Kharla Vezzetti Cal NORML Release – May 5, 2010 The California Board of Equalization reports that the state is collecting $50 – $100 million in sales taxes from medical marijuana, confirming the estimate previously published in an economic analysis by California NORML (also independently affirmed by Americans for Safe Access). California NORML currently estimates the state’s retail …
May 4, Ridgecrest, CA: A medical marijuana raid by the Naval Criminal Intelligence Service has led to the arrest of five defendants on federal charges. The defendants were charged for distributing marijuana for the R&C Collective next to the China Lake Naval Base. Read more. Unlike the DEA, NCIS does not operate under the Justice …
SACRAMENTO – Legislative committees considered a pair of marijuana bills last week, approving Mark Leno’s bill SB 1449 to make petty pot offenses an infraction, and narrowly passing a much watered-down version of Assemblywoman Buchanan’s bill AB 2650 to limit dispensary siting. On April 20th (fittingly enough) the Senate Public Safety Commitee voted 5-2 to …
In a surprise legislative move, a bill that would drastically limit medical marijuana dispensary siting has been introduced by Assemblymember Joan Buchanan (D-Contra Costa). It is scheduled for hearing in the Assembly Public Safety Committee on April 20th. As currently amended, the bill, AB 2650, would forbid any medical marijuana collective, dispensary or other provider …
UPDATE: April 4 – One week after Davidovich’s acquittal, the San Diego DA’s office brought new charges against medical marijuana defendant Donna Lambert, over possession of two legally registered guns in her home. Deputy District Attorney Steve Walter said outside court Friday that the two jury verdicts [Davidovich and Jovan Jackson] should not be interpreted …
March 17 – As federal DEA pressure subsides in California, opponents of medical marijuana are pushing to impose new and unprecedented restrictions on medical marijuana cultivation through local ordinances of dubious constitutionality. In Long Beach, a city within LA County, the city council adopted a dispensary ordinance that requires all patient collectives to grow marijuana …
UPDATE: BILL TO DECRIMINALIZE MINOR POT POSSESSION OFFENSES SIGNED BY GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER Cal NORML Release – March 14, 2010 SACRAMENTO State Sen. Mark Leno (D-SF) has announced the introduction of a bill (SB1449) to downgrade possession of one ounce or less of marijuana to an infraction instead of a misdemeanor. By making possession an infraction, …
UPDATE March 24 – AB 1811 was passed by the Assembly Public Safety committee on March 23rd and will now go to the Assembly floor. CalNORML director Dale Gieringer testified in favor of the bill at the hearing. March 10 – A bill to legalize medical marijuana paraphernalia has been introduced by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano …
Feb 18, 2010 – Assemblyman Tom Ammiano has re-submitted his bill to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana in California. The new bill, AB 2254, the Marijuana Control, Regulation, and Education Act of 2010 is identical to its predecessor AB 390, which was approved by the Public Safety Committee in January. Because it was introduced last …
Studies Show Marijuana Safe and Effective in Treatment of Chronic Pain & Neuralgia SACRAMENTO, Feb 17th – In a landmark report to the state legislature, the California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research announced that its studies have shown marijuana to have therapeutic value (report at http://www.cmcr.ucsd.edu). The CMCR, established at the University of California in …