcome to Unity 2020! Thank you for joining us from your home. I hope that you are safe and healthy. We learn a lot about what is important during times like these and as I write this I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the long lasting friendships I have made on my journey with Americans for Safe Access. A journey that started almost two decades ago. Through our work we have changed the social fabric of not just our society but the global perspective on medicine. As a point in case, last Monday, March 16th, ASA sent out a letter to call on governors and directors of state medical cannabis programs to take immediate action to ensure that patients continue to have access to medical cannabis and that the supply chain is not interrupted while Governors are creating emergency plans in their states to address the COVID-19 pandemic. We are happy to announce that as of today, 18 of the 33 states with medical cannabis laws have deemed medical cannabis business “essential” alongside pharmacies and hospitals with more to come. This is heart-warming not only because it is a sign that our decades of struggle are being realized but also because, ASA, the organization we built together, and all of you, were ready to jump into action during the COVID-19 pandemic to make sure medical cannabis patients were not forgotten. As we move into a new decade, it is incredible to see how much has changed just in the last 10 years. On January, 1, 2010 there were only 13 states with medical cannabis programs. Today, 33 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico have adopted laws creating programs that allow at least some patients legal access to medical cannabis. Across the country, there are 3 million medical cannabis patients, and 91% percent of Americans now live in states with some form of access to medical cannabis. In the last decade alone, cannabis has become a more popularized form of medicine than ever before; a CBS News poll of doctors showed that 88% of doctors were in favor of recommending cannabis as a treatment to patients. Doctors aren’t the only ones taking note, legislators have found medical cannabis programs to be one of the most popular policy platforms; a random sampling of Americans polled by Quinnipiac in 2018 responded 94% in favor when asked if they supported legal access to medical cannabis with a doctor’s recommendation. Welcome Letter However, despite all these advancements, cannabis retains its Schedule I status under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning the federal government still considers it to be a dangerous, highly addictive substance with no medical value. This continues to cause numerous conflicts between the federal government and the states that have enacted these programs. With 2020 being an election year, it is more important than ever this year to focus on patient issues and to let Congressional members know that your vote for them depends on their stance on medical cannabis. While it often seems like national legalization is right around the corner, we know that legalization alone will not guarantee access to all the patients that could benefit from this medicine, nor will it advance important issues like medical professional education or insurance. It is important to remember that despite all of the advances in medical cannabis across the states, half or more of these populations are left out of the programs because of financial, legislative, and regulatory barriers. Countries around the world are making reforms to get their citizens safe and affordable access to medical cannabis- regulated by a federal office- putting into place minimum standards for labeling and packaging, standards for cultivation, and standards for testing for pesticides, heavy metals, contaminants, adulterants, and other potential threats to health. American patients should expect the same. For this reason, last year ASA unveiled its new legislation that explores how to end this conflict through the creation of a new federal agency, the Office of Medical Cannabis Control (OMCC). As it stands, nearly a dozen different federal agencies from the DEA to the USDA play a role in regulating cannabis. Our plan seeks to consolidate their authority in the OMCC and calls for the descheduling of cannabis (or, failing that, the rescheduling of cannabis to a new Schedule V(A) that would allow for cannabis to be used as a frontline medication. This action would end the conflict between states and the federal government on cannabis policy. This year our priority is to bring the idea of a national regulatory framework for medical cannabis into the national conversation. Welcome Letter I am honored to know that ASA has played a critical role in many of the incredible advancements in medical cannabis policy across the U.S. and globally throughout our 18 years. ASA’s role as a thought leader in the field of medical cannabis has led to the legal and regulatory framework that has shaped the medical cannabis industry we see today. Driven by a commitment to patient advocacy, ASA will continue focusing on federal legislative strategies to expand access across the nation; this also means setting standards and expectations for the industry serving patients. It has been my honor to serve as ASA’s President and Founder for the last 18 years. As our community has grown and our voice has strengthened, it brings me great pride to see that ASA’s programs and projects have become pillars to the medical cannabis movement. Thank you for joining us this year and as the fight for safe access continues, I look forward to you being a part of our success of greater patient access. Sincerely, Steph Sherer Founder and President Americans for Safe Access ad 3 DRIVE THE CANNABIS MOVEMENT Secure Fair Access and Social Justice wmpolicy.com Thanks to Our Unity Sponsors! Diamond Titanium Sapphire Gold Thanks to Our Unity Sponsors! Silver Bronze Media Partners Patient Sponsor YOUR MEDICINE aura SHOULDN’T MAKE REDUCES PATIENT YOU SICK. SIDE EFFECTS WITH ARTIFICIAL ad 2 INTELLIGENCE WHY SHOULD YOU JOIN THE https:/ / research.aureliusdata.com / aura RESEARCH PLATFORM? PRECISION MEDICINE Because we believe certain Our drug, and disease speci�ic pro�iles will identify contraindications, reveal side effects and highlight cannabinoid compounds have the negative impacts. Our AI and deep learning will create unique pro�iles and precision solutions. potential to replace up to 40% AGNOSTIC ANALYSIS of traditional pharmaceuticals.