Kharla Vezzetti

January 20 – LA’s long-debated medical marijuana ordinance is likely to be approved on a final vote next Tuesday.

By an 11-3 preliminary vote, the Los Angeles City Council moved to adopt a medical marijuana ordinance requiring collectives to locate outside a 1000-foot buffer from sensitive use properties (schools, libraries, churches). Collectives can exist in residential areas unless they abut a residence.

View the ordinance (PDF)

Since the vote on first reading was not unanimous, a final vote (where only a majority is needed) will take place on Tuesday, January 26.…

January 12 – The California Assembly Public Safety Committee will be voting on Tom Ammiano’s landmark bill to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana (AB390) this Tuesday, Jan 12th. The bill is expected to be heard when the committee convenes at 9 am.

The bill, based on legislation proposed by Cal NORML and originally drafted for former State Sen. Vasonconellos, would legalize the use of marijuana by adults over 21 and regulate its
production and sale in a manner similar to alcohol through the Alcoholic Beverages Commission.…

– California NORML Release –

SACRAMENTO, Jan 12, 2010. In a historic vote, the Assembly Public Safety Committee voted 4-3 to approve Tom Ammmiano’s bill to legalize and regulate marijuana, the first time a legislative body has ever voted to repeal MJ prohibition. The bill does not have time to move forward to the next legislative step, which would involve hearings by the Health Committee, and will therefore likely die at the end of the week, but Ammiano said he would re-introduce a similar bill in an upcoming session.…

December 17 – At a rollicking meeting where someone signed in as “Santa Claus” for public comment, LA City Council yesterday once more put off their vote on a medical marijuana ordinance, at least until a special meeting they will hold on the topic January 13. (Santa didn’t show, but he was thanked for stopping by.)

Councilmember Reyes lead off the presentation of maps from the planning department, thanking them for their efforts and asking councilmembers to take the maps and statistical analyses back to their offices and study them before making a decision.…

Dec 1, 2009 – A San Diego jury’s not guilty verdict for medical marijuana defendant Jovan Jackson sends a powerful message to District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis to call off the heat and dismiss the numerous other defendants currently facing similar charges in San Diego.

The jury rightly cited the vagueness of current laws as a reason not to convict Jackson of illegally possessing and selling marijuana.

It is to be hoped that Jackson’s case will set a precedent for other medical marijuana defendants in San Diego.…

December 12 (UPDATE): LA City Council will take up the latest ordinance draft on Wednesday, December 16.

December 2 (UPDATE): The latest draft of the L.A. Ordinance has been released. As written, it would cap the number of collectives at 70, distributed among 21 police precincts, and furthermore allow one coop per 57,000 people. It would disallow membership at more than one collective and allow inspection of patient records, just not full medical records without a warrant.

Read about Redding actions.…