Kharla Vezzetti

Close-up view of cannabis plants with lush green leaves and visible branches, illuminated by yellowish indoor lighting. The perspective emphasizes the density and healthy growth of the foliage in an indoor cultivation setting, reflecting a sense of compassion in their careful nurturing. CA Norml

Gov. Newsom Signs Cannabis Compassion Bill

UPDATE 10/13/2019 – The Governor has signed the bill into law. Thanks to all our supporters who sent letters in support. Cal NORML networks sent over 3000 letters to lawmakers in 2019.

UPDATE 9/21/2019 – SB 34, the Dennis Peron & Brownie Mary Cannabis Compassion bill, has passed through the CA legislature and awaits the Governor’s signature. 

A man in a gray suit and purple tie stands behind a microphone, speaking with compassion to an audience. He is positioned in front of several people. Shelves with boxes are visible in the background, and one person in the background is wearing a cap with a cannabis leaf symbol. CA NormlJoined by co-sponsor Sen. Nancy Skinner (Berkeley), Senator Scott Wiener (San Francisco) announced he will introduce SB 34 to protect cannabis compassion programs in California in 2019.…

A man at a counter in a hotel. CA Norml

Contra Costa Pot Giveaway Celebration and Protest

On the courthouse steps

December 8 – Cannabis advocates handed out free marijuana to grateful recipients on the Contra Costa County Courthouse steps today in protest of the county’s lack of legal, affordable dispensaries.

Organizers, including Contra Costa County NORML and PotPride.com, took advantage of California’s legalization law, which makes it legal to possess and give away up to one ounce of cannabis (or 8 grams of concentrate) to adults over 21.

 

Santa helps himself to a gift

The handout attracted a few score of appreciative locals, who lined up to help themselves to free samples of marijuana, canna-caps, edibles, seeds, and topicals, while carefully observing the law’s ban on public smoking of marijuana.…

CANORML Lobby Day

Cal NORML’s 2018 Accomplishments and Plans for 2019

PLEASE JOIN CAL NORML OR RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP
TO HELP US CONTINUE OUR WORK IN 2019.

As California enters new territory with the opening of adult-use sales this year, Cal NORML continues its fight to secure consumers’ rights to use cannabis freely, legally, and affordably. We are glad to have made some progress with the state’s lawmakers and regulators this year, but much work remains to be done.

While the year got off to a bang with the first legal sales on January 1, 2018, progress has been rocky, fraught with glitches and bottlenecks, costly new taxes and regulations, and a persistent shortage of legal outlets in many parts of the state.…

Four individuals standing in front of a backdrop with campaign signs promote Gavin for Governor and Buffy Wicks. The two women are smiling on both ends, one man with a beard and glasses is in the middle-left, and another man in a tie is on the middle-right. These California candidates proudly support pro-cannabis legislation. CA Norml

Pro-Cannabis Candidates and Measures Carry Across California

This page will be updated as more results are reported.

Updated 11/11

Gavin Newsom, a cannabis supporter who pushed for the passage of Prop. 64 to legalize adult recreational use in California, will be the new governor of the state. Incumbent Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who has vowed to protect the state’s legalization law against federal intrusion, also won his race. Both are carrying their contests with 60% of the vote. (Pictured: newly elected East Bay Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, Cal NORML director Dale Gieringer, Sabrina Fendrick from Berkeley Patients Group, and Newsom.)…

A grand, neoclassical building is pictured behind a well-manicured lawn adorned with tall palm trees and lush green bushes. Two flags flutter atop the building's rooftop, signaling local restrictions, while the sky is clear and blue. The architecture features columns and large windows. CA Norml

Local Restrictions on Personal Cannabis Cultivation Struck Down in Court

November 2, 2018 – San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge David Cohn has issued a ruling striking down parts of a City of Fontana ordinance placing restrictions on residential marijuana growers in the first court case limiting a local jurisdiction’s ability to regulate personal cultivation rights in California under Proposition 64 (AUMA).

The ruling is the result of a lawsuit filed against the city by the Drug Policy Alliance and the ACLU (at the urging of Cal NORML) on behalf of plaintiff Mike Harris, a retired ironworker and registered nurse seeking to cultivate marijuana in his Fontana home to ease his arthritis and pain from past injuries.…

Three people are seated on stage in front of a colorful, geometric background with cannabis leaf designs at the NCIA conference. They are engaged in a panel discussion. The person on the left is speaking into a microphone, while the others listen attentively. Various drinks are on the table. CA Norml

NCIA CCIA Conference Report: Day 2

BCC chief Lori Ajax kicked off Day 2 of the NCIA/CCIA conference and trade show in Anaheim by reminding the crowd that everything the Bureau does affects the cannabis consumer and the public, as well as licensees.

Speaking of the 152-page regulatory document released with revisions following thousands of comments last Friday, Ajax noted, “A change in regulations is a good thing because we’re listening.” Following another public comment period ending November 5, Ajax expects the final regulatory package will be sent to the Office of Administrative Law by December 3.…

Image shows a logo of a bear composed of geometric shapes in a gold color, with the letters "CCIA" beneath it in matching gold on a dark green background, representing the Conference's emblem. CA Norml

NCIA/CCIA Conference Report: Day One

Read Day 2 Report

The NCIA/CCIA conference in Anaheim got off to a rousing start with NCIA founder Aaron Smith reminding the crowd that California was still the biggest potential market for the cannabis industry, even now that Canada has become the second country to legalize it. Smith announced that the latest Gallup poll shows 66% of Americans are in favor of legalization, fully 2/3 and the highest (ahem) number yet. Speaking of the coming midterm elections, Smith opined, “No matter the result, we’re going to see a Green Wave,” listing numerous states that are looking to legalize on the November ballot.…

A clear glass with an illustration of a bear holding a banner that reads "California" and standing in front of a green cannabis leaf, nodding to CA Cannabis Regulations. The glass contains three yellow pencils with erasers and is placed on a wooden surface against a plain background. CA Norml

CA Cannabis Regulations Issued for Final 15-Day Comment Period

Updated 1:10 PM

October 19, 2018 – Regulations for cannabis businesses in California have been issued by the Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC), the CA Dept of Food of Agriculture (CDFA), and the CA Dept. of Public Health (CDPH). A final 15-day comment period on the proposed regulations has opened.

The controversial regulation allowing deliveries throughout the state, which Cal NORML supports, has been amended in the BCC regulations to read:

§ 5416. Delivery to a Physical Address (changes in italics)

(d) A delivery employee may deliver to any jurisdiction within the State of California provided that such delivery is conducted in compliance with all delivery provisions of this division.…

A group of five people stand behind a podium with microphones. To the left is a poster titled "Campaign Against Marijuana Planting" with maps and text, and to the right is an image of confiscated marijuana plants. Two flags are displayed in the background, as AG Becerra addresses the assembly. CA Norml

AG Becerra Announces Campaign Against Marijuana Planting Data for 2018

Attorney General Becerra announced that this year’s Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, a multijurisdictional task force including DEA and other agencies, made 52 arrests at 254 grow sites across 40 counties.

The Campaign Against Marijuana Planting claims to have eradicated 614,267 illegal marijuana plants on public lands in California this year, half the number taken in 2017. The state’s wildfires were a contributing factor in the drop, Becerra spokeswoman Jennifer Molina said.

Arrestees were “Mexican national drug traffickers who are working for drug cartels,” DEA special agent Karen Flowers said at a press conference with AG Becerra and others.…

U.S. map showing locations of 698 Drug-Free Communities Program grantees for fiscal year 2016, including U.S. territories. Green dots mark new mentoring grantees, yellow dots new grantees, blue dots mentoring grantees, and small blue dots continuation grantees. Fairfax residents are among the ONDCP Grantee recipients. CA Norml

ONDCP Grantee Sends Mailer to Fairfax Residents Against Adult-Use Cannabis Sales

September 14, 2018 – A Marin County organization funded by the US Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) sent a mailer to every resident in Fairfax, California urging them to come out and oppose the approval of adult-use cannabis sales at a town council meeting last August 15.

The mailer, issued at taxpayers’ expense, claims that cannabis shops are associated with higher levels of property crime, that regular use of cannabis can lead to life-long addiction problems, that permissive attitudes lead to higher teen use, and more.…