Kharla Vezzetti

SACRAMENTO, May 30. Just in time for Hemp History Week, the California Senate approved Mark Leno’s industrial hemp bill, SB 566, on a 39-0 vote. The bill establishes provisions for the growing of industrial hemp. It would not take effect until authorized by federal law, a strategic condition designed to prevent objections from Gov. Brown, who vetoed a hemp bill last year on the grounds that it conflicted with federal law. This is the first time that the CA senate has passed a cannabis-related bill unanimously.…

UPDATE May 31 – AB473 stalled on the Assembly floor. Rep. Ammiano has vowed to continue the fight.

SACRAMENTO, May 24 – The Assembly Appropriations Committee approved Tom Ammiano’s medical marijuana regulation bill AB 473 with amendments. The amendments include an extensive new declaration of purposes, dubbing the bill the “Medical Marijuana Regulation and Control Act,” and stating among other things that it is intended to fulfill the promise of Prop 215 to “implement a plan for the safe and affordable distribution of medical marijuana to all patients in medical need.”…

May 22 – Medical marijuana dispensaries will remain open in Los Angeles after voters approved Measure D allowing 175 dispensing collectives to remain open in the city. The election came weeks after the California Supreme Court ruled in the Riverside case that cities may ban dispensaries altogether.

In an election with slim turn out, Measure D earned 193,969 votes (63%). Measure F, which would have allowed any dispensary that met city standards, won only 41% of the vote. Measure D does not require laboratory testing at collectives and provides exemptions for grow operations for three or fewer caretakers and/or patients.…

Take Action to Support SB439

SACRAMENTO May 20 – The California Senate approved a bill to clarify the state’s law protecting medical marijuana collectives. The bill, SB 439 by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (Sacramento), protects collectives and cooperatives that operate in compliance with the Attorney General’s guidelines, and makes it clear that their workers can receive compensation for their labor and expenses.

“SB 439 is a welcome step towards implementing Prop. 215’s mandate for a safe and affordable access system for patients,” said California NORML director Dale Gieringer in support of the bill.…

May 6, 2013 UPDATED 11:15 AM – In a unanimous decision, the California Supreme Court ruled that local governments may ban medical marijuana dispensaries. In the decision, City of Riverside v. Inland Empire Patients Health and Wellness Center, the court ruled that California’s state medical marijuana laws do not preempt the authority of local governments to regulate or bar the distribution of medical marijuana within their borders.

“While several California cities and counties allow medical marijuana facilities, it may not be reasonable to expect every community to do so,” the court wrote.…

It is with sadness that CalNORML reports the death of Mike Gray, Gray was a documentarian and the award-winning screenwriter of the prophetic movie China Syndrome (starring Michael Douglas and Jane Fonda) who took an interest in the drug war after reading a 1992 article in the LA Times by DPA’s Ethan Nadelmann.

Written in documentary style after six years of research and writing, including a trip to Columbia, Gray’s seminal book, DRUG CRAZY: How We Got Into This Mess and How We Can Get Out (Random House, ’98) had a major impact on the drug war debate.…

California NORML Release April 30, 2013

US Attorney Melinda Haag has issued a spate of new landlord letters targeting medical cannabis dispensaries in Northern California.

Cal NORML has so far heard reports from dispensaries in San Jose, San Francisco and Ukiah. The letters warn landlords that the facilities are operating too close to a school or park. Under federal law, distribution of controlled substances within 1,000 feet of a school or youth recreation area is punishable by enhanced penalties. In addition, the letters warn landlords that they are liable for forfeiture under USC Title 21, Section 881(a) 7.…