Introducing the “Compassionate and Sensible Access Act” for Medical Marijuana – UPDATED with text!

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This made its way into our inbox last night from our good friend (and sometimes contributor) MMJ activist Debbie Tharp.  Are we the first outlet to print it?  Locally at least…

April 13, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CALIFORNIA PATIENTS FILE THE “COMPASSIONATE AND SENSIBLE ACCESS ACT”AS A STATEWIDE CONSTITUTIONAL INITIATIVE

Sacramento, California

Washington State and Colorado have failed to provide protection for people who use cannabis for medicinal purposes.

Corporate greed has brought new players into the legalization movement. These people seek to corner the marijuana distribution market by eliminating competition and access to increase their profit.

These people seek to continue the high profits of Prohibition by the continued criminalization and attacks against people who choose to use cannabis for medicinal purposes.

This initiative will protect patients and their doctors. Members and leaders of The California Cannabis Coalition, Yuba County ASA, Orange County Norml, Crusaders for Patient’s Rights along with several statewide activists will be holding a press conference at the California Secretary of State 1500 11th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, April 15, 2015 to file the first marijuana initiative of the 2016 season.

For more information, please call Craig Beresh at the California Cannabis Coalition at 650-731-2990 or email craig@californiacannabiscoalition.org or call Debbie Tharp at 559-309-8924 or email votedebbietharp@gmail.com.

Your humble blogger Vern will try to get 1. the text of this new initiative, AND 2. any video available of tomorrow’s Sacramento event. This sounds like a good initiative to get behind!

UPDATE Wednesday 4/15 – Text is out now:

INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BE SUBMITTED DIRECTLY TO THE VOTERS

Title: The Compassionate and Sensible Access Act

Findings and Declarations

The People of the State of California, through the passage of the Compassionate Use Act, recognize that cannabis in all forms, including but not limited to its flowers, leaves, and derivatives and concentrates thereof, is an alternative medicinal treatment.

Since the passage of the Compassionate Use Act, more and more evidence supports the People’s conclusion that cannabis is a valuable medicinal herb.

Despite this evidence and the People’s desire to make access to cannabis safe and affordable to anyone it may help, many local jurisdictions have sought to pass regulations and restrictions effectively denying such safe and affordable access.

Therefore, We the People propose this Compassionate and Sensible Access Act be added to the Constitution of the State of California:

Cannabis is a legitimate, alternative medicinal treatment. Therefore:

(1) No state or local agency or body shall adopt a law that burdens in any way the ability of doctors to recommend cannabis for medicinal and/or therapeutic purposes, unless said law applies such burden equally to the recommendation of other herbal or therapeutic treatments.

(2) No state or local agency or body shall pass any law which impedes a patient’s ability to obtain or cultivate cannabis in any manner that is consistent with the other flora cultivation and business in said jurisdiction.

(3) No state or local agency or body shall enact any legislation that impedes a patient’s ability to obtain, transport or cultivate cannabis, so long as the method of obtaining, cultivating or transporting cannabis is consistent with the business practices and/or cultivation practices of other flora in said jurisdiction.

(4) No state or local agency or body shall adopt laws that create non-competitive marketplaces for medical cannabis and its derivatives.

Definitions

For the purposes of this act, cannabis is defined as (a) a genus of flowering plants that includes three different species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica and Cannabis ruderalis, (b) any member of such genus, and (c) any part or any derivative of such plant or plants.

This section shall be interpreted liberally to effect the purposes set forth herein.