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Fw: [asa] CORRECTED ASA ACTION ALERT: CALL OR EMAIL YOUR REGIONAL HHS DIRECTOR ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2005. URGE RESPONSE TO THE DQA APPEAL!

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To take action on legalizing marijuana for medical purposes see below.

Priscilla A. Savary

Executive Director

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PO Box 182, Kensington MD 20895

psavary@...

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[asa] CORRECTED ASA ACTION ALERT: CALL OR EMAIL YOUR REGIONAL HHS

DIRECTOR ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2005. URGE RESPONSE TO THE DQA APPEAL!

PLEASE DISREGARD THE LAST ACTION ALERT this alert includes the correct contact

information for your regional director --

-distribute widely-

HHS ACTION ALERT: CALL OR EMAIL YOUR REGIONAL HHS DIRECTOR ON WEDNESDAY,

OCTOBER 26, 2005. URGE RESPONSE TO THE DQA APPEAL!

In 2002, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) submitted a formal petition to the

federal department of Health and Human Services (HHS) demanding marijuana be

reclassified from a Schedule I drug. Following the submission of the

rescheduling petition, ASA filed a Data Quality Act Petition (DQA), in October

2004, requesting that HHS correct information disseminated by the agency

regarding the medical value of marijuana.

After many delays, HHS denied ASA's petition under the DQA, and in May 2005, an

appeal was filed with the agency. Although HHS was supposed to answer our appeal

within 60 days, the agency is stalling and continues to send delay after delay.

Meanwhile, patients across the country continue to wait in pain while the Bush

administration plays politics with their medicine.

On September 26, 2005, patients and advocates nationwide called their Regional

HHS Directors to ask that they demand Secretary Leavitt answer ASA's Data

Quality Act petition. These calls made a real impact and were heard all the way

to Washington DC. Following these calls, ASA sent each Regional Director a

sign-on letter to send to Secretary Leavitt.

Time is up! The Regional Directors need to hear from their constituents. Call

or email your Regional HHS Director on Wednesday, October 26, 2005. Urge your

Director to sign on to a letter demanding Secretary Leavitt answer ASA's Data

Quality Act petition now!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT ACTION SHOULD YOU TAKE:

1. CALL WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2005: Call on your Regional HHS Director to sign

on to a letter demanding Secretary Leavitt to answer ASA's Data Quality Act

appeal and rescheduling petition. Find out " Who to call or email " and " What to

say " below.

2. ATTEND A REGIONAL ACTION: Patients, doctors and advocates are invited to

join us at local actions on October 26, 2005. For more information about the

local actions, click here or email rebecca@... (You can also

scroll down to the end of this message for details on local actions in DC,

Philadelphia, Dallas, Kansas City, Denver, San Francisco & Seattle.)

3. SIGN AND CIRCULATE THE PETITION FOR RESCHEDULING: Sign the petition on line

or download the petition to circulate in your community.

4. SPREAD THE WORD: Forward this email to your friends, family and colleagues.

Urge them to duplicate your efforts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHO SHOULD YOU CALL OR EMAIL:

IF YOU LIVE IN:

CT, ME, MA, NH, RI or VT

PLEASE CALL:

Cresta, HHS Regional Health Administrator, Region I

Office:

Email: brian.cresta@...

NJ, NY, PR or VI

PLEASE CALL:

Deborah Konopko

HHS Regional Health Administrator, Region II

Office:

Email: deborah.konopko@...

DE, DC, MD, PA, VA or WV

PLEASE CALL:

S. Zimmerman

HHS Regional Health Administrator, Region III

Office:

Email: robert.zimmerman@...

AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, or TN

PLEASE CALL:

Downing

Acting Regional Health Administrator, Region IV

Office:

Email: chris.downing@...

IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, or WI

PLEASE CALL:

O'Brien

Regional Health Administrator, Region V

Office:

Email: .Obrien@...

AR, LA, NM, OK or TX

PLEASE CALL:

Penn

Acting Regional Health Administrator, Region VI

Office:

Email: linda.penn@...

IA, KS, MO or NE

PLEASE CALL:

Fred Schuster

Regional Health Administrator, Region VII

Office:

Email: Fred.Schuster@...

CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, or WY

PLEASE CALL:

Joe Nunez

Acting Regional Health Administrator, Region VIII

Office:

Email: Joe.Nunez@...

AZ, CA, HI, or NV

PLEASE CALL:

Calise Munoz

Regional Health Administrator, Region IX

Office:

Email: Calise.Munoz@...

AK, ID, OR or WA

PLEASE CALL:

Whitfield

Regional Health Administrator, Region X

Office:

Email: .Whitfield@...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT YOU CAN SAY:

Suggested Phone Script:

My name is __________. I live in ( City, State ). I am calling the office

of my Regional Health Administrator to ask for help on behalf of countless

cancer, AIDS, MS and other patients in our region who might benefit from medical

marijuana.

HHS Director, Secretary Leavitt, has delayed response to a Data Quality Act

appeal filed by Americans for Safe Access over a year ago. This is not the

first time Secretary Leavitt has delayed response to requests to reclassify

marijuana and to correct information disseminated by the agency regarding the

medical use of marijuana.

The bottom line is marijuana is medicine. More than 6,500 reports and journal

articles from around the world support the medical efficacy of marijuana. Even

the Institute of Medicine, in the most comprehensive study of medical

marijuana's efficacy, concluded that, " nausea, appetite loss, pain and

anxiety.all can be mitigated by marijuana. " The U.S. is one of the few

countries in the world continuing to classify marijuana as a Schedule I drug

like heroine, PCP and GHB.

Last week, Americans for Safe Access sent you a sign on letter. As my Regional

Health Administrator, I am calling to urge you to sign this letter asking

Secretary Leavitt to answer ASA's Data Quality Act and Rescheduling petitions

now!

Thanks for listening to me. Have a great day.

(Download a copy of the sign on letter sent to the regional directors here:

http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/HHS_sign_on_letter.pdf)

Suggested Email Script:

Dear ________________,

My name is __________. I live in ( City, State ). I am writing to ask for

help on behalf of countless cancer, AIDS, MS and other patients in our region

who might benefit from medical marijuana.

HHS Director, Secretary Leavitt, has delayed response to a Data Quality Act

appeal filed by Americans for Safe Access over a year ago. This is not the

first time Secretary Leavitt has delayed response to requests to reclassify

marijuana and to correct information disseminated by the agency regarding the

medical use of marijuana.

The bottom line is marijuana is medicine. More than 6,500 reports and journal

articles from around the world support the medical efficacy of marijuana. Even

the Institute of Medicine, in the most comprehensive study of medical

marijuana's efficacy, concluded that, " nausea, appetite loss, pain and

anxiety.all can be mitigated by marijuana. " The U.S. is one of the few

countries in the world continuing to classify marijuana as a Schedule I drug

like heroine, PCP and GHB.

Last week, Americans for Safe Access sent you a sign on letter. You can download

a copy of this letter here:

<http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/HHS_sign_on_letter.pdf> As my Regional

Health Administrator, I am writing to urge you to sign this letter asking

Secretary Leavitt to answer ASA's Data Quality Act and Rescheduling petitions

now!

Thanks for considering this issue. Have a great day.

Sincerely,

________________

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Background/More Information:

In 2002, Americans for Safe Access, as part of a larger coalition known as the

Coalition for Rescheduling Cannabis, submitted a petition to the federal

government demanding marijuana be rescheduled from a Schedule I drug. Schedule

I is reserved for the most dangerous drugs, typically those with no accepted

medical value and high abuse potential. Other Schedule I drugs include heroine,

PCP and GHB. As evidenced by the more than 6,500 studies and journal articles

from around the world marijuana does have accepted medical value, marijuana is

not highly abusive, and it has been wrongly classified as a Schedule I drug.

Last October, ASA activists gathered at the Health and Human Services (HHS)

building in Washington DC to launch a Data Quality Act Petition (DQA),

requesting that HHS correct information disseminated by the agency regarding the

medical use of marijuana. The DQA requires federal agencies, like HHS, to ensure

that the information it distributes is fair, objective and meets certain quality

guidelines. HHS declined our requests under the DQA petition, refusing to

recognize the mountain of evidence demonstrating marijuana's medical value.

In May, ASA filed an appeal. Although HHS was supposed to answer our appeal

within 60 days, the agency continues to delay.

On October 26, 2005, ASA activists will take action at seven regional HHS

offices around the country. Call or email your Regional HHS Director to demand

Secretary Leavitt answer ASA's Data Quality Act petition now! Another year is

too long for patients to wait for safe and legal access to medical marijuana.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Local Action Details:

Time's Up: Demand HHS Reclassify Marijuana Now!

Wednesday, October 26th

12 Noon

Actions Confirmed in DC, Philadelphia, Dallas, Kansas City, Denver, San

Francisco & Seattle:

National Headquarters - Washington D.C.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

200 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20201

Contact Blair Brogan: blair@..., blairbrogan@...

PHS - Region III - Philadelphia, PA

The Public Ledger Building

150 South Independence Mall West, Suite 436

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106

Contact Barry Busch: barry@... or

PHS - Region VI - Dallas, TX

1301 Young Street, Suite 1124

Dallas, TX 75202

Contact Noelle & : karen@... or

PHS-Region VII - Kansas City, MO

601 East 12th Street, Room S-1801

Kansas City, Missouri 64106

Contact : medicalmaryjane@... or

PHS-Region VIII - Denver, CO

1961 Stout Street, Room 498

Denver, Colorado 80294

Contact Larissa & : or llawrenceccc@...

PHS-Region IX - San Francisco, CA

50 United Nations Plaza, Room 327

San Francisco, California 94102

Contact Tony Bowles: tonebowles@... or

PHS-Region X - Seattle, WA

2201 Sixth Avenue, M/S RX-20

Seattle, Washington 98121

Contact Jim Greig: jimgreigads@... or

- end of alert -

-- SaltzmanField CoordinatorAmericans for Safe Accessp f

www.safeaccessnow.org

--------------------------------

--------------------------------

Caren Woodson

Campaign Director

Americans For Safe Access

1322 Webster St., Ste 208

Oakland, CA 94612

www.SafeAccessNow.org

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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