Kharla Vezzetti

April 20, 2012 – California NORML is happy to report that Assemblywoman Norma Torres has amended her DUI bill AB 2552 to drop objectionable new criminal penalties for driving with residues of marijuana or illicit drugs. The bill originally proposed treating drivers found with traces of marijuana or other drugs in their system as per se DUI, an idea strongly opposed by NORML as unjustified, inequitable, and costly.

Instead, the new bill will simply divide the existing DUI statute into separate sections so as to distinguish between DUI arrests for alcohol, drugs, and drugs+alcohol.…

The California Research Bureau has released a report on pesticides and medical marijuana. The report’s major finding is that the state’s regulatory jurisdiction is unclear due to uncertainty over the legal status of medical marijuana under current law.

The report was commissioned by Assembly member Linda Halderman, M.D. (R-Clovis/Fresno). Halderman has introduced a bill, AB1975, to “state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would require the Department of Pesticide Regulation to develop guidelines to enforce state pesticide regulations on medical marijuana cultivation.”…

April 11, 2012 – Sen. Mark Leno is sponsoring a bill, SB 1182, which would clarify SB 420 so as to make it clear that entities acting consistent with the Attorney General’s August 2008 guidelines may legally sell, cultivate, process, transport, etc. medical marijuana. At present, the legality of these activities is hotly disputed by hostile law enforcement officials, such as LA DA Steve Cooley. Leno’s bill is based on language proposed by Mendocino Sup. John McCowen.

Excerpt:
This bill would exempt from the criminal acts and abatement of nuisance provisions described above collectives, cooperatives, and other business entities that are organized and operated in compliance with the guidelines published by the Attorney General [in August, 2008], and the officers, members, and employees of those collectives,cooperatives, and other business entities.…

April 10 – SACRAMENTO – Norma Torres’ zero-tolerance DUID bill AB 2552 has been amended so as to no longer apply specifically to marijuana, but to any non-medical use of controlled substances.

The revised bill would make it: “unlawful for a person who has a detectable amount of any controlled substance identified in Section 11550 of the Health and Safety Code to drive a vehicle and concurrently to do any act forbidden by law or neglect any duty imposed by law in driving the vehicle, which act or neglect proximately causes bodily injury to any person other than the driver except when the controlled substance was administered, dispensed, or prescribed by a person licensed by the state to administer, dispense, or prescribe controlled substances.”…

April 3, 2012 – Between 400 and 500 people converged on San Francisco city hall today for a Unity rally in support of medical marijuana. The event was planned before the raid of Oaksterdam University that brought protesters out to Oakland the previous day. Americans for Safe Access and affiliated groups lead the protesters on a march to the Federal Building, which houses the office of Melinda Haag, the Northern District US Attorney who has lead the recent actions against collectives in San Francisco.…

Medical marijuana supporters will be rallying to protest the federal attack on California’s cannabis collectives tomorrow April 3rd at San Francisco City Hall (Polk St), 11am – 1 pm, with a march to the US Federal Building (450 Golden Gate). Download flyer

OAKLAND, Apr 2nd – Agents of the DEA, IRS and Federal Marshall’s office converged on Oaksterdam to raid Richard Lee’s Oaksterdam University, the Oaksterdam Museum, the Blue Sky Coffee Shop, the Oaksterdam Gift Shop and other locations, including Lee’s apartment.…

March 31, 2012 – California NORML invites friends & supporters to rally in protest of the Department of Justice’s attack on medical marijuana at S.F. City Hall on Tuesday, April 3rd.  

In a report to Congress, Cal NORML denounced the DOJ crackdown as arbitrary, inconsistent, disrespectful of state and local laws, and destructive of efforts to legally regulate marijuana.  – D. Gieringer, Cal NORML
  

MEDIA ALERT!! March 30, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO SUPERVISORS, CITY ATTORNEY & STATE OFFICIALS

TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST FEDERAL CRACKDOWN AT

PRESS CONFERENCE AT 11:30AM ON TUESDAY, APRIL 3rd

(San Francisco, CA) On Tuesday, April 3rd, on the steps of City Hall (Polk Street entrance) at 11:30am an overwhelming number of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will be joined by representatives from the offices of the City Attorney, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, State Senator Mark Leno, and the Board of Equalization to show their support for medical cannabis patients by delivering a strong message to the Obama Administration regarding recent actions by the Dept.…

March 30 – As we were assured this week by Assemblyman Nestande’s office and the Assembly Judiciary committee, AB2365 has been amended to take out a reference to medical marijuana. The amended language is below.

The bill will have a hearing before Assembly Judiciary on April 10.

BILL NUMBER: AB 2365 AMENDED BILL TEXT

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 29, 2012

INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Nestande

An act to amend Section 3011 of the Family Code, relating to child custody.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1.…

March 15, 2012 – A comprehensive bill to regulate sales and production of medical marijuana, AB 2312, has been introduced by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-SF). The bill is based on a proposed ballot initiative, the Medical Marijuana Regulation Control and Taxation Act, developed by a coalition of advocates including ASA, the UFCW, California NORML, the California Cannabis Association, the Emerald Growers Association, and others.

The MMRCTA initiative, which got off to a late start, was dropped for lack of adequate time and funding.…

SACRAMENTO – Nora Campos (D-San Jose) has filed a bill to require that all medical marijuana patients in California register with the state. The bill, AB 2465, is sponsored by the Police Officers’ Research Association of Cal, which wants to make it easier for police to distinguish between illegal and legal marijuana users.

Cal NORML strongly opposes the bill, as it infringes on patients’ right under Prop 215 to legally possess and cultivate marijuana given a physician’s written OR oral recommendation.…

Stop California’s Unscientific and Unnecessary Drugged Driving Law

March 20, 2012 – A bill to establish a “zero-tolerance” DUI standard for marijuana has been introduced to the legislature by Assemblywoman Norma Torres (D-Pomona). The bill, AB 2552, would make the presence in blood or urine of any non-zero amount of cannabinoids (the distinctive ingredients of marijuana) presumptive evidence of driving under the influence. Included would be not only synthetic cannabinoids but also non-psychoactive metabolites, which can reside in the system for weeks after last use.…

March 10, 2012 – A bill that would establish a zero-tolerance DUI standard for marijuana has been introduced in the California legislature.

The bill, AB 2552 by Norma Torres (D-Pomona), would make any driver found with non-zero levels of cannabinoids in blood or urine presumptively guilty of DUI.

Since cannabinoids remain in the system for days or weeks after last use, the bill would effectively outlaw driving by every marijuana user in the state.

 There is no scientific basis for zero-tolerance DUI standards.  …

UPDATE May 17, 2012 – The California Supreme Court has granted a petition by the City of Lake Forest to review the Lake Forest ruling.

March 4, 2012 – The legal status of medical cannabis dispensaries has been bolstered by two appellate court rulings in the past week.

In the first, People v. Colvin, the Second Appellate District, Division Three rejected prosecutors’ claim that all collective members must participate in cultivation. The court reversed the conviction of William Frank Colvin, who was convicted for transportation after being denied a medical marijuana defense under SB 420 (HSC 11362.775) because he was not engaged in the cultivation process.…

February 15 – In a report to Congress, Cal NORML described the Dept of Justice’s attack on medical marijuana providers in California as arbitrary, inconsistent, disrespectful of state and local laws, and destructive of efforts to regulate medical marijuana.

In addition, the national NORML board of directors unanimously voted to condemn the actions, and CalNORML director Dale Gieringer met with public officials in Washington DC to apprise them of the situation in California.

Medical marijuana supporters will be rallying in San Francisco on Thursday, February 16th at 5:30 pm in protest of Obama’s fund-raising visit; meet @ Huntington Park, California & Taylor Streets.…

UPDATE 3/8/2012 – Safe Access Now and UFCW are working with the California legislature on a bill, AB2312, containing many of the provisions of MMRCT. Monies raised towards the initiative will be spent lobbying for the bill.

January 23, 2012 – A comprehensive initiative to revamp California’s medical marijuana laws has been filed for the 2012 ballot: the Medical Marijuana Regulation, Control, and Taxation Act.

The initiative is designed to address widespread public concern over the confusing and chaotic state of medical marijuana laws in California.…

Five marijuana initiatives are vying to collect signatures for the November 2012 ballot, ranging from medical marijuana reform and decrim to outright legalization.

Three initiatives have been filed to legalize marijuana for adult use, following up on the surprisingly strong Prop 19 legalization initiative of 2010, while one is specifically directed to the urgent issue of medical marijuana reform.

• The Regulate Marijuana Like Wine Initiative, by former Judge Jim Gray, Cal NORML attorney Bill McPike, Stephen Collett and Steve Kubby, would decriminalize sales, cultivation, transportation, etc.,…