Ellen Komp 
California NORML is sponsoring a laboratory study to investigate the safety of electronic vape pens. The study is designed to measure toxic emissions such as benzene, formaldehyde, and heavy metals that could be dangerous to health, as well as the amounts of THC and cannabinoids they deliver to users. The study is a follow-up to …
Efforts to reform federal cannabis laws remain stuck on hold in Washington, D.C. There is no indication as to whether the administration plans to move marijuana from Schedule I to III, as proposed by the Biden administration in April 2024. The DEA’s leadership has expressed skepticism about the proposal and has been sitting on it …
State and federal lawmakers have moved to clamp down on hemp products, leaving Californians at a loss to legally obtain natural hemp CBD medications. The California Department of Public Health has effectively banned the sale of hemp products pending the implementation of a new state licensing system in 2028. Meanwhile, the Congress has moved to …
UPDATED 10/13/2025 Six cannabis-related bills made it through the legislature this year and four were signed into law, while ten failed to advance. A bill from Asm. Haney to rollback cannabis taxes that Cal NORML sponsored became law, as did bills to regulate hemp from Asm. Aguiar-Curry and Sen. Wiener, and a bill from Asm. …
Governor Newsom has signed the Cal NORML-sponsored bill, AB 564 (Haney), to roll back the cannabis excise tax increase that happened on July 1 from 19% back to 15% on October 1, 2025. Thanks to all Cal NORML’s supporters who helped lobby for the bill (including at our Lobby Day in March), and all who …
Read the hearing transcript: Public Hearing Serving Size and Age for Industrial Hemp Transcript Regulations webpage: DPH-24-005E Emergency Regulations for Serving Size, Age, and Intoxicating Cannabinoids for Industrial Hemp 7/28/25 – The California Dept. of Public Health held a hearing today on proposed regulations extending a ban on hemp-derived products with any amount of …
Cal NORML put out word through our email alert list this week asking cannabis consumers and businesses to tell us about the initial impacts of the 26% excise tax increase that hit cannabis in California on July 1. Several consumers and businesses reported damaging repercussions; some of the responses are below. “To be honest even …
UPDATE September 10, 2025 – AB 564 has passed both houses of the California legislature and is heading to the Governor’s desk. UPDATE July 9, 2025 – On the 50th anniversary of cannabis decriminalization in California, AB 564 passed through the Senate Revenue and Tax committee, its first stop in the Senate after passing in …
July 9, 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of California’s landmark marijuana decriminalization law, the Moscone Act, which reduced the penalty for possessing an ounce or less of marijuana from a felony to a citable misdemeanor punishable by a $100 fine and no jail. The law, sponsored by then-Senator George Moscone and California NORML, was signed …
Were you arrested for possessing an ounce or less of marijuana in California before 1976? If so, Cal NORML would like to hear your story. This year marks the 50th anniversary of California’s landmark decriminalization law, the Moscone Act, which was sponsored by Cal NORML and decriminalized possession of one ounce of marijuana from a …