1. ★  Angel McClary Raich
   

Angel McClary Raich is a long-time resident of Oakland, CA.  Ms. Raich is a well-known medical cannabis patient, media spokesperson and issue advocate with 16 years of experience in the medical cannabis industry.  Ms. Raich has been a pioneer on the front lines working hard to change medical cannabis laws throughout the United States.  Ms. Raich specializes and

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lts in various areas of the medical cannabis industry, including but not limited to: state, federal, and local laws and policies, including unlawful search and seizure, HUD and housing issues, employment issues, state and federal raids, all aspects of dispensary operation, safety, and patient care, as well as public relations, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Ms. Raich was on the team that drafted California Senate Bill 420 with Attorney General Bill Lockyer and California Senator John Vasconcellos and has participated in writing medical cannabis policies and legislation at the state, federal, and local levels.

In 2002, Ms. Raich sued the federal government (Raich v. Ashcroft & Raich v. Gonzales, Case # 03-1454 (The Raich Case): Raich v. Gonzales US Supreme Court case 2004-2005) for the right to possess, use, and cultivate medical cannabis under federal law and won an historic injunction against the federal government protecting herself and millions of patients and caregivers from arrest and asset forfeiture.  The case changed the federal legal landscape and made medical cannabis a household name.  Ms. Raich was not only the lead plaintiff, she was on the legal team assisting in writing legal briefs and research, coordinated the media consultants, interviews, messaging, helped write press releases and spin, organized fundraising, coordinated with the drug policy movement, and worked with politicians, as well as other states.  In 2005, the United States Supreme Court overturned this ruling in a 6-3 decision, while asking Congress to change the drug control laws.  (www.angeljustice.org).  The Raich v. Gonzales case still to this day continues to set presents in the United States justice system.  The Raich case was used in the confirmation hearings of two US Supreme Court Justices, Samuel Alito and John Roberts.  The Raich case is currently the leading case at the heart of the legal challenge regarding the Obama Health Care Policy both in Congress and in two multi-states federal cases, which are making their way through the US federal courts.

Ms. Raich has 5 years experience working as a paralegal in a business and civil law office, which specialized in medical cannabis clients.  She helped clients file their articles of corporations with the secretary of state, assisted the attorney in preparing bylaws, held their first board meetings, assisted attorney with client meetings most of whom were dispensaries, growers, collectives, cooperatives, and also prepared EIN filings, 501(c)(3) paperwork, and worked on many confidential projects.  In the early 2000’s Ms. Raich was a member of Oakland’s Medical Cannabis Working Group, helping to establish the City’s regulations, which have been in place for the past 10 years.  Ms. Raich taught and coordinated medical cannabis law enforcement trainings with the Oakland Police Department and Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, and has worked with Alameda County Public Health, as well as the County & City Attorney’s Office, to develop medical cannabis, dispensary, and Alameda County ID Card policies, and worked with Alameda County Child Protective Services to create their policies.

Ms. Raich has worked with medical cannabis dispensaries, delivery services, growers, collectives and cooperatives, building and security inspections, public relations, media, child custody, Child Protective Services, Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, patient’s rights, lobbying, peer counseling, and many other aspects of medical cannabis and business issues. 

Ms. Raich is dedicated to continuing education in this industry and educating others of the benefits of medical cannabis.  Ms. Raich has attended and spoken at many conferences, workshops, events, and festivals throughout the country.  Ms. Raich has taught medical cannabis classes at universities, colleges, and high schools around the United States, such as Purdue University, UC Berkeley, Sacramento State, Hayward State (CSEB), and other colleges, including law and medical schools.  Ms. Raich spoke at the 2004 California Young Democrats Conference with all 7 chapters in attendance in Sacramento. 

Ms. Raich has served on several boards, advisories, and committees. She has worked on projects side-by-side with all the top drug policy organizations, including Patients Out of Time a national science-based medical cannabis organization for health care professionals, scientists, researchers, and patients, as well as the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), American’s for Safe Access (ASA), Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), the Medical Cannabis Association (MCA) and Medical Cannabis Safety Council (MCSC) developing medical cannabis standards, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), California Against Prohibition, the Cato Institute, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), the Reason Foundation, Institute of Justice, Disability Rights, Education, and

Defense Fund (DREDF), UFCW Local 5 Cannabis Division, and many more.  Ms. Raich has many friends in the industry, who are leading medical cannabis scientists from around the world; many of whom are on the same advisory with Patients Out of Time with Ms. Raich.  Ms. Raich also has great working relationships with many politicians on the state, federal and local level.  For 11 years Ms. Raich was the Executive Director for Angel Wings Patient OutReach, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit medical cannabis organization.

Ms. Raich has been presented with many awards for her medical cannabis work.  In 2004 Ms. Raich was designed Freedom Fighter of the Month by High Times Magazine, the oldest cannabis publication in the United States.  In 2005 the Marijuana Policy Project’s National Membership voted Ms. Raich Activist of the Year, Angel was presented this award alongside Comedian Tommy Chong.  In 2005 the National chapter of NORML presented Ms. Raich with the Peter McWilliams Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement in Advancing the Cause of Medical Marijuana.  In 2006 Emmy-Winning Comic Rick Overton and the Marijuana Policy Project honored Ms. Raich as a Hero in the fight to protect medical marijuana patients along with talk show host Montel Williams and U.S. Congress Representative Sam Farr (D-CA).  Congresswoman Barbara Lee was to attend and present Ms. Raich with this honor, however, she was called away earlier in the day so Ms. Raich was presented with a letter from Congresswoman Lee who also called Ms. Raich a Hero.   In August 2010 Skunk Magazine voted Ms. Raich as one of the top 100 influential Women of Cannabis in the World.

Prior to working in medical cannabis Ms. Raich was an Accounts Receivable Manager and Office Manager with experience in a variety of office and management skills.

Copyright © 2011 Angel Raich.  All rights reserved.