Americans for Safe Access

Americans for Safe Access is a non-profit advocacy group with the mission “to ensure safe and legal access to cannabis (marijuana) for therapeutic use and research,” according to the ASA website.

ASA was founded in 2002 by Steph Sherer, who also serves as ICCI President and Director of Innovations. Sherer also founded the American Herbal Products Association and the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia.

Sherer founded ASA after using cannabis to treat neurological spasms and chronic pain after she was diagnosed with Multifocal Dystonia and Torticollis. Today it has more than 100,000 active members across the United States, and is the largest advocacy organization devoted to promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research. ASA provides research and resources for patients, medical professionals, and researchers as well as patient guides and a variety of reports and other publications to help spread the word about medical cannabis.

ASA projects have included the End Pain, Not Lives campaign to help increase access for patients suffering from pain and opioid use disorder, as well as the annual National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference, which brings people from the world of medical cannabis together to make their voices heard in DC.