Weekly Newsletter of The California Chapter of the
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
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SB 512, to end double taxation of cannabis in California, faces a critical vote in the Assembly Revenue and Tax Committee on Monday, July 10. Only pubic testimony will be taken at the hearing (no call-ins).
Under the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, the cannabis excise tax is set at 15% of gross receipts from licensed retail cannabis sales. Many local governments impose additional taxes on cannabis, ranging as high as 10% in some jurisdictions. Retailers are required to include these excise taxes in the definition of gross receipts when charging additional sales taxes of 7.25 – 10.5%.
SB 512 would end this double or triple taxation on cannabis, delivering much-needed relief to what is currently an unfairly overtaxed industry.
Please tell your lawmakers to support SB 512.
News of the Week
STATE
California Voters Are More Supportive Than Ever Of Marijuana Legalization, And Most Want Retailers In Their Communities, Poll Finds
In a June PPIC Statewide Survey, a record-high 64% of Californians said that the use of marijuana should be legal. A smaller majority (56 percent; 60% of likely voters) say that they want adult-use retailers to operate in their community.
California Assembly Committee Approves Senate-Passed Bill To Stop Employers From Asking About Past Marijuana Use
Tell Your Assemblymember to Vote Yes on SB 700
UPDATE: Find Out How Your County is Complying With Sealing Past Marijuana Convictions
Thanks to the excellent (as always) reporting by Marijuana Moment, some of Cal NORML’s figures and tables about the progress of the expungement of past marijuana crimes in CA have been revised from an earlier release. Read more.
The CA DOJ also released its annual crime report, showing that felony marijuana arrests fell from 825 in 2021 to only 691 in 2022, a 3.4% drop. Misdemeanor arrests for marijuana also continued to fall, to 2,562 in 2022. Racial disparities in arrests continued, with 50.2% of felony marijuana arrests targeting Hispanics, 20.3% whites, and 16.2% blacks. Read more.
California’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF) reports seizing over $109M worth of unlicensed cannabis products in Q2 2023
UCETF is one of three suppression / eradication efforts against cannabis in California. Read more.
NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL
Marijuana in the military? A push in Congress would loosen cannabis rules, ease recruitment crisis
After 50 Years, the DEA Is Still Losing the War on Drugs
LOCAL
Orange County’s City of Seniors May Allow Cannabis Businesses
Santa Barbara Cannabis Update: Sniffing Smoke, Where’s the Fire?
Sonoma County cannabis: An uncertain future
CONSUMPTION LOUNGES
The Almost World Famous Crisp Lounge Opens in Eureka
See: Cal NORML’s List of Cannabis Lounges in CA
Blowing Smoke About Cannabis Consumption Lounges
Cannabis Consumption Lounges No Danger to Public Health: A Cal NORML White Paper
Looking for cannabis doctors, lawyers,stores, products or business services? Visit the Cal NORML Cannabis Marketplace and Support the Businesses that Support Reform!
Thank you to Medithrive in SF for renewing its membership!
Join Cal NORML with a business membership or renew your membership today.
BUSINESS / LAW
Herbl collapse signals wider fallout in California marijuana industry
Purple weed could save California’s pot farms from ‘severe’ pathogen
SCIENCE/HEALTH
More Than Pain Relief: Sustained Cannabis Use Leads to Improved Cognition in Cancer Patients
CULTURE / MEDIA
Daniel Ellsberg’s Real Role
It would be interesting to know when and where Ellsberg started smoking the herb and to what extent the absurdity of prohibition accelerated his transition from hawk to dove. During the Vietnam war years there was a strong synergy between the two causes – ending the war and ending marijuana prohibition. Seeing the absurdity and futility of one opened your eyes to the absurdity and futility of the other.
Coming Events
COMMITTEE HEARINGS
Many committees are halting accepting call-in testimony now that Covid has subsided. Check the committee websites and agendas for more information
Monday, July 10 • 11 AM
1021 O Street, Room 2100, Sacramento
Sen Business, Professions and Economic Development committee hearing on:
A.B. 1126 Lackey. Cannabis: citation and fine.
A.B. 1448 Wallis. Cannabis: enforcement by local jurisdictions.
A.B. 1565 Jones-Sawyer. California Cannabis Tax Fund: local equity program grants.
Tell Your State Senator to Vote Yes on AB 1565.
Monday, July 10 • 2:30 PM
State Capitol, Room 437
All witness testimony will be in person; there will be no phone testimony option for this hearing.
Asm. Revenue and Taxation Committee hearing on:
S.B. 512 Bradford. Cannabis: taxation: gross receipts.
Tell Your Assemblymember to Support SB 512
Tuesday, July 11 • 9:30 AM
1021 O Street, Room 1100, Sacramento
Asm. Business and Professions committee hearing on:
S.B. 51 Bradford. Cannabis provisional licenses: local equity applicants.
Tell Your Assemblymember to Support SB 51
Tuesday, July 11 • 9 AM
1021 O Street, Room 2100, Sacramento
Sen. Judiciary Committee hearing on:
S.B. 1684 Maienschein. Local ordinances: fines and penalties: cannabis
A.B. 1171 Blanca Rubio. Cannabis: private right of action.
California Cannabis Events
July 14-30
California Cannabis Exhibit at State Fair
Sacramento
July 27
Cannabis Drinks Expo
San Francisco
September 2
Medical Cannabis Conference
Brought to you by Society of Cannabis Clinicians & The ReLeaf Institute
UCLA
September 9-10
Cannifest
Eureka
December 1-3
National Interdisciplinary Cannabis Symposium 2
Portland, OR
Cal NORML has been the voice of the cannabis consumer in California for 50 years, and we need your help to keep fighting for your rights in Sacramento and across the state.
