Kharla Vezzetti

May 5 – Asked today about a recent Field Poll showing that 56 percent of registered voters support legalizing and taxing marijuana in California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said “Well, I think it’s not time for that, but I think it’s time for a debate.”

“I think all of those ideas of creating extra revenues, I’m always for an open debate on it,” Schwarzenegger said at a press event in Davis. “I think we ought to study very carefully what other countries are doing that have legalized marijuana and other drugs, what effect did it have on those countries…It could very well be that everyone is happy with that decision and then we can look at that.”…

May 3, 2009 – In an unpublished opinion, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reaffirmed the 10-year mandatory minimum sentence of Bryan Epis on charges of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana. Epis’ attorney, Brenda Grantland, says she will appeal for an en banc rehearing of the ruling by the full Ninth Circuit.

Epis was the first California medical marijuana patient to be prosecuted on federal charges. He was arrested in 1997, shortly after the passage of Prop. 215, while growing for a Chico patients’ group.…

April 30, 2009 – A new poll by Mervin Field, the state’s premier political pollster, finds that 56% of Californians support legalizing marijuana. This confirms the findings of the recent Evans-McDonough poll sponsored by Oaksterdam University and the Zogby poll by NORML et al.

Public opinion has swung to legalization here in California.

– Dale Gieringer, Cal NORML

Read more.

Full poll results.…

The US Dept of Justice has made a mockery of AG Eric Holder’s policy of supposedly respecting state medical marijuana laws in the case of Charles C. Lynch, whose sentencing has been delayed until June 11.

“The Office of the Deputy Attorney General has reviewed the facts of this case and determined
that the investigation, prosecution, and conviction of defendant are entirely consistent with the policies of DOJ and with public statements made by the Attorney General with respect to marijuana prosecutions.…

March 26, 2009 – Yesterday’s DEA raid on a San Francisco medical cannabis club is a wake-up slap to everyone who was hoping for the best from Attorney General Holder’s promise to end DEA raids.

Not surprisingly, DEA agents are claiming that the club in question, Emmalyn’s, was in violation of state law. However, Emmalyn’s is licensed by the city of San Francisco and was offered no due process in state courts. According to a report in the SF Chronicle, the DEA alleges that Emmalyn’s was not paying its full state sales taxes.…

March 23, 2009 – Hearings for the landmark legalization bill AB 390 by Tom Ammiano have been set for the next session of the California Assembly (Dec – Jan) so as to provide time for building support.

Thanks to the over 4,000 Californians who have already sent emails to their legislators about the bill through the Cal NORML website.

Stay tuned to CaNORML.org for the latest information about legalizing adult use of marijuana in California. If you are not yet a member, join today!…

Speaking live on CNN, Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-47) cited the west coast’s majority support for regulating cannabis like alcohol – as acknowledged by NORML’s recent Zogby poll – and called for a statewide “pilot program” to objectively assess the impact of cannabis legalization upon adult society.

“Well, certainly, I have seen in my own state of California, people over and over voting in a big majority [on] the whole issue of marijuana, and possession of that,” Sanchez said. “So maybe it would be a good pilot program to see how that regulation of marijuana might happen in California since the … majority of Californians believe maybe that should happen.”…

February 25, 2009 – Speaking at a press conference with DEA administrator Michelle Leonhart, Attorney General Eric Holder declared that ending medical marijuana raids “is now American policy.”

A reporter asked, “shortly after the inauguration there were raids on California medical marijuana dispensaries…do you expect these to continue?”, noting that the President had promised to end the raids in the campaign.

Holder responded, “What the President said during the campaign…is consistent with what we
will be doing here in law enforcement.…

Contact: Dale Gieringer, Director, Cal NORML (415) 563-5858
WRITE TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVES IN SUPPORT OF AB390

San Francisco, February 23, 2009 – At a press conference today, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-SF) announced the introduction of AB390, The Marijuana Control, Regulation and Education Act, a landmark bill to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol and tobacco.

The bill would save the state’s taxpayers over $1 billion, according to an economic analysis by California NORML, with additional economic benefits of $12 –18 billion.…