Ellen Komp

A document labeled "CRIMINAL RECORD" with the word "Expungement" written in red sits on a dark desk. Nearby are a pair of glasses, a closed book, and a judge's gavel. The scene signifies steps taken in California for clearing past marijuana crimes from individual records. CA Norml

April 7 Cal NORML Meeting Addresses Expungement of Past Marijuana Convictions in California

A document labeled "CRIMINAL RECORD" with the word "Expungement" written in red sits on a dark desk. Nearby are a pair of glasses, a closed book, and a judge's gavel. The scene signifies steps taken in California for clearing past marijuana crimes from individual records. CA Norml

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). 

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A silver and black handgun lies on a white surface with a small cannabis plant placed in front of it, evoking thoughts of firearm possession in California amidst debates on marijuana use. CA Norml

THE LAW OF MARIJUANA USE AND FIREARM POSSESSION IN CALIFORNIA

A middle-aged man with short gray hair and blue eyes is wearing a dark suit jacket, white dress shirt, and patterned tie. The background, a gradient of blue shades, hints at California law. He is looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. CA NormlJuly 2026 Update Available: What the New US Supreme Court Decision Means for Marijuana Users Who Want to Possess Guns

By C.D. Michel, Attorney at Law

June 2023 – Read the updated post Marijuana Use and Firearms Possession: Are the Times A-Changin? 

March 1, 2021 – Cal NORML receives lots of questions about firearms possession and the changes to California law allowing the recreational use of marijuana. Be careful! Under California law, any use of marijuana triggers a prohibition on firearm ownership and/or possession, despite California state allowing its recreational use.…

A man and a woman smile for a photo in front of a California Highway Patrol banner promoting impaired driving awareness. The banner, resembling a scene from a CHP Report, shows a patrol officer administering a sobriety test to a woman. CA Norml

CHP Impaired Driving Report Released

 

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.

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A straight road stretches into a bright light, with "2021" and a forward-pointing arrow painted on it. On the right, a yellow road sign with the word "ADVOCACY" stands near dense green foliage under a partly cloudy California sky. CA Norml

Where The Reefer Meets the Road: Taking Local Action in California

A straight road stretches into a bright light, with "2021" and a forward-pointing arrow painted on it. On the right, a yellow road sign with the word "ADVOCACY" stands near dense green foliage under a partly cloudy California sky. CA NormlJoin Cal NORML as we visit with leaders of local NORML chapters in LA, OC, Contra Costa, Inland Empire and San Diego to find out what the issues are on the ground and how activists across California can get involved in marijuana reform efforts at the local level.

Also find out about the national effort for employment rights for cannabis consumers that has begun in NYC, DC, Atlanta, Rochester, and Richmond, VA.

Wednesday, March 3 • 4 PM

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A person is standing at a cash register, holding a few dollar bills in one hand and operating a touch screen with the other. In the background, there is a sign for a loyalty points program and a shelf with various items promoting local businesses. CA Norml

The Cannabis Safe: An Open-Source Fundraising Document for Cannabis Businesses

By David Hua, CEO and Co-Founder of Meadow

A person is standing at a cash register, holding a few dollar bills in one hand and operating a touch screen with the other. In the background, there is a sign for a loyalty points program and a shelf with various items promoting local businesses. CA NormlRaising capital has been a huge hurdle for many Black and Brown-owned businesses, and it’s one of the reasons the promises of social equity programs have yet to be fully realized. In an effort to level the playing field and streamline early-stage financing for social equity cannabis businesses, my team at Meadow, in collaboration with legal teams at Mayfield Venture Law, Leland, Parachini, Steinberg, Matzger & Melnick LLP, Clark Howell, and Greenbridge Corporate Counsel created an open-source compliant safe (simple agreement for future equity) to help the cannabis industry find cheaper money and have more opportunities to compete.…

A pin celebrating California NORML's 2020 accomplishments, featuring the text "Cal NORML," with the "O" stylized as a cannabis leaf. The text is in green on a gold background. The pin has a shiny, metallic appearance. CA Norml

TOP 20 CALIFORNIA MARIJUANA STORIES FOR 2020

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 convictions.

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A person stands at a podium in a legislative chamber, wearing a black mask with white text that may read "Good Trouble." The screen shows text: "Federal Decriminalization of Marijuana," "Rep. Barbara Lee," and her handle @RepBarbaraLee. The C-SPAN logo is visible. California NORML supports this 2021 marijuana reform effort. CA Norml

A MOMENTOUS WEEK FOR MARIJUANA REFORM – PLEASE HELP CALIFORNIA NORML FINISH THE WORK IN 2021!

  • House votes to end marijuana prohibition
  • San Francisco pot smoking ban defeated
  • UN votes to reschedule medical cannabis

 Victory is within reach, but we need your support to carry on.

Please donate to Cal NORML or join as a regular or business member: 

Cal NORML regular membership Business Membership
$15.00 – $100.00 $42 – $420

Last week was huge for marijuana reform.

On Friday Dec 4th, the U.S. House approved an historic bill to end federal marijuana prohibition, the MORE Act (The Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement Act) by a vote of 228-164.

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A promotional graphic for a Cal NORML statewide Zoom meeting on Wednesday, December 2 at 4 PM PST, featuring Nat’l NORML Political Director Justin Strekal and Special Guest Congresswoman Barbara Lee, discussing the upcoming federal MORE Act vote and 2021 state action plans. CA Norml

Cal NORML’s Statewide Zoom Meeting on December 2

A promotional graphic for a Cal NORML statewide Zoom meeting on Wednesday, December 2 at 4 PM PST, featuring Nat’l NORML Political Director Justin Strekal and Special Guest Congresswoman Barbara Lee, discussing the upcoming federal MORE Act vote and 2021 state action plans. CA Norml

Cal NORML hosted a statewide Zoom meeting for all interested activists on Wednesday, December 2 at 4 PM PST.

Watch a video of the meeting.

Our special guest was Congresswoman Barbara Lee

Barbara Lee was born in segregated El Paso, TX and attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School, where she was taught by the Sisters of Loretto, an order dedicated to promoting justice and peace. After grammar school, Congresswoman Lee moved to San Fernando, California and worked with the local NAACP to integrate her high school cheerleading squad.…

A person with long hair and glasses is sitting on a sofa in a dimly lit room, holding a lit cigarette to their mouth. The background features a warm, yellowish table lamp, a potted plant, and partially curtained windows, evoking an atmosphere evocative of discussions around the San Francisco Ban on Cannabis Smoking. CA Norml

California NORML Opposes Proposed San Francisco Ban on Cannabis Smoking and Vaping in Residential Apartments

UPDATE December 1, 2020 – After San Francisco residents and activists mobilized, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 10-1 to approve an ordinance that bans tobacco smoking but allows cannabis smoking inside multi-unit apartment buildings in the city. The amendment to remove cannabis smoking and vaping from the ban passed by an 8-3 vote, with Supervisors Mar, Safai and Yee opposing. 

San Francisco is now the largest city in the country to ban tobacco smoking in apartment buildings, and to specifically allow cannabis smoking.…

Racism in Drug Testing: A Literature Survey

It is not news that workplace drug testing is a potentially racist practice. The pattern fits an observation previously made by the ACLU, which wrote on its website that drug-testing policies not only are a “significant and unjustified invasion of privacy, they also single out those living in low-income communities and disproportionately impact people of color.”

Social scientists have found that managers often believe black people are more likely to be drug users. Notre Dame economics professor Abigail K. Wozniak writes in her 2014 report, “Discrimination and the Effects of Drug Testing on Black Employment,” that, “In a survey of hiring managers, there is a belief that blacks are more likely to fail a drug test…They also cite a 1989 survey in which 95% of [hiring survey] respondents described the typical drug user as black.”…