Start a CSA Chapter

If there isn't already a group in your area that can work on a CSA campaign, then you may need to begin a CSA chapter. Starting a new group can be a fun and challenging exercise, while at other times it can be frustrating. Following are a few tips that should maximize the fun while attempting to minimize the frustration.

Talk to your friends and other like-minded individuals. Even if you begin with only 2 or 3 people, don't be discouraged. Pick a meeting spot and begin advertising your meeting at least two weeks before it actually occurs. Hang flyers in targeted areas and call local papers and radio stations to get listed in their events calendars. You can't do too much outreach!

• Before the meeting: plan a solid agenda, set out refreshments, learn people's names as they arrive, and introduce them to each other. Set out literature and a sign-in sheet.



• During the meeting sit in a circle and begin by stating why you wanted to start a CSA group, and what CSA is currently working on. Go in a circle and ask each participant why they are interested in helping, and what they think they’d like to do to contribute to this important cause. Try to make everyone feel like they are being listened to, and that their ideas are being heard and addressed. Try not to let a few people dominate the whole meeting. It is important to do two things during this first meeting: 1) collect contact information, and 2) set the next meeting time and place. Take notes and distribute to everyone soon afterwards, and start an email listserve to facilitate future organizing.



• If people are interested in coming together outside of the meeting, be sure to encourage them to do so. An organization that socializes together will be that much more committed when people feel stressed by situations or deadlines.

Before your second meeting you should phone everyone in the group to remind them of the next meeting and try to get people to personally commit to attending. At the second meeting, decide on some action items to get started. You may want to host a benefit or other type of event to get your feet wet. This also empowers your membership to go on to bigger things. Look through the campaign strategy and the event options in this booklet and discuss them with your group; settle on one, develop an action plan, and follow through on it

Set up committees or working groups that can handle different aspects of the organizing. Some examples of working groups are:

• Alliance-building with other organizations


• Fundraising


• Media


• Outreach & tabling


• Lobbying & legislation research


• Direct action preparation

Remember to network with the national CSA office so we know what local groups have formed and can facilitate communication between groups.

1. Please make copies of your participant lists and send to us so that we can add the names to our national list.


2. Copy the "Pledge of Resistance" and collect signatures, and then send copies to the national office for addition to our database.
3. Make sure everyone who has an email address knows how to subscribe to an "emergency response" list.

CSA encourages local communities to tap into and organize grassroots support for medicinal cannabis users, cultivators and distributors. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, you can contact us at: access@safeaccess.ca

Keep up the good work!