but, in fact, it's the beginning of a pattern, and soon, your friend with mental illness realizes you're avoiding them, but what if you knew that your friendship was the key to their recovery? would you still lock them out of your life? [doorknob rattles]

supervisor avalos: good morning. welcome to the city operations and never had services committee. my name is supervisor john avalos, the chair the committee. joined by supervisor eric mar. the other member of the committee will be absent today, supervisor sean elsbernd. can we get a motion to excuse his absence? so done, without objection. we're also joined right now by supervisor david campos. the clerk of the committee is ms. gail johnson. can you share announcements?

>> all persons are requested to off all cell phones and pagers. if you wish to submit speaker cards, please put them up by the rail in front of you to your left. if you submit copies of materials for members of the committee, please submit an extra copy for the file. the two items on the agenda today, it recommended, will go to the full board for consideration tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 p.m. >> very good. thank you, madam clerk. please call item number 1. >> item 1, resolution supported regulated and safe patient access to medical cannabis in the city and county of san francisco. >> supervisor campos? supervisor campos: thank you. good morning, everyone. happy monday, happy halloween. this is the resolution that i am introducing, along with a number of my colleagues did not want to think that for their co- sponsorship.

supervisor mar, supervisor of ellis, president chiu, supervisor mirkarimi, supervisor kim, and supervisor wiener. this makes it very clear that we, on the board of supervisors, want to send a very strong message to the federal government that they live up to the promises that the president made, who was running for president, and the promises that were made in the early stages of the current administration, that they would respect state law. the voters here in the state of california have spoken loud and clear that they believe in the right of patients to have access to medical cannabis. that was passed into law through proposition 215, the compassionate use act, which voters supported in 1996. we have seen in the last few weeks a very troubling development with respect to the approach of the federal government.

we have seen the federal government that, contrary to its prior promises, is now disregarding state law. and in the process, really hurting so many patients that rely on the access to medical cannabis as a way of treating their illnesses and as a way of just survival. the voters of california have made it clear that we in california believe in the right of patients to have access of medication. in the city of san francisco, we have enacted regulations that serve as a model for the rest of the state in the rest of the country. and we believe that the federal government's should not be spending its very limited resources trying to go after patients. by this resolution, we're doing a number of things. first, we're urging the federal government to reconsider its bad policy and to actually respect the rights of patients to medicine. we also call upon the federal government to end the

prohibition on medical cannabis and request that the united states congress passed hr 1983, the state's medical marijuana medicate debt -- medication act of 2011, which was introduced by representative barney frank. we also are calling upon the federal government to pass hr 1985, the small business tax equity act of 2011, which was introduced by congressman pete stark. we're also calling upon the federal government to follow the lead and take leave from people like mark leno, leland yee, and others who have called for the protection of the rule of law as enacted by the voters of the state of california. we also encourage the president of the united states to enact legislation requiring federal law enforcement to respect state

law when it comes to medical cannabis. i think in these times, it is very important for us in the city and county of san francisco to take a clear stand in supporting patient rights, and i urge support of this resolution. i also want to take this opportunity to thank the medical canada's community and all the activists that have rallied behind this very important plot -- cause. i also want to think my colleagues for their co- sponsorship. >supervisor avalos: very good. i am a co-sponsoring this resolution as well. and i believe supervisor mar is as well. i am co-sponsor because i believe in and access to medical cannabis, as our state law has allowed. i think the changes that are coming down from the gut -- from the federal government against.

i have a lot of concern about the so-called war on drugs and how the policies of it are ongoing as a failed policy. it has been the war on drugs now for decades, and we're not seeing a real diminishment in the resources that go towards it, resources going -- that could go towards other things like health care and education. thank you for bringing this resolution forward. supervisor campos, supervisor mar, if there no comments from you, we can do to public comment. supervisor mar: i did want to thank supervisor campos and the activists from the community who have been working on this for years. the former assemblyman as well. and i appreciate supervisor campos also writing in support for the hr 1983 by barney frank

and also the state's medical marijuana protection act of 2011 as well, supporting other legislation at the state, local, and federal level as well. thank you. supervisor avalos: very good. we can go into public comment. we will do two minutes per person. i have a few cards i can read. please come on up. diamond dave, [unintelligible] penny -- i cannot read the last night. cynthia -- i cannot read the last name. paul girello. >> good morning, supervisors. my name is stephanie tepper, a spokesperson for the medical can this task force. i am here today to thank you for standing up and taking leadership on this very

important issue. over the last 10 years, the state of california has engaged in creating laws in local jurisdiction to transparently regulate medical cannabis facilities throughout the state. there were promises made, and direction given by our leaders, and as a result, we have had a community that has been very invested within their community and very invested in a transparent process. so for us to have the blanket pulled from right underneath this is unacceptable. in addition to this being an attack on patients access to medicine, which by the way, an attack on a facility is an attack on patients, they're innocent bystanders, too, that are also under attack. those are the landlords are complying with state and local laws by renting to these facilities were now being threatened with 40 years in jail, a civil forfeiture, and

for them to go back and take any money that they got in rent and be sued for that as well. it is unacceptable. so i applaud everybody on the board of supervisors for getting up today and making a definitive stand against the federal government's attack on state rights. thank you. i would also like to say that i stand in solidarity with occupysf and occupy oakland. thank you. [applause] >> thank you, sister. this seems to be something which is bound to happen here. i believe this is what they call a no-printer. we better support our brothers and sisters in this. it goes all the way back -- i am talking about yerba buena. that means they can smoke the good herb. it looks like this has support. what i am really worried about, it seems like the knicks step --

i see my brother here from the guardian. uses the next step is to attack the newspapers that provide ads for medical marijuana. is that right? this is definitely an attack on our freedom of speech, freedom of access, free them to find the sustenance 22 survive in his previous times. so count me in. i believe we can do more together than any of us can do alone. thank you, brothers and sisters. let's stay strong. at the occupation and at the facilities dispensing medical marijuana, the good herb, ganja. [applause] supervisor avalos: thank you. next. >> good morning. [unintelligible] first of all, supervisor campos, thank you again for being in our

corner during these trying times, as well as your colleagues for coming to make the statement to the federal government that we, as a state, are taking care of our own and regulating our own. and if they would open their hearts and their minds to the idea of sick and dying people, they, too, might learned something from this body. thank you. [applause] supervisor avalos: thank you. next speaker, please. i have a few more cards. [reading names] >> ok, happy halloween. i am part of patient advocacy for medical cannabis, honored to speak before you. i want to thank supervisor campos for his sponsorship of

this emergency resolution. i want to point out for is that the prohibition of cannabis has been a huge factor in corporate greed for decades, and the current crackdown on medical can and this is a blatantly unconstitutional. not a single patient advocate in any of the 16 medical cannabis states believes for one moment that the department of justice is doing this crackdown to prevent patient exploitation. by profiteers. furthermore, we would like to see all the medicine from our collectives that has been seized returned. the reward system for federal agents needs to be examined for profiteering and piracy. at the task force level, we passed together basically a decade of work that has been done on it profiteering and patient exportation, with compassion that direction that

our court. we created a model for our nation. we are outraged and demand immediate injunction and the participation of our federal representatives to prevent closures that are set to occur in a matter of days for divinity 3 and other cooperatives. and for our city to uphold our sanctuary status for medical cannabis and perhaps finding locations for these and other cooperatives to serve their patients in the interim, while hopefully president obama uses his executive powers to rein in the role of u.s. attorneys and create some debt lead -- diplomatic reasonable solutions. thank you. [applause] supervisor avalos: thank you very much. next speaker, please. >> hello peter i am a resident of san francisco, a patient, and i own the hemp center in oakland since july 1999. first, i like to think the city for your kind diligence and effort in trying to establish

meaningful regulations for the medical marijuana community, as well as the greater community at large. second, happy halloween. i came to rest today to reflect the fact that not only am i if- annise de -- am i a fashionista, but i am a patient also. we are put under a lot of stress for what we do. any help is much appreciated. the movement began here, so i feel is up to us to lead the way, to make sure that what we do here is meaningful, because the whole nation is watching what we do. again, i would thank you. i know that your powers are limited, that you cannot rein in the federal government. and until the patient's join together with the class-action lawsuit against the federal government, i do not really think that things are going to change.

thank you. [applause] supervisor avalos: thank you very much. next speaker, please. if there are no other speakers -- anyone else who wants to speak, please come forward. thank you. >> good morning. i am a patient advocate. i am also a part of the 99%. my comment is that directly to the federal government. we have a lot of low-income disabled veteran patients that are going without, and we stand here today to make sure that does not continue. i have been sleeping at occupysf for the last couple of days, and i see patients literally hurting because there is no safe access. we need the safe access. this is not a drug. this is not a prescription. this is life-saving medicine. we needed to get to the patients in the people who

desperately needed. thank you for your support and your help, but we need to do a lot more. it takes all of the san francisco. it does not just take the advocates to stand up for the people. it is all of san francisco. all of san francisco is here. listen to us. thank you. supervisor avalos: thank you. next speaker, please. i have a couple more cards. you want to use the one to your right. you can use the microphone to your right, because that was not on. >> hello. first, i want to thank all you supervisors for helping us. it is just wrong for the federal government to table people's votes and just throw it away, disregarded. we voted for prop 215. we won. we should not be having this problem with the federal

government and nobody else. i want to thank you all for your support. keep our madison. thank you very much. [applause] >> hello. my name is theresa. i am a healer in an illegal -- legal secretary peter i am a member of the access of love. i used to buy my medical marijuana illegally. it was a lot more money. i was pretty scared. when i finally got my doctor's prescription, i had a big sigh of relief. i am looking for the federal is. they're looking for us. we're looking for them. i want to know why we're having to be so afraid in this city peter i am scared. it is stressful. business owners that the can of this dispensaries are under a lot of stress. you guys do not realize what they are taking on for us. so any harm that comes to any dispensaries in this town, like

in divinity tree, there are supporters. they're the ones that are giving us the madison. i would like to grow it myself. can someone help me do that? i have got my landlord on my back. i need that for my dispensary. and i do not get my medication, i am concerned. i will fight the federal government. i have learned from the leaders in the cannabis committee not to start here in city government. i got recorded on the radio saying not only is this a local city issue, a state issue, but ultimately the federal government is the pressing cannabis. we need to address the federal government. who is going to help us? [applause] supervisor avalos: next speaker, please. >> i am and medical patient peter i am speaking for people that cannot speak english or the american language. we need that medical marijuana. i am a patient.

thank you. gracias. [applause] >> good morning peter i am from divinities tree. it is so encouraging to hear the patience speak. i want to remind you folks -- thank you very much for considering this resolution. no, i view this as an attack on landlords and agents and an attack on the board. i think the board came up with great rules and regulations for dispensaries, and is really a model. that was in 2005. i hope you will stand up to the department of justice. i think it is another tired attack on san francisco values. thank you. [applause] supervisor avalos: thank you very much. next speaker, please.

>> hello. i am a patient advocate. i would like to say thank you for your time, first of all. second, i would like to say that safe access is no access if you cannot properly medicaid without the federal peppermint cracking down on the dispensaries, collectives, and co-ops, and people with low incomes and disability. please, doj, stand down. i urge you. people in high places, please protect medical cannabis. thank you very much. [applause] supervisor avalos: thank you. if there are no other members of the public who would like to comment -- anyone else, please come forward. >> how low. i just wanteto