Imperial Beach Medical Marijuana Campaign Reaches Over 2,000 Signatures

By Eugene Davidovich

Advocates with the campaign to repeal a ban on safe access to medical marijuana and replace it with reasonable regulations for qualified patients in the , have collected over 2,000 signatures in less then two months.

Beginning at the end of March teams of professional and well trained activists have gone out on a daily basis to high-traffic locations in the city to have face to face conversations with both supporters and non supporters of medical marijuana. Through these face to face conversations they have been able to move more than 22% of those who don’t support safe access to pledge their support in 2012.

In addition to changing hearts and minds of non supporters on this issue, activists have collected over 2,000 signatures from registered Imperial Beach voters, almost double the amount needed to place the ordinance on the November ballot.

Canvass for a Cause a San Diego based non-profit with the largest gay rights field program in the county has partnered with San Diego Americans for Safe Access, a local chapter of the nation’s largest medical marijuana patients’ rights advocacy group on this campaign. Together, through the largest educational campaign San Diego County has ever seen on this issue, the groups have created a true antidote to the reefer madness propaganda spread by Law Enforcement and prohibitionist organizations.

This week all the collected signatures will be going thorough verification, validation, and a check for duplicates.

Prior to submitting all the signatures to the , on Saturday, May, 26, 2012, the campaign will be holding a Knock for Safe Access in Imperial Beach, where several dozen advocates and volunteers including all the staff from Canvass for a Cause will be going door to door to discuss the ordinance with voters as well as doing a final push for signatures.

For more information about the campaign call 619-796-6215 or email safeaccessib@gmail.com

Further Information:

• Read the Safe Access Ordinance of Imperial Beach

• Track signature progress, get more involved with the campaign and get more information about the IB initiative: www.SafeAccessIB.org and www.Facebook.com/SafeAccessIB