Statement from Americans for Safe Access in support of California Senate Bill 1302 authored by Senator Lara which would prohibit local governments from banning delivery of cannabis within or outside of its jurisdiction (include a link to the bill).
The mission of Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is to ensure safe and legal access to cannabis (marijuana) for therapeutic use and research. We strongly support SB 1302 because it will dramatically increase the ability for patients to get medical cannabis in California.
40% of residents in the state have to drive 60 miles or more to find a licensed dispensary to buy legal cannabis. That includes medical cannabis. This is particularly alarming given that legal dispensaries are intended to replace the medical marijuana collectives that previously served patients. Legitimate patients who rely on cannabis to treat their serious ailments are being pushed back into an unsafe and unreliable underground market.
Traveling to a cannabis dispensary can be burdensome and even painful for patients with a chronic or severe illness. Ensuring safe and convenient access is particularly important in jurisdictions with populations of patients with conditions for which cannabis has a demonstrated and effective medical application, such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, epilepsy, diabetes and PTSD.
Allowing for regulated delivery services will help provide a greater number of legal access points, reducing demand from illegal market operators and driving down illegal market crime. Cannabis delivery services need to be available statewide because access to quality healthcare shouldn’t be limited to only areas with local jurisdictions allowing delivery. A sick person in one city shouldn’t have to move to another city just to get medicine delivered.
