Ellen Komp

By Ellen Komp

The theme of this year’s 35^th annual Women’s History Month is “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope.” I can’t think of a more appropriate theme to celebrate the historical (some would say, herstorical) association between women and cannabis.

GOING BACK TO THE ANCIENTS

The connection between women and herbal medicine, spiritual practices, and cannabis goes back thousands of years. My book “Tokin’ Women: A 4000-Year Herstory of Women and Marijuana” begins with the ancient Sumerian goddess Ishtar, also called the Queen of Heaven.…

Nearly 40 cannabis and drug policy related bills have been introduced in Sacramento for the 2022 legislative session. Cal NORML is evaluating and tracking these bills, along with state budget bills and will be alerting our membership to upcoming hearings, and actions they can take on key bills at the proper time.  SIGN UP FOR CAL NORML’S EMAIL ALERTS TO STAY INFORMED.

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This year’s pending bills include:

HUMAN RIGHTS BILLS

• AB 2188 (Quirk) is a Cal NORML-sponsored bill to end employment discrimination based on testing for inactive cannabis metabolites.

AB 2188 will prevent employers from using bodily fluids testing to discriminate against employees who consume cannabis when they are not at work, starting on 1/1/2024.

UPDATE 9/18/22 – Gov. Newsom Signs Bill to Protect Employment Rights of Cannabis Consumers, Other Reform Measures

9/1/22 – California Legislature Passes Bill to Protect Rights of Workers Who Use Cannabis Off the Job

2/15/22 – Assembly Member Bill Quirk (D-Hayward) has introduced legislation, AB 2188, that would end discrimination based on cannabis metabolites testing by California employers.…

In news that was widely reported and joked about by Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel, a preliminary study from Oregon State University found that cannabinoids in raw cannabis (CBGA, THCA, and CBDA) have strong affinities for binding to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Researchers used affinity selection–mass spectrometry (AS-MS), which “involves incubating a therapeutically important receptor like the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with a mixture of possible ligands such as a botanical extract,” then separating the possible active compounds using magnetic microbead affinity selection screening (MagMASS).…

Several new cannabis laws are now in effect in California for 2022.

SB-311 (Hueso), aka “Ryan’s Law,” which requires certain hospitals and healthcare facilities to allow terminal patients to use medical cannabis, took effect on January 1, 2022. The law prohibits smoking or vaping cannabis, but does allow for the use of edibles, beverages, topicals, tinctures and capsules for patients with a doctor’s recommendation to use cannabis.

Our sister organization, Americans for Safe Access, has produced a guide to Ryan’s Law for patients and providers, and a form to log complaints. …

Gov. Newsom has released an ambitious preliminary 2022-2023 budget proposal with billions of dollars for education, behavioral and mental health, housing, climate change response, business development and other projects, along with a call for cannabis tax reform and more local retail outlets in the state.

The budget proposal states:

The Administration intends to further develop a grant program this spring that will aid local governments in, at a minimum, opening up legal retail access to consumers. Further, the Administration supports cannabis tax reform and plans to work with the Legislature to make modifications to California’s cannabis tax policy to help stabilize the market; better support California’s small licensed operators; and strengthen compliance with state law.…

UPDATE 9/22: Asm. Mia Bonta’s bill AB 1706 to expedite clearing of marijuana records in California has passed and was signed into law. Thanks to all who took action on this bill!

California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued an information bulletin to all district attorneys, chief justices, and court executive officers across the state calling for all prosecuting agencies and courts to “prioritize implementation of the cannabis resentencing process provided under Health and Safety Code Sec. 11361.9 so Californians can promptly obtain the relief to which they are entitled under the law.”…

In a victory for cannabis consumers, the San Jose City Council Neighborhood Services and Education Committee voted 5-0 on 12/9/2021 to exempt cannabis from a proposed Smoke-Free Housing Ordinance. The ordinance would have banned smoking and vaping of all kinds in multi-unit dwellings.

California NORML joined forces with the Silicon Valley Cannabis Alliance, MPP, ASA and other advocates in urging the council to exempt cannabis from the ban, thus limiting it to tobacco only. Advocates have previously succeeded in defeating cannabis smoking bans in West Hollywood and San Francisco.…

November 22, 2021 – Results of an online survey of cannabis users that California NORML is conducting indicate:

– 30% of respondents (with another 15% unsure) indicated they had been denied employment for testing positive for marijuana

– 8% have been terminated because of a positive marijuana test

– 65% are looking for a job and afraid of discrimination due to their marijuana use

– 37% have increased their use of opioids or other drugs, or alcohol, because of drug testing

– 60% have stopped using marijuana because of drug testing by their employer or doctor

It is stunning that such a large number of Californians living in a state with legal marijuana have experienced job discrimination, and are turning to more harmful drugs or alcohol because of drug testing by their employers or doctors.…