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January 26 – President Obama signaled more of the same in drug policy by nominating Bush appointee Michele Leonhart as DEA administrator. Leonhart is unfondly regarded by medical marijuana advocates for having denied a cultivation permit to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, further impeding research into the medical uses of cannabis. Her nomination indicates that the administration has no interest in overruling the present indefensible policy.

Californians should make their views known to Sen. Feinstein, who sits on the Judiciary Committee that will oversee Leonhart’s nomination.…

January 21 – The California Supreme Court released its long-awaited ruling in People v. Kelly today.

As expected, the court struck down the so-called SB 420 quantity limits in Ca Health & Safety code 11362.77 as applied to patients’ right to grow, but upheld their application for other purposes, e.g. as a “safe harbor” guideline for protecting patients from arrest.

Read the opinion

Excerpt:
“We conclude, consistently with the decision of the Court of Appeal below (and with the position of both parties in the present litigation), that insofar as section 11362.77 burdens a defense under the CUA to a criminal charge of possessing or cultivating marijuana, it impermissibly amends the CUA and in that respect is invalid under article II, section 10, subdivision (c).…

To all NORML supporters in California:

We are kicking off 2010 with a major legalization blitz in Sacramento.

The California legislature will be hearing Tom Ammiano’s landmark legalization bill AB 390 on Jan. 12th. We are asking all California activists to start the new year by contacting their Assembly members in support of AB 390. The legislature is returning into session on Jan 4th, so we have just one week to do this.

Californians can send e-mails to their Assembly members via NORML’s CapWiz.…

The California Assembly will be hearing AB390, Tom Ammiano’s landmark bill to legalize and regulate marijuana in early January, 2010. Please tell your assembly member that it’s time to stop wasting money on marijuana prohibition and to reap the benefits of a legally regulated market.

See this flyer for key legislators.…

November 11 – The California Medical Association has adopted a resolution declaring criminalization of marijuana to be a “failed public health policy”:

Resolution 704a-09 CRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA
RESOLVED: That CMA consider the criminalization of marijuana to be a failed public health policy; and be it further

RESOLVED: That CMA encourage and participate in debate and education regarding the health aspects of changing current policy regarding cannabis use.

Sources say the resolution was intended to be a call for debate, not outright legalization.…

California NORML Release – Oct 26, 2009

A medical marijuana regulation ordinance proposed to the L.A. City Council by City Attorney Carmen Trutanich would cost $36 – $74 million in lost tax revenues plus untold additional enforcement costs, according to an analysis by California NORML.
The hastily written ordinance, which is being rushed for an early vote in November, would effectively shut down the city’s medical marijuana distribution system by banning all sales of marijuana and sharply curtailing collectives’ ability to grow and obtain medicine.…

October 19 – While it is certainly encouraging that the Obama administration has committed to writing the AG’s declared policy of respecting state medical marijuana laws, the proof will be in the pudding.

Just a week ago, federal prosecutors in San Diego appeared to violate the policy by filing charges against a pair of San Diego dispensary operators, James Dean Stacy of Movement in Action in Vista and Joesph Nunes of Green Kross. In both cases, DEA agents with doctor’s recommendations made small controlled buys of a few grams of medical marijuana.…

LA’s District Attorney Steve Cooley is threatening a citywide crackdown on the city’s medical cannabis dispensaries. Speaking on Oct 8th, Cooley told reporters that “about 100%” of the
dispensaries are illegal, and that he intends to close them.

Cooley and City Attorney Carmen Trutanich have been erroneously claiming that sales of medical marijuana are illegal, citing the State Supreme Court’s Mentch decision that effectively prevents dispensaries from claiming to be primary caregivers.

However, state law SB 420 specifically authorizes sales by non-profit collectives
and coops in Health & Safety Cod 11362.775.…

Two marijuana legalization initiatives are currently collecting signatures for the 2010 ballot in California.
(1) The California Cannabis Initiative, sponsored by Joe Rogoway, Omar Figueroa and James J. Clark, (Withdrawn 2/4/2010) and
(2) The Tax and Regulate Cannabis California Initiative, sponsored by Richard Lee, Jeff Jones, and Oaksterdam University.
(A third initiative, the Common Sense Act of 2010, sponsored by Californians for Common Sense in Long Beach, has also been submitted but is not presently circulating.)
The CCI is pursuing a volunteer grass-roots campaign, while the Tax and Regulate Cannabis 2010 initiative says it expects to qualify for the ballot with the assistance of paid signature-gatherers.…

Fresno is taking legal action against landlords of Medical Marijuana Collectives.
Fresno Bee story
CBS47 TV news story
ABC story

The Madera County Board of Supervisors will be meeting next Tuesday to pass an emergency ordinance to ban the 4 dispensaries in the County. The public is asked to attend next BOS meeting on 9/22 at 9:00am at 200 W. Fourth Street, Madera. People who cannot attend this event should e-mail the BOS. Here is the website that has the BOS e-mail link.…