Cal NORML participated in Cannabis Unity Coalition lobby day last week in Washington, DC to lobby for full cannabis decriminalization, release of federal marijuana prisoners, and the clearing of records for past marijuana convictions.

Watch the coalition press conference held at the US Capitol at which Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs Dina Titus (D-NV) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) spoke, along with Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN). Read more.

Also speaking were representatives from Latino and Indigenous groups, prisoner advocates, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, NORML, MPP, DPA, and others. Information packets were dropped by Coalition members in all Congressional offices. In addition, 2,148 letters were sent to Congress in support of 44 organizations united around 13 bills, educating all 541 offices in the House and Senate.

Cal NORML’s director Dale Gieringer and deputy director Ellen Komp met with staffers for several Congressmembers, and Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla. We even got a personal moment with Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-Oakland), Senator Schiff, and Rep. Titus. Staffers were interested to hear about the potential effect of the recent rescheduling order on California consumers and businesses.

At a California Constituent Coffee with Sens. Schiff and Padilla, Ellen had asked for both of them to sponsor this year’s expected Senate version of the MORE Act to fully deschedule cannabis, pointing out the pitfalls of partial rescheduling for recreational states like CA.

Californian Jackie Simion from NCIA thanked the Senators for their attention to the issue, and asked the Cannabis Unity contingent to raise their hands in a show of force. We all got a group photo with the Senators (above).

Kristi Kem of Freedom Grow spoke about the effective 70% tax rate on cannabis businesses in California, and about prisoner Pedro Moreno, currently serving a life sentence in Atwater, CA for a cannabis offense, one of 3000 federal cannabis prisoners still incarcerated.

“This was never just about one week,” writes Kat Murti, executive director of SSDP. “Cannabis Week of Unity was a launchpad for ongoing coordination, advocacy, and movement-building. We are just getting started, and the relationships, momentum, and visibility built this week will continue to power our work moving forward.” Cal NORML is following up with California-based members of the unity coalition, working towards reform efforts in our state as well as federally.

Cal NORML Voter Guide to Cannabis Candidates

June 2026 Primary Election

Got input on candidates or races? Write here.

Artwork: Ruth Anne

UPDATED 6/29/26

Quick Links: EXECUTIVE / CONGRESS / STATE SENATE / STATE ASSEMBLY / LOCAL

Governor

RESULTS: Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton are heading to the November run-off. Hilton recently said he thinks California’s cannabis taxes are too high.   

Xavier Becerra – In 2016, as California’s Attorney General, Becerra told Politico he would be defending California’s new law legalizing marijuana against possible federal interference, and admitted he tried weed “at a younger time.” Asked if it was illegal then, he compared it to driving over the speed limit. “Cannabis is last century’s argument. We’re beyond that,” he said. He continued the CAMP (Campaign Against Marijuana Planting) program (as have all AGs) and in 2020, he joined 34 other AGs to urge Congress to provide banking services for licensed cannabis businesses. In 2013, as US Secretary of Health and Human Services, oversaw the agency’s recommendation that cannabis should be reclassified as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act, something that’s back in the news. Becerra has a longer record of public service in both state and federal government than all the other candidates. He compiled a consistently good voting record over 24 years as a Congressman from L.A.

Steve Hilton – Former Fox News host Hilton is the other Republican front-runner in the race and the one that Trump endorsed. Like Bianco, he is critical of California’s Democratic supermajority. Unlike Bianco, his views on cannabis legalization are unknown. Given the Trump administration’s bold rescheduling order, timed just before the midterms, it’s not impossible that they are favorable. One of his CalDOGE investigations concluded the $370 million in cannabis taxes earmarked yearly for youth drug prevention is largely misspent, including funding Democratic-leaning organizations. (The same organizations lobbied forcefully to raise the cannabis excise tax last year in order to keep their funding.)

Chad Bianco – Riverside sheriff Bianco is a crusty, old-style, right-wing Republican who takes a tough line on drug issues.  A former narcotics officer, he is the only candidate on record as opposing legal marijuana, and he thinks legalization has exacerbated the problem of illegal grows. (Cannabis growers can’t be licensed in most of his district; a horrible homicide in Riverside left seven dead at an illicit farm in 2020.) Last year, commenting on news that that California’s Department of Cannabis Control lost a lawsuit alleging they failed to stop illegal operations, Bianco commented, “Another failed agency from a failed State agenda….Legal marijuana was doomed from the start. It was a scam to begin with but once passed it was going to actually take work to make it successful.” Reportedly Bianco said that all marijuana is laced with fentanyl at a campaign event. He seized voting records in Riverside in a MAGA-inspired goose-chase for voter fraud, before the courts stopped him.

Matt Mahan – The moderate Democrat in the race, Mahan is the popular mayor of San Jose who has made strides against homelessness in the city. He was typically supportive of local dispensaries, except for one zoning vote. Mahan styles himself as a social liberal, but is mostly interested in economic issues. Local activists give him a thumbs up.

Katie Porter – Porter takes pride in being the only candidate who never accepts corporate donations. She is particularly interested in economic issues, but has consistently voted well on marijuana bills. She has co-sponsored the SAFE Banking Act and the MORE Act to legalize at the federal level, with equity and human rights components. She voted well on other bills, and declared support for legal marijuana in response to a questionnaire from Cal NORML in a past race.

Tom Steyer – A self-styled progressive, hedge fund billionaire Steyer has bombarded the air with over $100 million in commercials, spending multiple times more on his campaign than all other candidates combined. Steyer is an outspoken champion of environment and climate legislation, but has made no campaign pronouncements on cannabis (but now that rescheduling has happened perhaps a reporter will actually ask candidates about it).  In 2020, while running for President, Steyer was overheard supporting legalization, saying “I’m from California, are you kidding me?”  He also vocally advocates “restorative justice.”  At a debate on KRON TV in which Bianco and Hilton blamed homeless on drug addiction, Steyer advanced his plan to provide emergency shelter without requiring residents be “clean” (from drugs). Like all candidates, however, he endorses mandatory treatment for delinquent addicts.

Tony Thurmond – State Education Superintendent and solid progressive, Thurmond posted a good voting record in the Assembly, where as chair of the Labor Committee he supported a Cal NORML-sponsored bill for employees’ right to use marijuana off the job.

Antonio Villaraigosa – Former LA Mayor and Assemblyman, labor leader and ACLU president who styles himself as a problem solver and has admitted to using marijuana. As mayor, Villaraigosa presided silently over the introduction of medical marijuana clubs into the city (no one had dared open one during the administration of his Republican predecessor).

Also running:  The ballot is cluttered with another 53(!) candidates for governor.

Lieutenant Governor – ENDORSE FIONA MA

RESULTS: Ma and Republican Gloria Romero are leading in the race. 

As state treasurer, Ma has been a longtime supporter of cannabis and of lowering taxes on cannabis. She responded to Cal NORML/CCIA’s 2026 Candidate Survey, saying she would support addressing “cannabis deserts” with no licensed businesses, streamlining state/local permitting and regulations, and encouraging cannabis tourism in our state. She also supports intensifying enforcement against the illicit market, and measuring enforcement effectiveness in terms of market growth/stability/outcomes. And she’s for providing MediCal and worker’s comp coverage for medicinal cannabis, and funding state-sponsored research into the safety and efficacy of cannabis products.

Ma wrote, “We need to overturn Prop 64. It’s a complete failure,” something she was interviewed about in High Times. She testified before Congress in favor of banking for cannabis businesses. She also offered a response to rescheduling, saying, “I welcome the long-overdue decision to reclassify cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, a step that will provide meaningful relief by ending the unjust application of IRS Code Section 280E and beginning to dismantle barriers that have shut legitimate businesses out of the financial system. But let us be clear: reclassification alone is not enough.”

Attorney General – ENDORSE ROB BONTA

RESULTS: Bonta is leading Republican challenger Michael E. Gates; they appear headed for a November run-off. 

Bonta sponsored bills to regulate medical cannabis, lower taxes on cannabis, and protect employment rights of cannabis users while in the Legislature. As AG he helped expedite the clearing of criminal records for past cannabis offenses.  He has also successfully defended California law against federal interference in multiple court cases.

CONGRESS

Here are some of the frontrunners in key new Congressional districts (all are up for election). Many are in crowded fields in these top-two primaries.

Don’t know your district? Look it up.

Find office holders’ NORML ratings.

Got input on candidates or races? Write here.

CD 1 – Susanville, Red Bluff, Chico, Ukiah

RESULTS: McGuire and Gallagher are headed for a November run-off. 

Mike McGuire (A rating at NORML) has a strong voting record and authored one of the three bills that regulated medical marijuana in California in 2015. He favors adult-use legalization, but opposed Prop. 64 until such time as regulation of medical cannabis could be solidified. He strongly supports local regulation and was a key opponent of outlawing local delivery bans.
James Gallagher (D- rating) has a bad voting record in the state legislature, slightly improved in 2024 with yes votes on ending double cannabis taxation at local level, and allowing small farmers to sell directly to consumers.

CD 3 – Parts of Sacramento, Folsom, Rancho Cordova, Auburn, Truckee and South Lake Tahoe.

RESULTS: U.S. Rep. Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove with an A NORML Rating) and Republican Nevada County Supervisor Robb Tucker are projected for a November showdown.

CD 4 – Napa Valley through Yolo County and into the Sacramento Valley

RESULTS: Incumbent Democrat Mike Thompson (A- NORML Rating) will face either Republican Ray Riehle or Democrat Eric Jones in November. 

CD 6 – Roseville, Citrus Heights, parts of West Sacramento

RESULTS: Too close to call with Independent Kiley either facing Democrat Pan or Republican Michael Stansfield in November. 

Martha Guerrero – West Sacramento Mayor has local activist support; she voted in favor of cannabis licensing
Thien Ho – Sacramento’s district attorney
Lauren Babb Tomlinson – Planned Parenthood executive 
Dr. Richard Pan – Along with other Democrats, Sen. Pan voted against a 2012 bill to reduce charges in marijuana cultivation cases, after strong police opposition. As chair of the Senate Health committee in 2018, he voted for a bill to redirect cannabis tax funds for youth programs despite the Dept. of Health Care Services writing an opposition letter saying it would require them to exercise preferential treatment. In 2022, he authored a bill to require costly, badly designed new label warnings on all cannabis products.
Kevin Kiley (D+ NORML rating) voted wrong on nearly every key vote in the Assembly, although he did vote for cannabis compassion programs, automatic resentencing, and a resolution to ask the DOJ to allow cannabis businesses. Switched from Republican to Independent.
Michael Stansfield – the sole Republican in the race. “I wanted to show Christianity and Judaism a God from the Bible who loves Muslims,” Stansfield said in a telephone interview after the election. “I wasn’t necessarily going after it to win a race.”

CD 11 – San Francisco

RESULTS: Wiener is leading, will likely face Chan in November. 

Sen. Scott Wiener (A+ NORML rating) has been a champion for cannabis in the state legislature, sponsoring SB 34 to allow for tax-free compassion programs for patients, and SB 1186, requiring local governments to permit medical cannabis sales or delivery.   Wiener also championed a psychedelics decrim bill that was vetoed by Gov. Newsom.  Wiener has the strongest record of cannabis reform advocacy of any candidate in the race.
SF Sup. Connie Chan has posted a “dismal” voting record on the Board of Supervisors according to local cannabis advocates, despite running as a progressive with Nancy Pelosi’s endorsement.  Chan was one of only three supes to vote against delaying a special cannabis gross receipts tax, and has repeatedly refused to meet with representatives of the Brownie Mary Democrats.
Other candidates include progressive software multi-millionaire Saikat Chakrabarti,  a former aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who like Steyer is running from the left on a social democratic platform funded by himself;  and  multi-generation San Francisco attorney Marie Hurabiell, who styles herself as a “common-sense Democrat” and helped lead the recall campaign against former D.A. Chesa Boudin.

CD 14 – Livermore, Pleasanton, Hayward, Fremont

RESULTS: Wahab is leading, will face another candidate in November. 

Victor Aguilar, Jr. is a Brownie Mary Club Member and San Leandro councilmember
Sen. Aisha Wahab (C NORML rating) – Rather weak voting record for a Democrat. Voted against cannabis cafes and farmers markets, but also against restrictive labeling for cannabis products in 2024.
This is one of many crowded fields.

CD 20 – Tulare; Parts of Bakersfield & Fresno

Vince Fong (D- NORML rating) posted a terrible voting record on marijuana & drug issues in the CA Assembly, just like his former boss, Kevin McCarthy.

CD 22 – Corcoran, Bakersfield

RESULTS: Valadao is leading with Villegas so far beating Bains for the run-off spot. 

Randy Villegas – A progressive who’s said to have a fundraising lead. Endorsed by Bernie Sanders, Dolores Huerta, Ro Khanna, Lateefah Simon, others.
Asm. Jasmeet Bains (B- NORML Rating) – Dr. Bains is the medical director of a network of Bakersfield addiction treatment centers. Has voted well, except on cannabis cafe bills, from which she has abstained. Shut down any discussion of relative harms of cannabis and tobacco smoke in committee, scolding us by saying, “Smoking is bad, people” and leaving in a huff.
David G. Valadao (D+ NORML Rating) – As an Assemblymember, Valadao voted against every marijuana reform measure and opposed recreational legalization, but co-sponsored an industrial hemp bill. In Congress, he supported the SAFE banking act and medical marijuana research, but joined other Republicans in opposing the Democrats’ MORE legalization bill. One of just two Republican House members running for re-election who voted to impeach Donald Trump.

CD 23 – Victorville

RESULTS: Obernolte has a strong lead over Democrat and NPP challengers. 

Jay Obernolte (D+) has had a poor voting record in the legislature and Congress. He did vote yes on a state bill (AB2020) to expand places where cannabis events can be held, and was absent for a vote on a resolution to the federal government to allow state-legal cannabis programs (AJR 27). Twice he voted against cannabis compassion programs for needy patients (SB 34).

CD 26 – Oxnard

RESULTS: Irwin is leading and will likely face a Republican challenger in the fall. 

Asm. Jacqui Irwin (C-) Mixed voting record. Sponsored failed bills to ban cannabis billboards and impose restrictive labeling requirements on cannabis products; voted against cannabis cafes; skipped votes on employment rights, medical access. To her credit, she did move AB 2555, a bill to extend cannabis compassion programs, through a key committee she chaired in 2024.
Fellow Democrat Chris Espinosa is challenging her.

CD 38 – El Monte, Yorba Linda, Montebello

RESULTS: Solis will face GOP challenger Pedro Antonio Casas in November. 

Hilda Solis, a former Congresswoman, championed cannabis business licensing “that is rooted in equitable access, strong and effective enforcement, and community awareness and education” as an LA County Supervisor. She has also championed Prop. 47’s implemetation, saying she is is “deeply concerned about rising deaths within our correctional health system, driven in large part by overdoses….Every person in custody deserves timely, adequate, and humane health care, and we must continue working to achieve this goal.”
Monica Sánchez has the endorsement of Linda Sánchez, who is vacating the seat to run in the 41st. She’s either (or both?) Pico Rivera Councilmember / Montebello Mayor Pro Tem.

CD 40 – Rancho Santa Margarita, Lake Elsinore

RESULTS: Calvert leads; will likely face Kim in November. 

Ken Calvert (F NORML Rating) has voted badly on every cannabis bill in Congress.
Young Kim (D+ NORML Rating) had a poor voting record in the state legislature except on more recent regulatory bills, and she opposed Prop. 64. In Congress, she voted against the MORE Act but supported the SAFE Banking Act.

CD 41 – Santa Fe Springs, Lakewood, La Habra

RESULTS: Republican Mitch Clemmons and Sánchez will face off in the fall. 

Linda Sánchez (B+ NORML Rating) Co-sponsored the SAFE Banking Act of 2021, voted well on other bills.

CD 48 – Temecula, Vista

Daryl Issa’s district. 

RESULTS: Desmond and von Wilpert advance to the November ballot. 

Jim Desmond (R) San Diego County Supervisor
Marni von Wilpert (D) – San Diego Councilmember
Ammar Campa-Najjar (D)  – former Obama official

STATE LEGISLATURE

Find your districts.

Find office holders’ NORML ratings.

Got input on candidates or races? Write here.

Senate

State Senate District 4 – Counties of Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne

RESULTS: Democrat Jaron Brandon and Republican Alexandra Duarte lead in a race with two winners.

Marie Alvarado-Gil (R) (B- NORML Rating) Mixed voting record in CA Legislature. Voted for cannabis cafes and against restrictive labeling on cannabis products. Was absent for employment rights vote and voted against farmer’s market bill. Sponsored a bill to forfeit property from illicit cannabis growers; took amends from Cal NORML to target grows of 1,000 plants or more. Switched from a Democrat to a Republican in mid-2024.
Also in the race: County Supervisor Jaron Brandon (D) and Alexandra Duarte (R) mother/farmer

State Senate District 10 – South Bay Area, from Hayward down to Santa Clara north of San Jose.
Aisha Wahab’s district. No Democratic party endorsement in the race. 

RESULTS: Price and Sakakihara lead in a race with two winners.

Scott Sakakihara – Union City councilmember/Navy officer; served in Obama White House. Endorsed by State Senator Jesse Arreguín, Assemblymember Bill Quirk (Ret.), East Bay Young Democrats, unions. Just voted against raising cannabis tax in Union City.
Linda R. Price – Republican mediator, coach, consultant, hypnotherapist and trainer
David Cohen is a member of the San Jose City Council
Anne Kepner is a member of the West Valley-Mission Community College District Board of Trustees; has support of SEIU, Ca Teachers Assn., Cal Labor Federation.
Raymond Liu is a member of the Fremont City Council

State Senate District 12 – Fresno, Clovis, Tulare, parts of Bakersfield
Shannon Grove’s district. She’s running for Board of Equalization.

RESULTS: Magsig wins decisively and will face a challenger in the fall. 

Nathan Magsig (R) is a member of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors
Louis Miramontes (R)
William Brown Jr. (L)

State Senate District 14 – Central Valley south of Highway 99. Includes Merced, Madera, Chowchilla, Fresno and Mendota.

RESULTS: RESULTS: Republican DuPont and Democrat Soria are neck-and-neck and will face off in the fall.

Esmeralda Soria (A NORML Rating) – Democratic Assemblymember and clear frontrunner
Esmeralda Hurtado – Sanger City Councilmember and sister of poorly voting Sen. Melissa Hurtado, who is running in SD-16
Darin DuPont – Merced city councilmember

State Senate District 16 – Central Valley district that includes portions of Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern counties and much of Bakersfield’s east side

RESULTS: Gonzalez and Hurtado win.

Melissa Hurtado (D NORML Rating) – Worst voting record of any Democrat in State Senate 2021-2, and just as bad in 2023-4. Did vote in favor of parental rights.
Guillermo Gonzalez – a field representative for the cannabis unfriendly Rep. David Valadao
Manpreet Kaura – Bakersfield Vice Mayor

State Senate District 24 – Coastal Los Angeles County; Malibu, Santa Monica and Torrance
Ben Allen’s district (running for Insurance commissioner)

RESULTS: Republican Marshall and Democrat Goldsmith lead.

Dr. Sion Roy is a physician, professor, and education advocate who is Vice Chair of the Santa Monica College Board. Endorsed by Democratic party.
Brian Goldsmith – Democratic media consultant, has a roster of prominent names behind him and has out fundraised the others
John Erickson – West Hollywood City Councilmember
Eric Alegria is a member of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District school board
Zennon Ulyate-Crow was shot in the face with a rubber bullet while peacefully protesting ICE. Gen Z.
G. Rick Marshall – clinical informatics specialist at UC Irvine Health; one of two Republicans in a crowded field

State Senate District 26 – Downtown Los Angeles
Maria Elena Durazo’s District (running for LA County supervisor). No Democratic Party endorsement in the race. 

RESULTS: Hernandez wins. One additional candidate will win in this race.

Wendy Carrillo was a communications manager for SEIU ULTCW (United Long Term Care Workers) and a communications and social media deputy for the City of Los Angeles
Sara Hernandez is a member of the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees
others…

State Senate District 38 – Coastal north of San Diego, including Mission Viejos, Carlsbad, Encinitas and La Jolla

RESULTS: Blakespear and Bassett win in an uncontested election.

Catherine Blakespear (A NORML Rating) – Democratic State Senator who flipped the district and faces her first re-election
Laura Bassett (R) – a small businesswoman.

State Senate District 40 – Inland San Diego County, north and east of city of San Diego (includes Escondido)
Brian Jones’s district

RESULTS: Elliott wins. Will face a Republican challenger in the fall. 

Mara Elliott (D) was the San Diego City Attorney
Kristie Bruce-Lane (R) – twice unsuccessful Assembly candidate endorsed by cannabis-unfriendly Asm. Carl DeMaio
Ed Musgrove (R) – San Marcos city councilmember

Assembly

State Assembly District 3 – Butte, Glenn, Placer, Sutter, Tehama, Yuba counties
Gallagher’s district – he’s running for Congress

RESULTS: Dom Belza and James Johansson lead in a race with two winners.

3 Republicans running

State Assembly District 12 – Petaluma
Damon Connolly’s district (running for state Senate)

RESULTS: Cervantes and Lucan lead in a race with two winners. Elward a strong third. 

Jackie Elward is a labor organizer and the first Black woman elected to the Rohnert Park City Council. Born in the Congo. Endorsed by: Congressmember Mike Thompson, Former Congressmember Lynn Woolsey, State Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, Former State Senator Steven Bradford, State Treasurer Fiona Ma
Eli Beckman – Corte Madera Mayor
Eric Lucan – Marin County Supervisor
Steve Schwartz – nonprofit executive
Holli Thier – Tiburon Councilmember
Eryn Cervantes (R) – a corrections official who also ran in 2024

State Assembly District 27 – Fresno
Esmeralda Soria’s district (running for state Senate)

RESULTS: Mike Murphy wins. Will likely face Pacheco in the fall. 

Brian Pacheco (D) – Fresno city councilmember, has support of leading Democrats, including Soria.
Mike Murphy (R) – attorney and former Merced mayor
Japjeet Singh Uppal (D) – Livingston Councilmember

State Assembly District 34 – Barstow
Tom Lackey’s district; he’s termed out

RESULTS: Republican Charles Frederick Hughes and Putz lead in a race with two winners.

Randall Putz (D) – Former school board member, city councilmember, and three-time Mayor of Big Bear Lake. Endorsed by California Democratic Party, California Teachers Association, California Young Democrats, Communication Workers of America, and San Bernardino County Professional Firefighters Local 935, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, Superintendent Tony Thurmond, Senator Tom Umberg, Assemblymembers Josh Lowenthal, Juan Carrillo, John Harabedian, Nick Schultz, James Ramos, Robert Garcia, Corey Jackson, and Congresswoman Norma Torres.
3 Republicans are also in the race. 

State Assembly District 35 – Bakersfield
Jasmeet Bains’s district (running for Congress)

RESULTS: Ayon and Gonzales lead in a race with two winners.

Andrae Gonzales (D) – Bakersfield councilmember
Ana Palacio (D) – ER nurse
Saul Ayon (R) – mayor of McFarland

State Assembly District 36  – Coachella

RESULTS: Gonzalez wins. One additional candidate will win in this race.

Jeff Gonzalez (R) – incumbent; voted for cannabis tax reform in his first term. A retired Marine, pastor and business owner.
Oscar Ortiz (D) – Indio Councilmember
Tomas Oliva (D) – former El Centro councilmember
Marlon Ware (D) – college professor
Ida Obeso-Martinez (D) – Imperial Councilmember

State Assembly District 42 – Thousand Oaks
Jacqui Irwin’s district (running for Congress)

RESULTS: Lopez and Nordblum lead in a race with two winners.

Deborah Klein Lopez (D)
Ted Nordblum (R)
Rocky Rhodes (R)

State Assembly District 47 – Palm Springs

RESULTS: Wallis and Namvar lead in a race with two winners.

Greg Wallis (D) – (A NORML rating)
Leila Namvar (D) – former local labor leader and city planner; has labor support
Jason Byors (D) – computer programmer

State Assembly District 58 – Corona

RESULTS: Castillo and Cervantes win in an uncontested election.

Leticia Castillo (R) – the incumbent; voted for a hemp bill and didn’t vote on the cannabis tax reform bill
Clarissa Cervantes (D) – Riverside councilmember who narrowly lost to Castillo in 2024.

State Assembly District 65 – Compton
Mike Gipson’s district; terming out

RESULTS: Davis wins. One additional candidate will win in this race.

Fatima Iqbal-Zubair (D) – chair of the California progressive caucus
Ayanna Davis (D) – trustee for the Compton Unified School District; backed by the state Democratic Party
Eugene Allen (D) – former candidate for insurance commissioner
Lamar Lyons (D) – president of the San Pedro Central Neighborhood Council
Magali Sanchez-Hall (D) – project manager at UCLA
Lydia A. Gutiérrez (R) – public school teacher

State Assembly District 66 – Torrance
Muratsuchi’s district

RESULTS: Paul Seo (D) and Jessica Zonia Maldonado (R) lead in a race with two winners.

State Assembly District 67 – Fullerton
Quirk-Silva’s district

RESULTS: Paulo Morales (R) and Mark Pulido (D) lead in a race with two winners.

State Assembly District 68 – Anaheim
Avelino Valencia’s district

RESULTS: Ruiz and Penaloza lead in a race with two winners.

Jessie Lopez (D)
David Penaloza (D)
Shannon Wingfield (D)
Mayra Ruiz (R)

State Assembly District 72 – Huntington Beach
Diane Dixon seat

RESULTS: Kluwe and Van Der Mark lead in a race with two winners.

Chris Kluwe (D)  An ex-NFL football player for the Minnesota Vikings, Kluwe is a strong believer in medical cannabis.
Matthew Harper (R)
Gracey Van Der Mark (R)
Frank Wagoner (No party preference)

State Assembly District 74 – Oceanside

RESULTS: Davies and Farias win in an uncontested election.

Laurie Davies (D NORML Rating) – has a pretty bad voting record
Sergio Farias (D) – San Juan Capistrano councilmember and former mayor

Local Measures

City of Los Angeles – Measure CB, Apply Marijuana Tax to Unlicensed Marijuana Businesses Measure
A “yes” vote supports applying the city’s tax on cannabis businesses to unlicensed cannabis businesses, amounting to:
10% on cannabis sales; 5% on medical cannabis sales; 2% on manufacturing, cultivation, or other commercialization; and 1% on testing, research, or transportation.
A “no” vote opposes applying the city’s tax on cannabis businesses to unlicensed cannabis businesses.

RESULTS: Measure CB has a strong lead in early results. 

San Benito County (Unincorporated Area) – Measure D, Marijuana Business Tax Increase Measure
A “yes” vote supports changing the county’s cannabis cultivation tax in unincorporated areas from a per-square-foot rate to a per-acre rate, with the cultivation tax set within a range of $1,000 to $10,000 per acre.
A “no” vote opposes changing the county’s cannabis cultivation tax in unincorporated areas from a per-square-foot rate to a per-acre rate.

RESULTS: Nearly 68%, or 2,009 voters have voted “yes” to the measure. 

Read more about the Legal Seminar

Sponsoring the sixth annual Cal NORML Legal Seminar on January 20, 2024 is a great way to raise visibility for your company among the top cannabis attorneys, businesspeople, and consumers in California.

Sponsorship will position and brand your business as one that is helping to move cannabis issues forward. We expect 50-100 attendees at the event.

SPONSORSHIP LEVELS

• $5,000 Platinum

• $2,500 Gold

• $1000 Silver

• $500 Bronze

WHAT YOU GET 

$500 Bronze

• One free ticket to the Seminar

• Banner ad on the Legal Seminar Website Page

$1000 Silver

• All of the above, plus:

• One Cal NORML eblast sponsorship

$2,500 Gold

• All of the above, plus:

• One-year  legal referral guide listing on CaNORML.org

• Two free tickets to the seminar

$5,000 Platinum

• All of the above, plus:

• Announcement of sponsorship on all our social media accounts

• One year listing and banner ad on CaNORML.org

If you have any questions or would like to become a sponsor, please email us.

Read more about the Seminar

Sponsoring the sixth annual Cal NORML Legal Seminar on January 20, 2024 is a great way to raise visibility for your company among the top cannabis attorneys, businesspeople, and consumers in California.

Sponsorship will position and brand your business as one that is helping to move cannabis issues forward. We expect 50-100 attendees at the event.

SPONSORSHIP LEVELS

• $5,000 Platinum

• $2,500 Gold

• $1000 Silver

WHAT YOU GET 

$1000 Silver

• One free ticket to the Seminar
• Logo with link on the Legal Seminar Website Page
• Announcement of sponsorship on all our social media accounts
• Logo on slide show presentation at seminar
• One-year business membership including listing and guest blog on CaNORML.org

$2,500 Gold

• All of the above, plus:
• One Cal NORML eblast sponsorship (banner ad at top of e-newsletter)
• Two free tickets to the seminar

$5,000 Platinum

• All of the above, plus:
• One year banner ad on CaNORML.org

If you have any questions or would like to become a sponsor, please email us.

This June 17^th marks the 50^th anniversary of President Nixon’s declaration of the War on Drugs.  The evidence is clear that the drug war has failed; 83% of Americans say so in a recent ACLU poll.

Cal NORML is declaring a day of peace on June 17 in support of more effective, equitable, and humane policies towards drugs.

PLEASE WRITE TO YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO TELL THEM TO END THE UNJUST AND INEQUITABLE 50-YEAR WAR ON DRUGS. 

• The War on Drugs is a war on people. Since 1971, California has recorded over 10 million felony drug arrests, including 1 million felony marijuana arrests.
• The War on Drugs has disproportionately criminalized the disadvantaged, the poor, and racial and ethnic minorities. Blacks were four times more likely than whites to be arrested for a marijuana crime in California in 2019, when Hispanics were twice as likely to be arrested for marijuana as whites.
• The War on Drugs is a crime-creation program. The drug laws provide economic opportunity for underground dealers, smugglers, and cartels, while criminalizing millions of users and draining police resources better aimed at violent or other crimes.
• While California has rightly moved to legalize cannabis, excessive regulations and taxes at state and local levels handicap the licensed industry and continue to feed the illicit market.   The barriers are especially burdensome to less wealthy equity applicants.
• The War on Drugs has not solved our drug abuse problem.  Tragically, it has failed to stem an epidemic of opiate abuse fed by prescription drugs, heroin and fentanyl.
• Meanwhile, U.S. law still bans the medical use of cannabis, despite overwhelming evidence that it can effectively reduce opiate abuse in the treatment of chronic pain.
• U.S. law likewise bars research using state-legal cannabis.
  
• Californians have repeatedly  shown they are fed up with crime-creating drug laws by voting for Prop. 215, Prop. 36, Prop. 47, and Prop 64.

We therefore call for designating June 17, 2021 as a day of Peace, and join 65% of Americans in calling for an end to the US’s unjust and inequitable War on Drugs, and invite the public and our elected officials to join us.

In addition, we call for the release of California’s last federal medical marijuana prisoner Luke Scarmazzo, and for the passage of the MORE Act to end federal cannabis prohibition.

Thanks to Glass House Farms for helping to communicate this message. 

The day-long event will be held at the beautiful General’s Residence at Ft. Mason Center in San Francisco. Speakers from around the state will reminisce about the coalition of activists and events that made history 25 years ago, and make plans to move forward towards further reforms.

Sponsorship will position and brand your business as one that is helping to move cannabis issues forward. We expect at least 200 attendees at this landmark event. Sign up to sponsor.

SPONSORSHIP LEVELS

• $5,000 Platinum

• $2,500 Gold

• $1000 Silver

• $500 Bronze

WHAT YOU GET 

$500 Bronze

• Two free tickets to the event with free parking

• A shared 6′ table at the event to hand out literature and (cannabis-free) samples

• Listing with link on the Event Website Page

• Acknowledgement in the slide show at the event and in the printed program

• Announcement of sponsorship on Cal NORML’s social media accounts and on the Facebook event page

$1000 Silver

• One Cal NORML eblast sponsorship (value: $200)

• Two free tickets to the event with free parking

• Literature or sample placement in gift bags at the event

• Acknowledgement in the slide show at the event and in the printed program

• Announcement of sponsorship on Cal NORML’s social media accounts and on the Facebook event page

$2,500 Gold

• One-year business listing on CaNORML.org (value: $500)

• Four free tickets to the event with free parking

• An 8′ table at the event to hand out literature and (cannabis-free) samples

• Logo printed on gift bags for the event; literature or sample placement in the bags

• Acknowledgement in the slide show at the event and in the printed program

• Announcement of sponsorship on Cal NORML’s social media accounts and on the Facebook event page

$5,000 Platinum

• One-year listing, plus a banner ad on CaNORML.org

• Ability to add your company’s name or logo to name tag lavaliers or goody bags, etc.

• Four free tickets to the event with free parking

• Two 6-foot tables at the event to hand out literature and (cannabis-free) samples

• Logo printed on gift bags for the event; literature or sample placement in the bags

• Acknowledgement in the slide show at the event and in the printed program

• Announcement of sponsorship on Cal NORML’s social media accounts and on the Facebook event page

Questions? Write ellen@canorml.org

As a California NORML business member you’ll be listed in one of the Cannabis Marketplace Directories on CaNORML.org, our longstanding website with 1.63 million yearly page views. Directory categories include Dispensaries & Delivery, Legal Services, Cannabis Products, Cannabis Business Services, and Vaporizer Resources.

Additional benefits of business membership include the ability to sponsor our weekly eNewsletter or publish a guest blog post, and discounts on NCIA memberships. Become a Cal NORML Business Member or learn more. 

Also this month, 420 club members who purchase a personal yearly Cal NORML membership of $42 or more, will be sent a groovy Vintage Cal NORML lapel magnet. Join the 420 Club! 

In addition, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Prop. 215 (which legalized medical marijuana in California in 1996), we are offering a special EarlyBird price on our upcoming Legal Seminar. For $215 you can attend both days of the Zoom event (June 1 & 2). Attorneys can earn up to 8.5 hours of CLE credit (pending) for attending. Learn the latest on civil and criminal law in California from  top attorneys in the field. Sign up for our Legal Seminar. 

Support Cal NORML this April and save! 

Founded in 1972, Cal NORML advocates for the rights of cannabis consumers in California. Read more about Cal NORML and our 2020 Accomplishments and Plans for 2021.

Cal NORML hosted a statewide Zoom meeting for all interested activists on Wednesday, December 2 at 4 PM PST.

Watch a video of the meeting.

Our special guest was Congresswoman Barbara Lee

Barbara Lee was born in segregated El Paso, TX and attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School, where she was taught by the Sisters of Loretto, an order dedicated to promoting justice and peace. After grammar school, Congresswoman Lee moved to San Fernando, California and worked with the local NAACP to integrate her high school cheerleading squad.

As a single mother raising two sons, Congresswoman Lee attended Mills College and received public assistance while building a better life for her family. As president of Mills College’s Black Student Union, she invited Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to Congress, to speak on campus. As a result of this meeting, Congresswoman Lee registered to vote for the first time and worked on Congresswoman Chisholm’s historic presidential campaign, including serving as her delegate at the 1972 Democratic National Convention in Miami, FL.

In 1990, Lee was elected to the California State Assembly, where she served until 1996 when she was elected to the State Senate. As a California legislator, Congresswoman Lee authored 67 bills and resolutions that were signed into law by Republican Governor Pete Wilson. As the first African American woman elected to the State Senate from Northern California, Congresswoman Lee created and presided over the California Commission on the Status of African American Males and the California Legislative Black Caucus, while working to defeat the punitive “three strikes law.”

Since 1998, Lee has served in Congress, representing the East Bay of California. Currently, Congresswoman Lee serves on the Budget Committee and the powerful Appropriations Committee, which oversees all federal government spending. She serves on three subcommittees (Vice Chair, State and Foreign Operations; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education; and Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration) of the Appropriations Committee.

Congresswoman Lee is the only African American woman in Democratic Leadership, serving as Co-Chair of the Policy and Steering Committee. As Co-Chair, Rep. Lee works to ensure that committees reflect the diversity, dynamism, and integrity of the Democratic Caucus. She also works to advance the policies that comprise the Democratic “For the People” agenda. In addition, she currently serves as the Chair of the Majority Leader’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity, Co-Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus, and Co-Chair of the Cannabis Caucus. She is the former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (111th Congress) and co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (109th & 110th Congresses).

Justin Strekal is the Political Director for NORML, where he serves as an advocate to end the federal prohibition of marijuana and to reform our nation’s laws to no longer treat marijuana consumers as second-class citizens. Before working on drug policy, he focused on tax, wage, and campaign finance reform as well as managed electoral campaigns throughout the country for positions in every level of government.

Also joining us will be Hirsh Jain, Director of Government Affairs at Caliva, a California cannabis brand, and for the Los Angeles chapter of NORML. Before working in cannabis, Hirsh was a Government Affairs Manager at Airbnb in San Francisco. Prior to that, Hirsh was an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company in New York City. Hirsh has a B.A. in Philosophy from UC Berkeley, where he worked as the Cannabis Lead in the Campus Public Defender’s Office, defending students that were accused of cannabis violations by the University. He also has a J.D. from Harvard Law School, where his focus was the legal architecture of The War on Drugs and its disproportionate racial impacts.

And Ishaq Ali of Eaze will join us to talk about the company’s Momentum program.

Before starting at Eaze, Ishaq graduated Summa Cum Laude from Fresno State with a degree in Political Science, Middle Eastern studies, and a certificate of legal studies focusing on War on Terror and War on Drug Policy. After a fellowship at UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy, he shifted his focus to cannabis related policy, studying the disproportionate effects of decriminalization vs. legalization and its effects on communities of color. Ishaq started at Eaze in late 2017 focusing on growth and analytics, eventually moving to the legal team in 2018 to focus on building internal compliance programs as the regulated market began to emerge, helping Eaze launch over 200 cities in CA. Ishaq then shifted focus to social impact in early 2019, tasked with building Momentum, Eaze’s business accelerator focusing on supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs. Since the fall of 2019 he has been directing and managing the Momentum Program, supporting 10 small businesses based out of CA and OR.

And Eaze’s business accelerator program, Momentum, helps participants build and expand relationships with like-minded founders, executives, investors and industry leaders working to transform cannabis. As cannabis legalization continues, Momentum is here to foster unique brands, support affected communities with greater revenue, and ultimately secure a more diverse cannabis culture. Because more voices, more perspectives, and more vibrancy will create a better industry for all.

Arm yourself with resources for expanding cannabis rights in your community!

The battleground for cannabis rights has often shifted to the local level, where many of California’s cities and counties are passing ordinances restricting marijuana businesses, cannabis lounges, cultivation rights, and more. Locals have the right to enact zoning ordinances, and often listen to a few NIMBYs or well-meaning individuals who are fearful of progress, sometimes using tired old rhetoric that doesn’t stand up to science, or reality. In addition, well funded anti-tobacco organizations and health departments show up at hearings falsely equating cannabis smoke with tobacco smoke.

CANNABIS “DESERTS,” APARTMENT SMOKING BANS AND CANNABIS LOUNGES
Approximately 75-80% of the 58 counties and 482 cities in California have passed bans on cannabis businesses. This means a great many Californians cannot access safe, tested cannabis products from retailers or delivery services, despite state law legalizing both medical and recreational use and sales. In many of these places, a majority of residents voted to pass Prop. 64, and local support can be built to open these stores or at least allow deliveries.

A new law that took effect on January 1, 2024, SB 1186 (2022) requires cities and counties to allow deliveries of medical cannabis within their borders, and has a mechanism by which patients can sue jurisdictions if they cannot access their medicine in a “timely and readily accessible manner.” A few jurisdictions have moved to change their code to follow the new law, but many have not. You can find your local ordinances by searching for the name of your city and county name + the word “code.” A service like the MuniCode library will pop up; you can then search for “cannabis” (or “marijuana”) to find local laws.

Unlike tobacco, cannabis is illegal to smoke or vape in any public place in California. That means many cannabis consumers in our state have nowhere they can consume cannabis, especially because landlords often disallow smoking of any kind in apartments. Cal NORML has worked with local activists to prevent local bans on cannabis consumption in multi-unit apartments in a few jurisdications; however many more have passed bans.

Local battles are taking place over the opening of cannabis lounges and cafés, with anti-tobacco forces showing up to argue against them. Cal NORML has published a list of localities that allow cannabis consumption lounges and sponsored a cannabis café bill to allow lounges to prepare and serve food and drink, and sell tickets to concerts and other events. In November 2024, the City of Sacramento narrowly approved a five-year pilot program allowing for cannabis lounges.

CULTIVATION RIGHTS
Prop. 64 (AUMA) requires locals to allow the cultivation of six marijuana plants per residence, and allows them to pass “reasonable regulations” including requiring them to be grown indoors. DPA and the ACLU (with Cal NORML’s urging) won a court case in Fontana, CA that argued their regulations requiring a criminal background check and high fees were not reasonable.

In a perversion of Prop. 64’s intent, many local jurisdictions have moved to limit medical marijuana cultivation to six plants, claiming state law requires them to do that. In fact, AUMA added Health & Safety Code §11362.45 (i), which states: “Nothing in section 11362.1 shall be construed or interpreted to amend, repeal, affect, restrict, or preempt: Laws pertaining to the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 [Prop. 215, which legalized the use and cultivation of medical marijuana in California]. H&S §11362.5 creates an exemption to §11358 [making cannabis cultivation illegal] for a valid patient to cultivate a number of plants reasonably related to current medical need. See People v. Kelly, 47 Cal.4^th 1008, 1049 (2010).

FEDERAL LEGALIZATION WOULD HELP OFFSET COSTS FOR LOCALS
Legalizing cannabis at the federal level would allow the Small Business Administration to support entrepreneurs and businesses as they seek to gain a foothold in the emerging cannabis industry. This will help defray the cost of local governments getting involved in licensing the cannabis industry, and support equity applicants and other small businesses. Local activists can also advocate at the state and federal levels for change through NORML.

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE RECEIVED GRANTS TO ASSIST EQUITY BUSINESSES
The CA Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) awards equity grant funds to local jurisdictions to provide direct technical assistance to equity applicants and licensees through their local equity programs. Local activists can watchdog those funds and assist local equity businesses in receiving local support.

LOCAL TAXATION AND CANNABIS
While state law allows locals to ban cannabis businesses, they lose out on tax revenues from legal businesses that pay sales taxes, property taxes, and payroll taxes. They will also lose out on the opportunity to apply for grants from funds recouped via Prop. 64 if they ban retail sales or commercial cultivation of cannabis.

Section 34019(f)(3)(C) of AUMA states that funds will be disbursed through the Board of State and Community Corrections “for making grants to local governments to assist with law enforcement, fire protection, or other local programs addressing public health and safety associated with the implementation of the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act.” However, the section goes on to state, “The Board shall not make any grants to local governments that ban both indoor and outdoor commercial cannabis cultivation, or ban retail sale of cannabis or cannabis products pursuant to Section 26200 of the Business and Professions Code or as otherwise provided by law.”

Several of the cities that have legalized cannabis have sent much of their local cannabis tax monies to law enforcement, according to a 2020 report. A second report examines racial disparities in arrest rates in cities and neighborhoods, as does a recent ACLU report. Read more.

In November 2021, voters in the city of Santa Cruz overwhelmingly passed a ballot measure upping the allocation of local cannabis tax monies from 12.5% to 20% for their Children’s Fund. Because it specifically allocated tax funds, the measure required a supermajority to pass, and won 83% of the vote. Read more.

WE CAN FIGHT BACK!
Well-funded organizations like SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) and Getting It Right from the Start are focused on stopping progress at the local level in California and beyond. They are pushing bans, or a limited number of licenses, and other restrictions that only encourage a few well-funded people to game the system, setting up “equity in name only” businesses and leaving most applicants out in the cold. Local prohibitionist groups are also active.

Things you can do to fight back in your community include:

• Join or start a local NORML chapter, or join Cal NORML.
• Sign up for the NORML/Green Flower Online Training Program for Cannabis Advocates
• Sign up for alerts from your city council or county board of supervisors and track meetings that have cannabis on the agenda. Do the same for your planning commission, and any cannabis commissions that may exist.
• Educate yourself about the issues using NORML’s fact sheets, Cal NORML’s website, etc. Subscribe to Cal NORML’s email list to stay current. You an also follow us on Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, LinkedIn and BlueSky.
• Write, call or visit your local officials to let them know that access to licensed, tested cannabis is important to you.
• Follow your local press, blogs, and social media that touch on cannabis. Write letters to the editor or opeds on the topic. Stay reasoned, factual, and sensitive to your neighbors.
• Know your opposition and their concerns; strive for acceptable compromises where possible. Be aware of what other local jurisdictions in your area are doing on this topic.
• Build coalitions with community members and groups, like veterans, medical patient support groups, human rights organizations, equity applicants, and businesses.
• Get involved politically: know your elected officials and who is running for office. Find out their stances on marijuana legalization and what they will do to implement Prop. 64.
• Stay in touch with California NORML about happenings in your city or county, or for advice on strategy and talking points.

USE THE FACTS
Oftentimes people will show up at a meeting waving a single scientific study that they claim is definitive on a topic such as the effect of legal cannabis on teen use, driving, crime rates, etc. In reality, the preponderance of science, including the comprehensive 2017 National Academy of Sciences report on cannabis, has found that cannabis is generally not harmful to adults when used in moderation (especially compared to alcohol and other drugs).

NORML thoroughly reviews all studies release on cannabis, and puts out a series of printable Fact Sheets on various topics, including:

• Core Attributes of Adult Access Regulations
• Core Attributes of a Patient-Centric, Medical Cannabis Regulatory Program

Plus:

• Marijuana Regulation: Impact on Health, Safety, Economy
• Marijuana Regulation and Teen Use Rates
• Marijuana Regulation and Crime Rates
• Societal Impacts of Cannabis Dispensaries / Retailers
• Marijuana and Psychomotor Performance (Driving)
• Marijuana and the Gateway Theory
• Cannabis Exposure and Lung Health
• Relationship Between Marijuana and Opioids
• and more.

ORGANIZE AND STRATEGIZE
Organize your supporters via community meetings, email lists, phone trees, Facebook groups, etc. to speak on different topics at public meetings, where public comments are accepted and generally limited to 1-3 minutes. People, including public officials, are often more convinced by a personal story, so don’t be afraid to tell yours, if you are comfortable with that.

If necessary, an initiative campaign to put a measure on a local ballot can be undertaken. Contact CalNORML for advice on these campaigns or other issues.

LOWERING TAXES

Asm. Rob Bonta has introduced AB 1978, which would would temporarily reduce the cannabis excise tax from 15% to 11% and suspend the cultivation tax until July 1, 2023. This will not only result in lowering the cost to cannabis consumers, it will help bolster the struggling legal marijuana market in CA that is competing against the unregulated, untaxed, and untested market. TAKE ACTION ON AB 1978.

A bill by Asm. Lackey, AB 3124, would eliminate the necessity for medical marijuana patients to get a state-issued ID card to get a sales tax exemption and would relieve the state of the responsibility for reimbursing local governments for lost tax revenue due to exemption.

EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA USERS

Asm. Bonta has also introduced AB 2355, a bill sponsored by California NORML that seeks to protect medical marijuana patients from employment discrimination in California. PLEASE TAKE ACTION ON AB 2355. 

The bill would grant workers who use medical cannabis the same rights to reasonable accommodation as workers prescribed other legal drugs. It would not apply to workers like truck drivers and airline pilots who are required to be drug tested under federal law, and it would not permit any employees to be impaired or use marijuana on the job. Nineteen other states protect medical marijuana patients’ employment rights.

LOCAL LICENSING

Asm. Phil Ting has introduced a bill, AB 2456, to develop a model local ordinance for cannabis businesses, in an effort to assist cities and counties in licensing.

Resistance to licensing at the local level has been a major stumbling block in implementing adult legalization in California, and unfortunately due to local control provisions in California law, court cases establishing locals’ rights to ban medical marijuana dispensaries and cultivation, and provisions in Prop. 64 re-iterating the right to local control, it’s necessary to fight these battles city by city and county by county. Opposition is turning out to local planning commission, city counsel, and county supervisors’ meetings in the form of NIMBYism, reefer madness, and unwarranted concerns about public safety and health.

It’s important for cannabis advocates to track what is happening at their city and county level, advocate for licensed operators, and against those who oppose them. Consider joining a local NORML chapter or forming one.

Read more about getting active and join us at Lobby Day on June 1, 2020 in Sacramento.

OTHER STATE BILLS

Once more this year, a plethora of cannabis-related bills, mostly having to do with business, have been introduced at the state level, many of them with few details as of yet. We are watching about 4o such bills. Members can write here for a list of those bills.

FEDERAL PRIORITIES

Working with our national NORML office, Cal NORML is active in activating the California Congressional delegation in support of reform bills at the federal level. Two areas where positive movement is happening in the House are Veterans’ rights and Banking for cannabis businesses, plus the MORE Act for greater reform. Read more.