It’s unlikely that any possible replacement candidate will be as favorably attentive to cannabis policy as Governor Newsom.  For that reason, California NORML recommends voting NO on the gubernatorial recall and encourages cannabis supporters to make sure you are registered to vote, and do vote against the recall in the election. The sponsors of this year’s recall election are no friends of marijuana or criminal justice reform. Whatever else might be said about Gavin Newsom, no governor has been so supportive of legal marijuana. When other politicians were ducking the issue, then-Lieutenant Governor Newsom became the highest-ranking state official to

 UPDATE 6/26/21: A judge has scheduled oral arguments via zoom regarding Luke’s release motion on June 30th at 10am PST. There is a telephonic link for the public to listen to the proceedings: 1-877-402-9757, Access Code 6966236# then press #. Each attorney gets 15 mins. Luke’s hearing is scheduled last of five hearings. A decision could come within days of the hearing.  On September 27, 2006, the DEA raided California Healthcare Collective, a medical marijuana dispensary in Modesto that had been operating and paying taxes for more than a year. A 2007 Fresno Bee story revealed that the focus

CALIFORNIA PERSONNEL BOARD RULES THAT FAILING A URINE TEST FOR MARIJUANA IS NOT PROOF OF EMPLOYEE’S IMPAIRMENT OR GROUNDS FOR DISMISSAL June 17, 2021 – The California State Personnel Board (SPB), established in the state constitution, provides direction to departments about civil service laws, rules, and policy, and also investigates and adjudicates alleged violations of civil service law which are filed by employees, applicants, and members of the public. Darrin Harper brought such an allegation against the California Department of Transportation, which refused to reinstate him on his job after he failed a urine test for marijuana use. The SPB ruled that

  May 4, 2021 – Last week, opponents to a California bill pushing back against a proposed ban on billboard ads for licensed cannabis businesses touted a study they say claimed marijuana use is up significantly among youth in the state following legalization. On closer look, however, the study they cite is an an analysis of the CA Dept. of Education’s Health Kids Survey which found no such rise in use, only a slight rise in self-reported use in the past 30 days by 7th graders that could be the result of a change in the survey question to clarify

Join us on June 1 & 2 for Cal NORML’s Fourth Legal Seminar covering criminal and business law in California with top cannabis attorneys. This year’s seminar will be held virtually via Zoom. Attorneys can earn up to 8.5 hours CLE (pending) by attending the full seminar ($250) or attend individual sessions ($50 each). Members of the cannabis industry and the general public are welcome, and can purchase tickets (without CLE credits) for individual sessions for $25 each or full days for $75. Signing up early gives you early access to presentation materials from the speakers. Proceeds benefit Cal NORML’s

By Sarah Russo The Society of Cannabis Clinicians (SCC), the first and oldest medical organization in the USA to advocate for the therapeutic use of cannabis, is pleased to announce the launch of a new Medical Cannabis Clinical Training Curriculum. This curriculum will enable clinicians to provide the best possible treatment to their patients while bridging the education gap between healthcare providers and the communities they serve. These courses provide the most comprehensive cannabinoid education for medical professionals to date. Interest in cannabis is growing worldwide. A common denominator is a lack of clinical education and access to the latest

Hear a recording of the meeting.  Our special guest at Cal NORML’s monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 7 at 4 PM (PST) was Alia Toran-Burrell, Associate Program Director, Criminal Justice at Code for America, worked with half of California’s counties to identify cases that qualify for expungement, and developed an app called “Clear My Record” that Californians in some counties can use to find public defenders or legal aid to ensure that their past marijuana convictions are erased or resentenced under AB 1793 (Bonta, 2017).  Cal NORML Legal Committee attorneys can also help with expungements; most will give a free

  The California Highway Patrol has released its long-awaited report addressing drug-impaired driving, including driving under the influence of cannabis. The report contains numerous recommendations on improving DUI detection and prevention, data collection, public education, etc., but does not recommend adopting per se drug DUI thresholds like those used for alcohol. The report is the work of the Impaired Driving Task Force (IDTF), in which California NORML and other interest groups participated, that was convened in the wake of the state’s 2016 law legalizing adult use of cannabis. The task force was charged under state law SB 94 (2017) with developing, “…recommendations for best practices, protocols, proposed legislation, and other policies that

Please donate to Cal NORML or join as a regular or business member to help us move forward in 2021.  Cal NORML regular membership Business Membership $30.00 – $100.00 $42 – $420 TOP 20 CALIFORNIA MARIJUANA STORIES FOR 2020 1. MORE Act Passes House with California Support In a historic moment, the US House of Representatives voted for the first time ever to end federal marijuana prohibition via the MORE Act, a bill co-sponsored by 22 California congresspersons. Also, an appropriation package approved by Congress repeals the longstanding federal ban on providing student aid eligibility to those with certain drug