Medical Marijuana Advocacy Group Announces Second Annual Conference in Washington DC, April 5-7th

The country's leading medical marijuana advocacy group, Americans for Safe Access (ASA), formally announced today its second annual Unity Conference, "Navigating Medical Cannabis in the Mainstream," to be held in Washington, D.C. on April 5-7, 2014. The conference will highlight medical and legal experts, policymakers, and a wide array of workshops and panels focusing on scientific research, strategic planning, and skills building. On Monday, April 7th, ASA will host a press conference at 11am, followed by a Hill briefing at Noon and a lobby day with hundreds of patient advocates.

What: National Unity Conference: "Navigating Medical Cannabis in the Mainstream"
When: April 5-7, 2014, including a press conference at 11am on April 7th
Where: The Mayflower Renaissance Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.

Media is invited to attend the conference at no charge, but reporters are encouraged to register in advance.

"With medical marijuana moving more into the mainstream, patients and advocates are coming together to learn about the science and how to utilize increased attention on cannabis to bring about meaningful change," said ASA Executive Director Steph Sherer. "This conference is not just for patients and advocates, however, it's also for lawyers, doctors, policymakers, and key stakeholders in the effort to establish medical marijuana as one of the public health issues of our time."

The opening day of the conference, Saturday, April 5th, will feature panels on the history of botanical medicines in the U.S., the future of regulation and product safety, an assessment of the different state medical marijuana laws and how they're working for patients, and the myths and facts of CBD (cannabidiol), one of the plant's primary chemical compounds that works well for patients with intractable seizure disorders. On Saturday evening, ASA will host its awards banquet, recognizing and honoring those individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of medical marijuana.

On Sunday, April 6th, ASA will hold a panel discussion on deepening our understanding of cannabis as a medicine, as well as several skills building workshops. On Monday, April 7th, ASA will host an 11am press conference on the Capitol grounds, which will be followed by a briefing for Hill staff from Noon-1pm, and a lobby day to bring the issues of medical marijuana to Members of Congress. Some of the featured speakers at the conference include: Sebastopol Mayor Robert Jacob, American Herbal Pharmacopoeia Executive Director Roy Upton, Pediatrician Dr. Stephen Corn, M.D., cannabis researcher Dr. Jahan Marcu, PhD., University of Massachusetts Amherst Botany Professor Lyle Craker, Center for Regulatory Effectiveness Director Jim Tozzi, author Martin Lee, Criminal Justice Policy Foundation President Eric Sterling, and many more.

Sponsors of the conference so far include the National Cannabis Industry Association, United Food and Commercial Workers, Nuvilex, 420 Archive, Remedy Compassion Center of Maine, and Bay Area Safe Alternatives, HempMeds, and SPARC of California.