2018 National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference

This year’s Americans for Safe Access Unity Conferencefocuses on the life-saving role that medical cannabis can play in the fight against the Opioid Epidemic.

The Opioid Epidemic in the US is claiming 91 American lives a day. Current policies focus on downstream strategies and criminalizing patients and medical professionals. Research shows a nearly 25% decrease of opioid overdose deaths in states with medical cannabis laws. However, medical cannabis is not option for all patients due to the federal-state legal conflict, inadequacies in state laws, and lack of medical professional and patient education.

It is critical that our nation’s lawmakers understand and respond to medical cannabis’ potential role in mediating this crisis through our END PAIN NOT LIVES campaign.

CAMPAIGN GOALS

States: Pass new regulations and legislation to make it easier for people with Pain, Chronic Pain, and Opioid Use Disorder and their medical professionals to utilize medical cannabis in their treatment plans

Federal: Leverage cannabis therapies in combating opioid crisis to pass the CARERS Act and other legislation like CJS amendment

Education: Increase education of medical professionals, service providers, and patients

Research: Conduct clinical trials on cannabis and opioids

Americans for Safe Access believes that when patients and concerned citizens are involved at the highest levels of policy making, everyone benefits. Therefore, it is imperative to give advocates the tools and information they need to competently and confidently represent. This conference strives to connect medical cannabis patients and advocates and promote excellence in our work. Participants will leave educated, inspired, and carrying a tool kit for achieving immediate results.

• Advocacy: learn tips and techniques to immediately improve your advocacy effectiveness.
• Public Affairs and Communications: discuss traditional and cutting edge methods for reaching your desired audiences.
  •Professional Development: enhance your professional skills and performance.

The National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference is the largest conference for medical marijuana patients, activists, lawyers and medical professionals promoting safe and legal access to marijuana for therapeutic uses and research. The Unity conference is your place to learn best practices, exchange ideas and learn how to navigate medical marijuana in this new political landscape. This conference will also provide professional development and leadership training to patients and concerned citizens in all areas of advocacy including federal, state and local government relations, public affairs, community relations, public policy, legislation, Congressional relations, community activism, political engagement and campaigns. Attendees will hear from successful lobbyists and communicators, elected officials, professional staff, industry experts, and public policy specialists on a wide variety of how-to topics relevant to legislative and regulatory advocacy.

When patients have a seat at the public policy table, everyone benefits. In order to get and keep our seat, we must be equipped to competently and confidently represent our viewpoint. The goal of this conference is to provide patients and concerned citizens the information, tools, and contacts they need to be successful representatives for medical cannabis and against the opioid epidemic. We achieve this by hosting substantive policy discussions, teaching the latest methods and strategies in advocacy.

Medical cannabis patients, legal professional, medical professionals, advocates, caregivers, industry professionals or professionals working in any aspect of advocacy including federal, state or local government relations, public relations, public affairs, community activism, coalitions, public policy, campaigns, PAC and grassroots, politics, legislation, and communications. All career levels are welcomed.

Donation Options:

If you would like to make a special (tax deductible) contribution to ASA’s End Pain Not Lives campaign, please take a look at the following links and click through to donate:

http://www.safeaccessnow.org/end_pain_not_lives

http://www.safeaccessnow.org/donate_epnl

Please note the following:

If you’re unsure of your membership status, please click on the following link to verify your ASA account:

http://www.safeaccessnow.org/membercheck

If your ASA chapter or fundraising team sends five or more individuals to ASA’s Unity Conference, ASA will offer a discount rate for the group if you contact [email protected].

DISCLAIMERS:

1. ASA is not responsible for Eventbrite.com transactions.
2. Dabbing is not allowed at this conference.