A Brief Biography

 Of Jason Browne

 

I became active in the cannabis movement in 1995, as a volunteer with Cannabis Action Network. While there, I gathered signatures for prop. 215, registered voters and promoted the passage of this wonderful law by co-producing concerts and events. When the Compassionate Use Act was made law, I dove in head first and helped organize what would become Humboldt Cannabis Center, serving north-coast patients for five years. I�ve also co-founded several organizations dedicated to the implementation of California�s medicinal cannabis laws, including Medical Cannabis Association, Patients� Health Defense and Tehama Health Coalition.

 

Since the closure of H.C.C. in 2001, I�ve directed my attention to advocating a far better implementation model than most cannabis dispensaries have provided thus far�that of �Direct Access�. The model of direct access is specifically protected under California laws and is more likely to out-last federal attacks, as it represents qualified individuals directly, rather than through third parties that only represent business interests. It also provides for things which retail dispensaries often do not, such as reduced costs, effective isolation and preservation of particular strains and quality assurances on the cannabis being produced. It�s a model of self regulation and true grassroots organizing. It requires patients to be involved with their healing process. Most importantly, it allows them to produce their medicine collectively and to network their resources in consumer cooperatives. It�s very democratic.

 

Now that I�ve cultivated cannabis for fifteen years and walked my talk, I�m taking on new responsibilities as an educator, teaching courses for Oaksterdam University, Cannabis Career Institute and other private schools dedicated to a cannabis curriculum. I continue to serve as a primary caregiver (for my father and mother-in-law), and recently completed service as an assistant to several patients (in the capacity of garden administrator for a small collective) for the past 12 years. So I have extensive experience with the model of direct access. I also continue to advocate for patients� rights in other ways�as an expert witness to the courts and assistant investigator for defense attorneys, as a legal and horticultural consultant for qualified individuals, as an amateur legislator and as a public Citizen with a voice. Most recently, I sued Tehama County (thanks to California NORML), where we are attempting to enjoin the enforcement of an unconstitutional �nuisance ordinance� that was recently levied against qualified patient gardens. I have also partnered with my friend Michael McCauley to form Full Circle Cannabis Consultants, in order to better serve the patient community by facilitating the evolution of the cannabis industry into a sanely regulated medical market. At F.C.C.C., we advocate Better Farming Practices for cannabis gardens and Better Business Practices for patient associations. And we offer Legal Binders and start-up consultations for qualified individuals who wish to jump through the hoops of self-regulation and better protect their investments against probable adversaries. If you need help, please consider trying our services. Thank you.

In Peace and Cooperation,

Jason Browne

 

 

Curriculum Vitae                        Jason Browne             August, 2010

707-974-8264 / P.O. Box 9152, Red Bluff Ca. 96080/ cannabisconsult@sbcglobal.net

 

                I currently offer my services as an expert witness to the courts and as an assistant investigator for attorneys. My expertise may be of assistance for clients claiming the right of qualified immunity under California statutes, and to those who otherwise have reasonable claims to challenge marijuana related criminal charges. My expertise includes areas related to: Determining probable yields, Recognizing personal / medical use amounts, Methods of delivery and their subsequent requirements, Implementation guidelines and interactions with law enforcement, Cultivation techniques and crop losses, Patient collectives and cooperatives, Primary caregivers and lawful assistants, Cannabis concentrates, and Property returns. I have thus far been qualified as an expert in Shasta, Tehama, Humboldt, Trinity, Butte, Nevada and Solano Counties. I am able to qualify at a Voi-Dire hearing in any California county.

 

My personal background pertaining to my expertise and work history in the medical cannabis industry is as follows.

 

2007 - Present: - I currently serve as an expert witness to the courts, as an investigative assistant to defense attorneys and as a garden consultant to qualified individuals throughout northern California. I also serve as a personal Assistant to several qualified individuals (patients and their primary caregivers) in my community.

 

-          Have assisted patients post conviction on two occasions, once having assisted a successful appeal that overturned a criminal conviction, and then helping to have a conviction thrown out due to jury misconduct.

 

-          Have personally cultivated several indoor and outdoor cannabis gardens over the past fourteen years. Most of these gardens have been inspected and/or approved by local or state law enforcement officials. All have complied with local and state guidelines. This includes organizing and facilitating a small garden collective, for several qualified individuals residing in Tehama County, for the past eleven years

 

-          Have been a qualified patient under California law since 1998. I continue to use cannabis, in many forms, to alleviate suffering and to avoid taking more harmful substances. I maintain the recommendation of 1 or more licensed physicians to use cannabis for medical purposes, in amounts that I personally require. I also have a Patient Identification Card, issued to me by Department of Health Services.

 

-          I am currently teaching classes at Oaksterdam University and for Cannabis Career Institute.

 

 

2006:   - Although I did not serve as a primary caregiver in 2005 or 2006, I continued to assist patients as a consultant and an expert witness. I likewise continued to address city and county governments regarding proper implementation of the C.U.A. as needed.

               

2004 - 2005:

 

-          Observed and studied the medical and legal data available to me regarding the medical use of marijuana and continued to collect scientific studies and legal updates in my personal library.

 

-          Consulted with many attorneys throughout California regarding their medical marijuana and personal use cases and occasionally served as an assistant investigator (I am not certified as a Private Investigator).

 

-          Continued to update myself on the local implementation guidelines of communities throughout the state. I also maintain occasional contact with many of our states� legal cannabis providers (Patient Collectives and Primary Caregivers), Physicians specializing in cannabis medicine, as well as State and Local Officials from all three branches of government.

 

-          Had personally provided medical cannabis to dozens of patients throughout the past nine years, by serving as their primary caregiver. Sadly, I have also experienced the loss of patients� lives passing away. While their suffering was lessened and their quality of life was improved from using cannabis, their loss can only be softened by the comfort in knowing that the People of California have recognized their right to end their lives with dignity and in relative comfort.

 

-          Continued to serve on the Board of Directors for the Medical Cannabis Association (an international, California based trade association).

2003:

-          Co-founded PHD (Patients� Health Defense), a consumer cooperative / patients� union, based out of San Francisco. Members of P.H.D. still advocate on behalf of qualified individuals in that fair city.

 

-          Initiated litigation against certain municipalities and law enforcement agencies in order to ensure patients� rights and the sanctity of our democratic process.

1998-2002:

 

-          Closed down Humboldt Cannabis Center (2001), in order to comply with federal law and to protect our volunteers and employees from potential federal harassment or prosecution. Went on to advocate more direct means of patient access (from the garden, to the patient).

           

-          Served on the Board of Directors, as the Secretary for Humboldt Cannabis Center for five years. We proudly served over 2000 patients in the greater north coast area.

 

-          Did personally interview and questioned hundreds of patients throughout California regarding their experiences relating to the medical efficacy, harm reduction potential and cost benefit analysis of using cannabis for their personal, medical needs.

 

-          Served on the Board of Directors for the Medical Cannabis Association (an international California based trade association).

 

-          Served on the Board of Directors for Classic Pharmaceuticals Inc. (an organization dedicated to the re-marketing of cannabis based pharmaceuticals, such as those prescribed by physicians in the United States prior to 1937).

 

-          Served on the Humboldt County Medical Marijuana Implementation Committee and did so for over two years at the request and appointment of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors.

-          Co-authored a municipal ordinance to implement the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, with several qualified patients, the City Council, City Manager and Police Chief of Arcata, California (Ordinance # 1276).

-          Co-drafted the first municipal medical marijuana ID card for patients who qualify under California Health & Safety Code � 11362.5 in the State, with (now retired) Arcata Police Chief Mel Brown. I also assisted in lobbying for the Humboldt County Health Department to issue similar cards. They did so, at the bequest of the Board of Supervisors, and these cards helped to identify qualified individuals throughout Humboldt County, years before California finally implemented the statewide ID card program.

 

-          Personally assisted dozens of patients in their various medical cannabis gardens and thereby witnessed their cultivation techniques and subsequent yields. Additionally, I occasionally observed and assisted the various cultivation projects of the Humboldt Medical Cannabis Center, and personally witnessed the harvesting and subsequent yields of those gardens as well.

 

06-12-97:

-          Co-founded �Clinic 215�as an association of patients and their primary caregivers. Three months later, we changed Clinic 215 to Humboldt Cannabis Center. In May of 1999, we incorporated. Starting with fewer than thirty patients, our roster grew to include over two thousand patients in 2001.

 

1997:

-          Met with drafters of the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 to discuss their intentions and the implications of our new law. I also met with numerous patients, primary caregivers, physicians, law enforcement agents, attorneys, health care administrators and providers, county supervisors, city council members and concerned citizens, in order to draft protocols for opening a medical cannabis dispensary in Humboldt County.

 

-          Began serving my first qualified patient, as his Primary Caregiver.

 

1995-1996:

 

-          As a volunteer with Cannabis Action Network, I assisted in the registration of hundreds of voters, researched the legal standing of medical marijuana defenses, gathered hundreds of signatures for Proposition 215, and promoted the passage of such to thousands of people in the Humboldt County area. This was done through the organization and promotion of concerts, festivals and gatherings. On November 11, 1996, our combined efforts paid off, and the People of California enacted the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 into law.

 

The cost of my services is as follows. My time costs $75/hour plus traveling expenses (mileage or airfare, hotel or accommodations and meals, as required). This includes my review of the discovery and viewing of evidence, as well as any extra trips, as needed. Of course, I will consider a sliding scale fee for those clients in extreme situations. I require meeting with the attorney(s) and viewing the evidence in advance of any required testimony. For most defense cases, my total cost ranges from $1000 - $2500 and I require a $500 retainer. Thank you for your consideration. If my cell phone is off or not in range, leave me a message. Or email me at cannabisconsult@sbcglobal.net

 

 

 Jason Browne�s colorful history within the medical cannabis movement of California.

For a detailed summary of my experiences related to medical cannabis, please read my Curriculum Vitae. The following is an expose into some of the more interesting and memorable contributions I�ve made since 1995/1996, when the Compassionate Use Act was placed on the ballot and then became the law of the land, here in California. Currently, I serve as an instructor for a few classes at Oaksterdam University and Cannabis Career Institute, and I continue to offer my services as an expert witness, assistant investigator and cannabis garden and business consultant. I am also currently educating officials and facilitating resistance to draconian policies adopted by the county of Tehama and the cities of Red Bluff and Corning.

�         Co-authored the first ID cards for qualified patients and their primary caregivers in the state of California (City of Arcata, 1997).

�         Co-authored supportive resolution and subsequent city ordinance with the City Council of Arcata in 1997 and 1998.

�         Co-founded and served the first cannabis dispensary and patient collective in Humboldt County (Humboldt Medical Cannabis Center), from 1997 � 2001.

�         Operated the first collective cannabis garden in Tehama County (1998). This was also the first and only medical cannabis garden to pass an official inspection by the California Department of Justice and Attorney General�s Office.

�         During our second year, ours was the first and only medical cannabis garden to receive an official inspection by our local police and district attorneys office, with photos taken, evidence tags placed on plants, interviews conducted, medical claims investigated and culminating in the removal of the tags and a letter of compliance issued to our garden.

�         Served on the �215 Committee� for the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors for 2-3 years, where we successfully lobbied the county department of public health to assume responsibility for making the ID cards from the Arcata Police Department (expending the ID card service county-wide), years before California finally started issuing ID cards throughout the state.

�         Attended the first California cannabis providers� consortium, where representatives of most existing cannabis dispensaries met to discuss ways of networking our resources and policing ourselves, as an industry.

�         Hosted patient intakes for Dr. Tod Mikuriya in Arcata and Red Bluff, several times, over a period of several years. This enabled many patients to get their approvals without traveling across the state, and encouraged other cannabis specialists to set up their own practices and take up the slack.

�         Co-founded Medical Cannabis Association, a California based trade association aimed at regulating the cannabis industry from within.

�         Attended meetings with the initial Board of Officers for Classic Pharmaceuticals, an organization founded by Tod Mikuriya, aimed at re-introducing cannabis based medicines into the American Pharmacopeia.

�         Taught courses on two different occasions for the �Medical Marijuana School�, at Chico State University.

�         Sat on panels during public presentations and debates surrounding the medical cannabis laws, at Humboldt State University.

�         Testified as an expert witness in the first major medical cannabis case in Shasta County (People v. Levin) that our side won.

�         Initiated and received the first court-ordered return of property against the Arcata Police Department, for items seized during a raid where there was no intent to prosecute.

�         Testified as a percipient witness against a corrupt law enforcement officer in the Medical Board Hearing of Tod Mikuriya.

�          Co-founded Patients� Health Defense, a San Francisco based patient union promoting a model of direct access for bay area patients.

�         Presented information to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors regarding the adoption of Measure S. Also educated them regarding the plight of patients caught between overzealous law enforcement officers and greedy cannabis providers.

�         Presented points and authorities to the Hoopa Tribal Council regarding anti-discrimination measures and the cultivation of medical cannabis on tribal lands.

�         Corresponded with state legislators and state attorneys general regarding implementation models for the Compassionate Use Act in California.

�         Maintained collective cannabis garden (Tehama Health Collective) for 12 years. This garden collective maintained the tacit approval of our Sheriffs Department and complied with their guidelines for cannabis gardens at all times.

�         Presented information to the Red Bluff City Council and facilitated the addition of physician exemptions, as amendments to the officers� field manual of the Red Bluff Police Department, when the city adopted the state minimum threshold of 8 ounces and 6/12 plants per patient.

�         Was the first person in Tehama County to apply for and receive the state ID card, when they were finally made available throughout most of California.

�         Our garden collective was among those featured in the documentary film �Dispensing Cannabis, the California Story�.

�         Presented information to the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors in support of them not reducing county guidelines to California�s minimum threshold. In the end, after much public outcry, the Board decided not to reduce the guidelines, and instead opted out of having county guidelines at all.

�         Assisted local north-state patient with getting conviction overturned by California Appeals Court, in a case in which I had testified as the defense expert, where local judge and prosecutor had misled jurors about the laws of California.

�         Facilitated getting a conviction thrown out by a local magistrate, in a case in which I had testified as the defense expert, where there was evidence of Jury Misconduct.

�         Assisted with the Production of the 2010 WHEE Festival in Red Bluff, California. I provided stage equipment, helped manage the stage and served as liaison to the performers (my first career interest and primary motivation to this day was and is working in the music production industry).

�         Recently am serving as the lead plaintiff in a civil lawsuit against Tehama County, aimed at challenging (and enjoining the enforcement of) a horribly written �nuisance ordinance�, where local officials are attempting to allow themselves and their peers virtually unlimited cannabis cultivation, while prohibiting lower and middle income patients from individually or collectively cultivating for themselves! California NORML is backing this lawsuit, and we look forward to our days in court.

�         Currently serve as an instructor at several cannabis schools throughout California, and eventually the other medical cannabis States.

�         Currently serve as a consultant with Full Circle Cannabis Consultants, a firm dedicated to promoting better business practices and better farming practices throughout the cannabis industry. We offer legal binders and one on one garden and business consultations.

�         Continue to serve as an expert witness to the courts and as an assistant investigator for defense attorneys. I have testified as an expert witness for 12 years.

 

Thank You,

Jason Browne

 

cannabisconsult@sbcglobal.net