Advocates Hold Press Conference at City Hall To Stop The Ban

San Diegans join together to “Stop The Ban” on Medical Cannabis

Patient’s Advocates and Community Groups launch the “Stop the Ban” campaign at press conference in front of San Diego City Hall on Tuesday morning.

SAN DIEGO - In response to the impending de facto ban on medical cannabis facilities in San Diego, on Tuesday morning at 8am in front of San Diego City Hall, a coalition of community groups, non-profits, businesses, and concerned citizens held a press conference to announce the “Stop The Ban” grassroots campaign and town hall meeting.

Lead by the San Diego Chapter of Americans for Safe Access, the nation’s largest medical cannabis advocacy group and Canvass for a Cause, a non-profit specializing in grassroots organizing, the campaign is aimed at protecting medical cannabis patients and preserving safe access to medical cannabis in the city of San Diego by urging the city council to amend the proposed ordinance, which stands to eradicate access for all patients in the City, and bring it in line with the community’s needs as spelled out in the recommendations of the City’s Medical Marijuana Task Force.

“The City Council’s ordinance as proposed would close every medical cannabis facility now serving patients in the city of San Diego, would make it virtually impossible for a facility to reopen, and would leave thousands of vulnerable AIDS, Cancer, MS and other seriously ill patients in despair. People need to know what’s about to happen in their city.” said attorney and “Stop The Ban” spokesperson Rachel Scoma at the press conference on Tuesday.

Gretchen Bergman with A New Path also addressed the press from a mother’s perspective. Ms. Bergman discussed the need for compassion and outlined her opposition to the proposed ordinance.

The Stop the Ban campaign will draw on the San Diego Chapter of Americans for Safe Access’ history of activism on the behalf of patients and will utilize Canvass for a Cause’s proven grassroots organizing and education models in order to generate mass awareness and constituent communications to city hall. “We want to make sure that if the City insists on passing this ban that they have to do so despite the most unprecedented outpouring of public opposition to an ordinance that the city has ever seen.” Scoma says.

A town hall meeting will be taking place at Canvass for a Cause HQ, 3705 10th Ave. San Diego, CA on Wednesday, February 9th at 7:00pm.

The campaign has also launched the “Stop The Ban” website www.stopthebansd.org aimed at informing the public about the impending ban and helping organize volunteers for the effort.

Members of the coalition as well as the coalition spokesperson will be available for interviews and to answer questions at the town hall meeting on Wednesday at 7pm.

Stop The Ban Coalition: Canvass for a Cause, A New PATH, Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), Americans for Safe Access, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Ideal Choice Insurance, Law Offices of Melissa Bobrow, Law Offices of Kimberly Simms, Nug Magazine, Kush Magazine, The San Diego County Community Coalition, Green Freedom Law Group, Legal Cannabis Institute, Several Members of the San Diego Medical Marijuana Task Force, among others.