Lobby Day 2018 a Success
June 5, 2017 - The Cal NORML / ASA annual Lobby Day, held June 4 in Sacramento, was well attended and well received. Constituent advocates from Humboldt county to San Diego and all across the state visited dozens of Legislators’ offices to lobby on several key bills affecting cannabis consumers and the industry.

Employment Rights and Tax Relief Bills Held in Assembly Committee; Resentencing Bill Advances and Compassion Bill Introduced
May 25 - The Cal NORML-sponsored bill to protect employment rights for medical marijuana users in California, AB 2069, has been held in the Assembly Appropriations committee, meaning it won’t advance in the legislature this year.

Bill to Protect Cannabis Deliveries Passes Committee
May 2 - Senator Lara’s bill SB 1302 to disallow local bans on cannabis deliveries squeaked by the Senate Governance and Finance committee today on the understanding that further amendments will be needed to address opponents’ concerns.
Medical Cannabis Worker Protections Act Advances in CA Assembly
April 25 - The CA Assembly Labor Committee approved a Cal NORML-sponsored bill to curb employment discrimination against workers who use medical cannabis to treat a disability or medical condition.

Bill to Reduce Cannabis Taxes Introduced in CA
March 15 - Assemblymembers Tom Lackey and Rob Bonta have introduced AB 3157 to reduce existing state taxes on cannabis for three years.

Cal NORML Opposes Bill to Suspend Licenses of Underage Drivers
February 25 - Cal NORML is opposing a bill, SB 1273 by Sen. Jerry Hill (San Mateo), that would authorize police to test any drivers under 21 for marijuana and automatically suspend their licenses for one year if any detectible amount of THC is found in their systems.

Bill To Protect Medical Marijuana Patients from Employment Discrimination Introduced in California
February 7 - Asm. Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) has introduced AB 2069, to protect employment rights for medical cannabis patients in California. The bill would specifically bar employers from discriminating against workers because of their status as a medical cannabis patient.

Bill to Expand Cannabis Special Event Venues Introduced in Sacramento
February 5 - The sale and consumption of cannabis at temporary special events could soon become legal with a bill introduced today by Assemblymember Bill Quirk (D-Hayward).

San Francisco To Automatically Erase Minor Marijuana Convictions
February 1 - San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon has announced that his office plans to retroactively apply Proposition 64 to past marijuana convictions by expunging and sealing all related records dating back to 1975. San Diego is reportedly following suit, and a statewide effort to require state courts to automatically expunge past marijuana convictions is underway.

RIP Dennis Peron, Compassionate Warrior and Medical Marijuana Champion
January 27 - We are sad to report that medical marijuana activist Dennis Peron died today at the VA hospital in
San Francisco.

California Gubernatorial Candidates Asked If They Smoked Pot
January 26 - At a California Gubernatorial debate, Jorge Ramos of Univision asked the candidates to raise their hands if they had ever smoked marijuana.

Rep. Bonta Announces Marijuana Reform Measures for California in 2018
January 9 - Rep. Rob Bonta, the California Assembly's Assistant Majority Leader, announced that he has introduced AB 1793, to create a simpler and expedited pathway for Californians to have certain criminal convictions for cannabis-related offenses removed or reduced from their records.

California Responds to Jeff Sessions's Memo on Marijuana Prosecution
January 4, 2018 - Reaction has been swift from public officials in California following the announcement that AG Jeff Sessions has issued a memo to federal prosecutors.

Where Can I Buy Marijuana in California for Recreational Use?
December 2017 - The Bureau of Cannabis Control has issued the first group of commercial cannabis temporary licenses for retailers and others. Adults over 21 will be able to purchase up to one ounce of cannabis starting on January 1, 2018.

CaNORML Recommends Priority Licensing for Cannabis Cultivation
December 5 - Cal NORML has sent comments to state regulators regarding their emergency licensing regulations for cannabis cultivation which "open the doors to large-scale, industrial mega-grows that could monopolize California’s
limited available acreage, exacerbate environmental harm, and stifle participation by smaller growers."
Cal NORML's 2017 Accomplishments and Plans for 2018
December 2017 - As California begins recreational marijuana sales on January 1, much work remains to be done, in the legal and regulatory arenas at the state and local levels, and in the realm of human rights.
Recreational Marijuana Sales to Begin January 1 in California
November 2017 - New Year’s 2018 is ushering in a new era in California, as the first state-licensed cannabis stores open their doors and adult-use sales begin on Jan. 1.
CA LICENSE AUTHORITIES RELEASE EMERGENCY MEDICINAL AND ADULT-USE CANNABIS REGULATIONS
November 16 - California’s three state cannabis licensing authorities announced today that proposed emergency licensing regulations for commercial medicinal and adult-use cannabis have been posted online and are available to the public for review.
Opioid Commission Refuses to Consider Cannabis
November 2 - The US Opioid Commission has jettisoned the voluminous research showing that cannabis serves as an exit drug to opioid use in favor of a study looking at 12-year-old data.
Marijuana Legalization and the Opioid Crisis
November 1 - The evidence is mounting that allowing access to marijuana, used medicinally or recreationally, could be an answer to the opioid crisis.