Americans for Safe Access Announces New Leadership and Initiative for Medical Cannabis Patients in 2025

On December 13, 2024, Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a nonprofit organization advocating for safe medical cannabis access for patients across the nation, announced that ASA founder Steph Sherer had returned to the position of Executive Director. Founded in 2002, the organization has a long history of promoting cannabis patient voices and policy nationwide and internationally. It also seeks to protect the rights of patients and researchers and advance scientific knowledge on medical cannabis. Its latest plan of action, “Cannabis and Cannabinoid Medicines Initiative,” is a renewed effort to integrate cannabis-based medicines in the US healthcare system.

In a blog post, Sherer explained the goal of the latest movement, noting the recent developments in the federal rescheduling of cannabis. “HHS’s recent acknowledgment of cannabis having ‘currently accepted medical use’ in the United States validates decades of patient-led advocacy,” stated Sherer. “But removing cannabis from Schedule I is only the first step. We must now create a viable pathway for complex botanical medicines to serve millions of patients who need them. I am honored and excited to be joined by a remarkable team of healthcare experts and patient advocates. Together, we will expand the definition of medicine to include cannabis and bring long-overdue relief to Americans nationwide.”

Previously, in her past leadership at ASA, Sherer has helped create distribution programs for medical cannabis, product safety standards, and has recently spent several years working towards reforming international drug treaties, guiding research initiatives, and more.

“Patients have pushed state reforms as far as they can, and without federal action, patients are still denied basic rights,” added Sherer. “Contrary to popular belief, adult-use or hemp markets do not adequately serve patients’ specific medicinal needs. We need representation on Capitol Hill to bring this message to policymakers and a communications team to amplify patient voices. Today, we are calling on all medical cannabis advocates and supporters to join this effort.”

Additionally, Sherer will lead patient education efforts through the “What’s in Your Cannabis?” campaign, provide training for product safety protocols with the Patient-Focused Certification program, and lead other advocacy efforts. Through ASA’s Safe Access 4 All campaign and its collaboration with other organizations, ASA plans to pass legislation for a national medical cannabis program, create an Office of Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoid Control, and introduce the “Schedule VI” classification for cannabis.

Joining ASA to advance all its initiatives are four new board members (1):

• Deondra Asike, MD, Clinical Associate, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Founder and CEO of National Pain Releaf
• Dr. Codi Peterson, PharmD, Pediatric Pharmacist and Cannabis Science Expert
• Shanetha Marable-Lewis, MS, MS, Disabled Veteran and Executive Director of Veterans Initiative 22
• Michelle Wright, MS Experienced Board Director, Advisor, Community Leader, and Mother/Caregiver to an Adult Son with Profound Autism

Also supporting the organization is a five-member Patient Focused Certification (PFC) Advisory Board, and an 11-member Cannabis & Cannabinoid Medicine Initiative (CCMI) Advisory Group, which includes David Vaillencourt, CEO and Founder of the GMP Collective, Co-Founder S3 Collective; and Dr. Dedi Meiri, Associate Professor, Head, Laboratory of Cancer Biology & Cannabinoid Research, Faculty Biology & Technion Integrated Cancer Center Technion - Israel Institute of Technology.

Reference

1. Sherer, S. Healthcare Leaders & Cannabis Experts Unite Behind Bold National Medical Cannabis Effort for 2025. Americans for Safe Access, 2024.