To: Friend

A Holiday Message from Americans for Safe Access 

Hello Friend !

2025 has been a tough year for medical cannabis advocates.

If you only follow headlines in cannabis business media, you might think we started with a President promising legalization and protection for hemp-derived products—only to watch those hopes fall apart in a series of political gut punches.

If you were paying attention to Project 2025 and to the reshuffling of Congressional power after the 2024 election, you saw danger coming. You knew what it meant when key committees were handed to lawmakers openly hostile to cannabis access. And despite trying to warn others, you’re now watching the consequences unfold in real time.

I’m in that second group. And yet—I’m still optimistic.

While the threats to the future of medical cannabis are real, the few protections we have are being held up by a shockingly small number of advocates. We are still standing — not because the system supports patients, but because a handful of people refuse to let it collapse.

Here’s an example:

When Trump’s budget request omitted state protections for medical cannabis programs, allies rallied with ASA to ensure the language was inserted into the Department of Justice’s spending bill <[link removed]>. But when House Republicans later moved to strip those protections, we could only generate a few hundred emails and phone calls to Congress. Now, with the DOJ budget expiring January 30th, the door is still open for federal interference in state medical cannabis programs unless we do something! 



Where we stand now

Over the past decade, we broke through barriers that once made a national medical cannabis program unthinkable. International treaty obstacles have been cleared. Federal health agencies publicly acknowledged the accepted medical use in the United States—major achievements — hard-won and undeniable.

And just as we reached those milestones… the movement for safe access lost its roar.

Maybe some patients got comfortable or assumed the access they have today will always be there. Millions of new patients who entered through the hemp loophole never realized their access was fragile — or that they could demand more: insurance coverage, federal rights, safe products, dignity.

The truth is that federal prohibition still shapes nearly every part of a patient’s life—often in ways friends, coworkers, and even close family never see. The real struggles aren’t loud or dramatic. There are no DEA raids on the evening news anymore, fewer galvanizing moments forcing the nation to look. Today’s battles are quieter, but just as damaging—and far more isolating.

Federal restrictions still influence where we can live, work, travel, and even spend our final days.

So this Thanksgiving, let’s shine a light on this battlefield!

Let your friends and family know that federal policies still hold patients hostage. That every day lived under prohibition is a day full of compromises, fear, and unequal treatment. Show them ASA’s Travel Guide or this travel outreach video — proof that patients still have to plan their lives around conflicting laws. Let them know there is still work to be done.

<[link removed]>With more than 90% public support, they may surprise you. Social change rarely starts in Washington, D.C. — it starts at America’s dinner tables.

Bringing back the roar! 

As this year winds down, join me in taking personal stock. What do you want the future of medical cannabis to be — and what are you ready to do to make it real?

- Can you commit to building a relationship with your Senators and Members of Congress <[link removed]>?


- Will you speak out publicly — even once a month — in a letter to the editor <[link removed]>, social post, or community meeting?


- Will you help grow this movement — by educating neighbors, hosting a house gathering, or connecting your network to the caus <[link removed]>e?


- Will you support this work each month,as a sustaining donor <safeaccessnow.org/donate>, so we can protect patients now and deliver the federal reforms they deserve?

ASA remains as committed today as we were 23 years ago to a future where medical cannabis is fully integrated into U.S. healthcare — a world where traveling with your medicine is as ordinary as packing insulin, and treatment never threatens your housing, your job, your parental rights, or your dignity.

Until federal law catches up, we will continue to give patients the tools to stay safe, informed, and empowered. I’ve included links below to some of those resources.

But we will only reach our ultimate goal if everyone pitches in!

Thank you for caring. Thank you for showing up. Thank you for fighting for patients when the headlines don’t. 

Happy Holidays — I’m thankful for my ASA family!  

In Solidarity,


Steph Sherer

Founder & Executive Director, Americans for Safe Access

<Learn%20more%20about%20opportunities%20to%20sponsor,%20donate,%20and%20volunteer! >ASA's new report, "Laboratories of Democracy," will review 30 years of state experimentation to offer a roadmap for medical cannabis stakeholders to expand patient rights, strengthen safe access, and ensure the United States leads in the next era of cannabinoid medicine—one that will require changes at both the state and federal levels.

We are looking for funding to support printing and layout, and for volunteers to help with research and double-checking state grades. 

TheLaboratories of Democracyreport will identify

- What must be incorporatedinto a federal program
- What responsibilities will remainat the state level
- What work must still be doneto integrate cannabis into healthcare
- Which best practicesare worth preserving and scaling
- Of course, grades for each state!

Learn more about opportunities to sponsor, donate, & volunteer! <[link removed]>

"Medical Cannabis Patients Are Thankful… When We Make It to Our Destination Safely" <[link removed]>

ASA released a travel video and an updated travel guide yesterday, along with a blog post about policy changes that could impact patient travel this holiday season. 

Read more... <[link removed]>

<[link removed]>Americans for Safe Access' Holiday Travel Video was released yesterday. Available on YouTube: Watch Here! <[link removed]>

<[link removed]> <[link removed]>Yes! I want to keep the lights on safe access! <[link removed]>

The <safeaccessnow.org/travel>Medical Cannabis Patient’s Guide for U.S. Trave <safeaccessnow.org/travel>l—available in English and Spanish—has been fully updated to reflect new policies, enforcement shifts, and critical safety considerations.

- Which states recognize out-of-state patients (reciprocity rules vary widely).


- Possession limits & consumption restrictions at your destination.


- Policies from TSA, airlines, Uber/Lyft, Greyhound, Amtrak, and rental car companies, all of which are inconsistent and frequently updated.


- New Travel Warnings

ASA held 2 events in response to the recent changes in hemp laws. We uploaded the recordings on YouTube for those who missed it. 





Watch the Town Hall Now on YouTube!  <[link removed]>

Watch ASA's Policy Briefing Now on YouTube!  <[link removed]>



HELP A FUTURE MEDICAL CANNABIS ADVOCATE FIND ASA! 

Check out ASA's new outreach tools, including these home-printer-friendly posters! 

Download, print & post in your community!  <[link removed]>

<[link removed]> <[link removed]> <[link removed]>BECOME AN ASA MEMBER! <[link removed]>Americans for Safe Access · 1629 K St NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006-1631, United States
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