As Health Canada continues to put the lives of critically and chronically ill Canadians in
jeopardy through its failed Marijuana Medical Access Regulations, we must organize to protect the
right of Canadians to have safe access to medicinal cannabis. It is with this in mind that
we are pleased to announce the launch of a new organization dedicated to defending the rights of
Canada’s sickest citizens: Canadians for Safe Access (www.safeaccess.ca).
Inspired by the U.S. organization Americans for Safe Access (www.safeaccessnow.org), Canadians for Safe Access will work to
both pressure Health Canada to free-up access to medicinal cannabis and to defend the rights of all
legitimate users, cultivators, and distributors - including compassion clubs and societies -
through legislative strategies, media campaigns, and non-violent direct action.
Canadians for Safe Access will work pro-actively with regional grassroots activists and local,
provincial, and federal politicians to protect the rights of those who need cannabis for medical
reasons as well as those who risk prosecution by supplying them.
Over 80% of Canadians support the distribution of cannabis for therapeutic purposes, yet most of
those who could benefit from it are still forced to risk arrest and to buy it from often dangerous
black-market sources – THIS HAS TO END NOW!
In a modern liberal democracy it is morally unacceptable to force the sick and dying into the
street to scrounge for their medicine. Canadians for Safe Access will focus the resources of all
those interested in correcting this social injustice and work towards towards the common goal of
SAFE ACCESS to medicinal cannabis and anti-discrimination towards users and suppliers.
If you work with an organization that supports safe access to medicinal cannabis, you can show
your support by registering as a "Supportive Organization" and allowing us to link to your
website.
Canadians for Safe Access (CSA) is an action-oriented, grassroots
campaign of patients, supporters and suppliers working at the local, provincial and national level
to change the unjust laws that prevent Canadians from accessing therapeutic cannabis.
Canadians for Safe Access will begin an aggressive media and grassroots campaign designed
to:
Pressure Health Canada to live up to its court-ordered obligations and follow the will of the Canadian people by opening up access to therapeutic cannabis.
Health Canada's Office of Cannabis Medical Access has proven itself incapable of addressing the needs and concerns of Canadians wishing to use cannabis therapeutically. The CSA will promote the development of a decentralized access and distribution system with the goal of allowing all Canadians who could benefit from cannabis therapies to do so safely and efficiently.
Defend the rights of patients to seek alternative access to therapeutic cannabis.
CSA will work to prepare and defend medicinal cannabis dispensaries and the patients they serve from attacks by local, provincial and federal law enforcement through legislative strategies, media campaigns, and non-violent direct action.
Serve as a catalyst for media-savvy grassroots activists to work effectively with drug policy reform groups and supportive local, provincial, and federal officials.
We will work to unify medical marijuana advocates, patients, and caregivers around a focused campaign of liberalized access to safe cannabis and anti-discrimination towards users and suppliers.
CSA Objectives
Educate the public, policy makers and elite opinion makers about the futility of the war on
drugs and the value of medical marijuana.
Defend therapeutic cannabis dispensaries, clubs, and societies and other safe and effective
means of distributing marijuana to patients who need it.
Frame a debate around Health Canada's inability or unwillingness to meet its
court-ordered obligations to supply therapeutic cannabis to Canadians with a legitimate medicinal
need.
Unify medicinal cannabis advocates, patients, and caregivers on a focused campaign.
Strengthen alliances between Dispensaries and patients throughout Canada.
Canadians for Safe Access will achieve these objectives by:
Promoting Grassroots support and training: CSA will actively train and organize medical
marijuana activists around the country to oppose the federal governments crackdown on medicinal
marijuana.
Creating an Emergency Response Plan to deal with the persecution and prosecution of
medicinal users and suppliers throughout Canada.
Working with supportive media to develop an active Media Relations Plan to counter
government misinformation and mismanagement in regards to medicinal cannabis.
Focusing on Days of Action in order to focus support on key issues and significant events
in regards to medicinal cannabis.
Designing and implementing a Legal Integrity Campaign in order to provide legal
information and training to Canadian medical marijuana patients, caregivers, dispensaries and
cultivators. As the project grows, we will expand our work, offering legal information, interactive
training seminars and education programs to professionals such as doctors and lawyers, as well as
public servants such as law enforcement agencies and elected officials.
