May 25, 2012

By: Eugene Davidovich, San Diego Americans for Safe Access Another devastating blow to San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis’ fierce fight against medical marijuana patients; Judge Parsky declared a mistrial after the jury was hopelessly deadlocked. SAN DIEGO – On May 16th, twelve jurors and two alternates were selected in the trial of DA Bonnie Dumanis...

In line with San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis’ self proclaimed ‘fierce fight’ against medical marijuana patients in San Diego, almost two years after his initial arrest, the second attempt to prosecute Benjamin Gasper, a legal medical marijuana patient is underway. Dumanis’ office days before trial was supposed to begin, brought in ‘new’...

A team of attorneys along with six defendants were in Department 5 of the San Diego Federal Courthouse Tuesday, January 10, 2012, before Judge Anello to file a motion to continue an alleged case of conspiracy to distribute and manufacture cannabis, among other charges typical of the injustice of federal interference in California state law. The motion was...

Patient advocates take action against District Attorney and Mayor hopeful, Bonnie Dumanis’ fierce fight against patients’ rights to grow and use medical marijuana San Diego, CA – The San Diego Chapter of Americans for Safe Access (SDASA) – the country’s largest grassroots medical marijuana advocacy group – urges its members to bear...

Sep 27, 2011

By: Terrie Best, San Diego Americans for Safe Access In the afternoon session of today’s San Diego City Council Meeting, The Council voted 7 to 1 to repeal the restrictive zoning ordinance which, if allowed to pass would have identified zones for medical marijuana collectives to exist but at the same time relegated them to far flung industrial areas and...

Jul 31, 2011

By Terrie Best, San Diego Americans for Safe Access With San Diego Americans for Safe Access (SDASA) board members and other patient advocates behind him, Benjamin Gasper was in court again on Thursday of last week, this time for a 995 motion hearing before Judge Howard Shore, a notoriously anti-medical marijuana Judge who happened to be filling in that day for...

By: Terrie Best, San Diego Americans for Safe Access Legal cannabis patient Dexter Padilla was in court last week in front of Judge Albert T. Hartunian III as he and his attorney, Michael J. McCabe, of the Davidovich victory, fought it out with Prosecutor Ramin Tohidi over whether there was enough prosecutorial evidence to bind the case over for trial. The...

Jul 11, 2011

Imperial Beach City Council approves ban in violation of State Law on patients growing medicine in their own homes; patients and advocates are outraged and ready to turn to the voters in 2012 By: Terrie Best, San Diego Americans for Safe Access Imperial Beach, CA – On July 7th, 2011, with a 4 to 1 vote, the Imperial Beach (IB) City Council approved an...

Jun 28, 2011

By: Terrie Best, San Diego Americans for Safe Access Monday, June 27, 2011 in San Diego Superior Court, the faulty search warrant obtained by a misleading affidavit was upheld in the medical cannabis case of Jason and Sarine Gastrich. All morning, Deputy DA Ramin Tohidi and attorneys for the defense argued the legitimacy of the warrant which led to felony...

Jun 23, 2011

By: Terrie Best and Eugene Davidovich Co-defendants Jason and Sarine Gastrich, recent victims of Bonnie Dumanis’ fierce fight to eradicate medical marijuana in San Diego, were in court this week for their preliminary examination in Judge Hanoian’s courtroom. On the prosecution side was Deputy DA Ramin Tohidi and for the defense on behalf of Sarine was Public...

Jun 13, 2011

By: Eugene Davidovich and Marcus Boyd Imperial Beach, CA – On June 15, 2011 at 7pm, the Imperial Beach City Council will discuss and vote to enact an outright ban on medical marijuana dispensaries and all collective cultivation efforts in the City of Imperial Beach. Although the staff report compiled for the June 15th meeting states, “the ordinances...

Jun 7, 2011

*UPDATE* June 9 – After publishing the following in this article: “At the conclusion of the meeting, Kiwanis members voted informally 10 to 1, in support of medical marijuana dispensaries within city limits.” we found out there was in fact no vote taken, formal or otherwise during that meeting. We apologize for the incorrect information...

Cultivation charges re-filed against legitimate medical marijuana patient after being previously dismissed in the same courthouse by different Judge. By: Terrie Best and Eugene Davidovich – San Diego Americans for Safe Access SAN DIEGO – In the summer of 2009, Benjamin Gasper, along with two other seriously ill medical marijuana patients rented a...

Mar 3, 2011

Opposition mounts against proposed medical marijuana dispensary regulation for the City of San Diego. Over twenty local and national organizations join campaign opposing the ordinance and urging changes. San Diego, CA — On March 28th the San Diego City Council will be voting on an ordinance that will serve as a de-facto ban on medical cannabis facilities...

Feb 21, 2011

By: Eugene Davidovich, Americans for Safe Access On January 13th, the San Diego Chapter of Americans for Safe Access (ASA) – the nation’s largest organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists, and concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research – in collaboration with the San Diego County Public...