Latest News from California

  • Kelly Case Sees Oral Arguments
    November 3 - In a remarkable turn of events, both sides at today's California Supreme Court Hearing on the Kelly case agreed that the so-called SB 420 quantity limits in Health and Safety Code 11362.77 are unconstitutional when applied to limit patients' right to a compassionate use defense under Prop. 215.
  • Cal NORML Testifies at Historic Hearings on Marijuana Legalization
    SACRAMENTO, Oct. 28th - The state Assembly Public Safety Committee held historic hearings on the legalization of marijuana, the first since "Indian hemp" was prohibited in 1913. The hearings were chaired by Tom Ammiano (D-SF), who has proposed a legalization bill, AB390, which will be heard early next year.
  • Ill-Conceived L.A. Medical Marijuana Proposal Would Cost $36 - $74 Million In Tax Revenues
    October 26 - A medical marijuana regulation ordinance proposed to the L.A. City Council by City Attorney Carmen Trutanich would cost $36 - $74 million in lost tax revenues plus untold additional enforcement costs, according to an analysis by California NORML.
  • Marijuana Arrests Up Again in California
    October 19 - Marijuana arrests in 2008 rose to their highest level in California since the state's 1976 decriminalization law, according to the latest data from the Cal DOJ Bureau of Criminal Statistics.
  • Will They Really? Feds Finally Accept State Laws on Med MJ
    October 19 - While it is certainly encouraging that the Obama administration has committed to writing the AG's declared policy of respecting state medical marijuana laws, the proof will be in the pudding.
  • LA District Attorney Targets Cannabis Collectives
    October 18 - Turn up the pressure on the LA DA! Tell him that LA's dispensaries provide a valuable service to the community, and that they should be subject to reasonable city regulations, not arbitrary raids and closures.
  • Mendo Measure B Blamed for Increased Arrests
    October 17 - Mendocino county reported a record number of marijuana arrests in 2008, according to data from the Cal DOJ Bureau of Criminal Statistics.
  • Legalization Initiatives Filed in CA
    Two marijuana legalization initiatives are currently collecting signatures for the 2010 ballot in California. A third initiative has also been submitted but is not presently circulating.