News Releases

• Supreme Court skeptical of medical marijuana at Raich - Monson hearing. Ruling expected this spring - (Dec 04).
• State Medical ID Cards delayed; patients harassed (Dec 04).
• Election 2004 results: Oakland voters give resounding 65% mandate for legalization by passing Measure Z; Prop 66 loses; Berkeley Measure R loses narrowly. Mixed results in other states.
• US Supreme Court to review landmark Ninth-Circuit Raich-Monson ruling protecting Prop. 215 patients - hearing scheduled Nov. 29th, 2004.
• California Voter's 2004 Election Guide on Drug Reform Issues
• Pathbreaking Oakland cannabis initiative Measure Z for complete adult legalization on "tax and regulate" model makes November city ballot. www.YesOnZ.org
• DEA raids Roseville, Lake County cannabis centers. (Sept 2004)
• State Medical MJ ID card program starts in four counties (Jun 05)
• Cannabis dispensaries proliferate in California.
• Berkeley "Patients' Access to Medical Cannabis Act" Measure R on November city ballot.
• In major court victory for Prop. 215, U.S. Ninth Circuit protects patients' right to use medical marijuana in Raich - Monson case.
• Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals strikes down DEA ban on hemp foods. (Feb 6 04)
• Gov. Davis signs medical marijuana bill (SB 420) to establish Prop 215 guidelines; law takes effect Jan. 1, 2004.
• Oakland, Hayward debate regulating cannabis clubs (Newsletter, Dec 2003).
• Favorable US Court decisions for medical marijuana defendants; US Supreme Court upholds Conant decision barring federal government from punishing doctors for recommending marijuana as medicine (Oct 15, 2003).
• US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals hears key medical marijuana cases challenging constitutionality of Controlled Substances Act. Decision expected in spring 2004. (Sep & Oct 2003).
• US Supreme Court upholds injunction barring federal government from penalizing doctors for recommending marijuana as medicine (Oct 15, 2003).
• DEA raids garden of LA sickle-cell patient advocate Sister Somayah (Oct 8, 2003). More federal cases for medical marijuana than terrorism in California. (List of federal medical marijuana cases).
• LA NORML Director Bruce Margolin runs stong race for governor on marijuana legalization platform (Oct 2003).
• California candidates for governor voice support for medical marijuana.
• California NORML analysis shows legalization could yield state $1.5 billion - $2.5 billion.
• US court rules feds wrongly seized medical marijuana belonging to patient Chris Giauque (Aug 28, 2003).
• Cal. Congress members show strong support for losing measure to end federal war on Prop. 215 (Rohrabacher-Hinchey amendment).
• US Dept of Justice presses war on medical marijuana, appeals Rosenthal sentence.
• Rosenthal walks - sentenced to one day served in landmark federal court victory for medical marijuana (Jun 2003).
• DEA arrests two more medical marijuana growers in San Bernardino (May 2003). More federal cases for medical marijuana than terrorism in California. (List of federal cases).
• New California NORML/MAPS study finds vaporizer highly effective in eliminating toxins from marijuana smoke.
• Patients appeal federal medical marijuana law to Ninth Circuit in Raich-Monson lawsuit (March 10, 2003).
• Rosenthal trial makes mockery of federal justice as jurors renounce guilty verdict in controversial medical marijuana trial.
• NORML denounces federal crackdown on pipe shops as wasteful misuse of law enforcement resources (Feb 25, 2003).
• US Court hears patient lawsuit to stop federal medical marijuana raids (Dec 17, 2002).
• Feds escalate war on Prop. 215, busting patients and small-scale growers.
• Cal NORML survey shows more federal arrests for medical marijuana than terrorism since Sept. 11 in California.
• California NORML proposes decriminalization of minor pot offenses to save state enforcement costs.
• Election 2002 wrapup: SF Voters approve Measure S for a city medical marijuana garden; marijuana initiatives defeated in Nevada, Arizona, and So.Dakota.
• Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals protects doctors from punishment for recommending marijuana for medicine in major court victory for Prop. 215 (Conant v. McCaffrey)
• Feds target patient gardens in major escalation of war on medical marijuana. DEA raids WAMM in Santa Cruz, arrests McWilliams in San Diego. Patients respond with lawsuits against feds. (Newsletter, Oct. 2002).
• Bryan Epis sentenced to 10 year mandatory minimum in first federal trial of medical cannabis club grower (Oct 8, 2002).
• Cal NORML joins marijuana rescheduling petition (Oct. 9, 2002).
• Cal NORML estimates 30,000 medical marijuana patients in California.
• Pot eradication helicopter causes $10 million forest fire (Aug 8, 2002).
• Feds press crackdown on medical cannabis (Newsletter, July 10)
• Congressional anti-Ecstasy and amphetmine bills target promoters of pot rallies, medical cannabis events.
• State leads nationwide June 6th protests against DEA.
• State Supreme Court gives sympathetic hearing to medical marijuana in landmark Mower case (Jun 4).
• Medical board investigating Prop. 215 doctors (Jun 02).
• DEA raids Aiko cannabis club in Santa Rosa (May 29 02)
• New court challenge to federal medical marijuana law filed by patient Lynnette Shaw (May 24 02).
• Ninth Circuit OKs religious possession of pot on federal land in Guerrero case.
• More DEA raids expected as federal judge issues summary judgment against Oakland Cannabis Buyers Coop. (May 3 2002).
• Charges dismissed against Yuba Compassionate Co-Op (Apr 2002)
• LA jury acquits Sister Somayah in medical marijuana case. (Mar 2002)
• Prop 215 supporters score primary election victories. (Mar 2002)
• Feds launch war on medical cannabis clubs in Cal. (Mar 2002)
• Medical cannabis raids in Sierra Foothills (Mar 2002)
• DEA raids fuel angry protests in S.F. Feb 12.
• Jury convicts Keith Alden, first medical marijuana defendant in a federal trial in San Francisco Feb. 11.
• Yuba Compassionate Co-op raided Jan 17, 2002.
• Cal NORML protests drug-sniffing dogs on BART trains (Dec. 17).
• Zogby poll finds 67% of public oppose DEA raids on cannabis coops (Dec 3, 2001)
• Humboldt patient Chris Giauque sues U.S. for return of one ounce of medical marijuana. (Nov 2001)
• San Francisco tells DEA to lay off clubs (Nov 5, 2001).
• DEA raids LA cannabis club in new federal war on medical marijuana. (Oct 2001).
• DEA targeting medical marijuana clubs in California (Oct. 2001)
• Feds raid El Dorado medical cannabis center. (Oct - Nov 2001)
• State Medical Board investigating Prop. 215 physicians.
• Cal NORML files amicus brief to state Supreme Court in key medical marijuana case People v. Mower.
• Appellate Court delivers controversial ruling on medical marijuana transportation in People v. Young. (Nov. 2001)
• New federal suit challenges constitutionality of federal ban on medical marijuana in California. (Dec 2001)
• Cops continue to harass Prop. 215 patients (Newsletter, Dec. 2001)
• Legislature kills marijuana decrim bill; medical marijuana and hemp bills delayed till next year (Sep. 2001)
• Marijuana arrests decline slightly in California, but reach record levels in U.S.
• Humboldt patient Chris Giauque arrested after filing federal suit for return of one ounce of medical marijuana.
• Sonoma adopts pathbreaking Prop. 215 cultivation guidelines.
• Oakland tightens medical cannabis guidelines.
• U.S. Supreme Court rules against medical marijuana distribution; state medical marijuana law not affected (May 2001).
• Prop 215 defendants score court victories (Newsletter, Apr 2001).
• Cal NORML/MAPS study shows that marijuana vaporizers may protect smokers' lungs (Jan 2001).
• Mendocino County Personal Use of Marijuana Initiative (PUMI) approved by 58%-42% vote (Nov. 2000).
• Proposition 36, requiring treatment instead of prison for drug possession offenders, approved by 61% of California voters (Nov. 2000).
• Kubby verdict a victory for Prop. 215 patients (Newsletter, Jan 2001).
• U.S. Supreme Court to decide on patients' right to medical marijuana in Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative case.
  • Attorney General Lockyer urges Court to back state law in OCBC case.
  • NORML files amicus brief in OCBC case.
• Attorney General's office blames Mexicans for CAMP's record pot harvest (Sep 2000).
• Medical marijuana research trials begin in California.
• State ponders Prop. 215 guidelines (Newsletter, August 2000)
• Legislature kills Gov. Davis' Smoke a Joint Lose Your License bill (Sep 2000).
• Congress kills Sen. Feinstein's anti-methamphetamine bill to ban marijuana- and drug-related speech. (Dec. 2000)
• Consumer alert: Raids on customers of Greenfire garden store near Sacramento (May, 2000).
• State suppresses study showing no increase in teen pot use after Prop. 215 (May, 2000).
• State ponders Prop. 215 guidelines (Newsletter, Aug. 2000).
• Proposition 36 to end imprisonment of non-violent drug possession offenders headed for November ballot in California (July, 2000).
• Gov. Davis presses for "Smoke a Joint, Lose Your License" law (Apr 2000).
• Medical MJ advances despite setbacks, struggles (Newsletter, Apr. 2000).
• Prop. 215 cases continue: (Newsletter, Dec. 1999)
• Landmark 9th Circuit Ruling supports clubs' distribution of cannabis in cases of "medical necessity." (Sep 13, 1999)
• Prop. 215 cases continue: (Newsletter, Aug. 1999)
• Berkeley pot activists press for Kinder and Safer Streets Act. (Aug. 1999)
• Sacramento: Gray Davis signs medical marijuana research bill; medical marijuana task force bill held over; "Three Strikes" reform study vetoed. (Sep. 1999)
• Marijuana potency study shows clubs' medical cannabis superior to the government's. (Aug. 1999)
• NORML launches ad campaign in San Francisco. (Aug.1999)