Ellen Komp

A grand, white, neoclassical government building stands under a clear blue sky with some clouds. Unusually, a large cloud shaped like a cannabis leaf floats prominently in the sky above the California Legislature. Trees and greenery surround the building. CA Norml

2026 California Cannabis Legislation: What Bills Cal NORML is Tracking and Acting On

A grand, white, neoclassical government building stands under a clear blue sky with some clouds. Unusually, a large cloud shaped like a cannabis leaf floats prominently in the sky above the California Legislature. Trees and greenery surround the building. CA Norml

LAST UPDATED 8/7/2026

AB 1826 (Lackey; Coauthors: Chen and Hadwick). To improve due process around the recall, embargo, and destruction of cannabis products. Sponsored by CCIA. Passed Assembly and Senate Com. on B. P. and E.D. In Senate Appropriations suspense file; hearing set for 8/13. Cal NORML has joined a sign-on letter in support of this bill.

AB 1965 (Sharp-Collins) Cannabis: testing: quality assurance. Passed Assembly and Senate Com. on B. P. and E.D. In Senate Appropriations suspense file; hearing set for 8/13. …

Asm. Berman holds up a cannabis package he called, "straight out of Alice in Wonderland"

CA Lawmakers Hold Hearing on Cannabis Packaging

Asm. Berman holds up a cannabis package he called, "straight out of Alice in Wonderland"A “joint” hearing of the CA Joint Legislative Audit and Asm. Business and Professions Committee was held in Sacramento on February 17 addressing cannabis packaging and its attractiveness to children.

Chair of the Joint Legislative Audit committee John Harabedian (D-Pasadena) opened the hearing and turned it over to Asm. Jacqui Irwin (D-Ventura) who requested an audit of cannabis packaging last year. The audit determined that laws and guidance are not always clear on what constitutes a package that is attractive to children, and that the DCC’s enforcement against companies with repeated violations was lacking.…

A person stands at a fork in the road, facing a choice between a path lined with prescription pill bottles and another lined with cannabis leaves, highlighting the impact of cannabis policy debates under a blue sky with clouds. Ca NORML

Have You Been Discriminated Against by A Kaiser Doctor for Using Cannabis? Join Cal NORML’s Action Demanding Kaiser Change Its Policy.

 

A person stands at a fork in the road, facing a choice between a path lined with prescription pill bottles and another lined with cannabis leaves, highlighting the impact of cannabis policy debates under a blue sky with clouds. Ca NORML

UPDATE 6/25/2026 – KPFA radio in Berkeley ran a story on June 24 (at 33:20 in the broadcast) about Cal NORML’s action against Kaiser Healthcare over their discriminatory practices against medical marijuana patients. A Kaiser spokesperson claimed their doctors are making case-by-case decisions on providing healthcare. However, Cal NORML deputy director Ellen Komp was quoted saying patients are reporting that Kaiser doctors tell them their hands are tied by company policy when it comes to treating them. Kaiser patient Victor Pinho, who has been denied ADD medication at Kaiser, was also quoted, confirmed that his doctors have told him that Kaiser policy interferes with their prescribing options.…

A person in California packs a UPS box with cannabis products—CBD gummies, a THC vape, CBD oil, and a bag of medical marijuana buds—on a wooden table. Shipping materials and a label are visible nearby. CA Norml

Medical Marijuana Shipping Bill Scrapped

A person in California packs a UPS box with cannabis products—CBD gummies, a THC vape, CBD oil, and a bag of medical marijuana buds—on a wooden table. Shipping materials and a label are visible nearby. CA Norml

UPDATE 2/26/26 – The cannabis language in the bill has been erased, following opposition from some in the cannabis industry, concerned that it would open the door to broader shipping. 

UPDATE 2/20/26 – During a chat with Capitol Weekly, new DCC chief Clint Kellum said (@ 19:46 in), that direct-mail options for cannabis could be “quite beneficial” to consumers, noting that most people are getting goods via Amazon, etc. Kellum said that the cannabis consumer has “quite a confusing market to deal with, in that there’s not widespread access across the state, you have intoxicating hemp cannabinoids that aren’t allowed in the state but are allowed at the federal level that make their way in through direct-to-consumer efforts, so there’s quite a bit of confusion, and having more traditional lines like direct-to-consumer would be nice.”…

A government committee meets in a large, modern hearing room; people are seated around a curved desk. The screen displays “AB 762 Irwin: Vape ban on Disposable, Battery-Embedded Vapor Inhalation Device: Prohibition.”. CA NORML

Disposable Vape Ban Bill Amended to Remove Cannabis Vapes

UPDATE 1/26/2026: Asm. Irwin’s bill to ban disposable vapes passed in the Assembly Appropriations committee and was headed for a floor vote when it was amended to remove cannabis vapes from the language.

Cal NORML favors shifting to vapes with removable batteries and developing disposal options for cannabis vape waste. 

Manufacturers and retailers should explore re-designing vapes with removable batteries, and/or provide waste disposal programs for cannabis cartridges, vape pens, and batteries. 

See: THE GREEN PUFF: TRANSFORMING CANNABIS VAPING INTO A SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE  and

Raising the Volume: How Regulations and Consumer Market Trends Have Increased the Volume of Cannabis Packaging Waste in California

Consumers should be aware of proper disposal options for cannabis cartridges and integrated cannabis vaporizers. …

West Sacramento city hall

WEST SACRAMENTO HALTS CANNABIS EQUITY LICENSING

West Sacramento city hall

UPDATE 5/29/26: A lawsuit was filed by STASH against the city on May 22; a court hearing on the suit is scheduled for Sept. 21, case number #CV2026-1591 in Yolo County.  In a press release, the plaintiff states: “This case represents a growing and deeply concerning pattern occurring throughout California, where cannabis equity programs, originally created to repair harms caused by the failed War on Drugs, are instead being manipulated, delayed, obstructed, or abandoned after applicants have already invested substantial financial resources and received approval.”…

A photograph of Jack London's hashish party on the Snark.

Jack London, California Cannabis Pioneer

Last night was like a thousand years. I was obsessed with indescribable sensations, alternative visions of excessive happiness and oppressive moods of extreme sorrow. I wandered for aeons through countless worlds, mingling with all types of humanity, from the most saintly persons down to the lowest type of abysmal brute. – Jack London, of a hashish experience

Today, January 12, 2025, is the Sesquientennial of author Jack London’s birth 150 years ago.

Jack London was California’s most celebrated literary figure at the turn of the last century.…

A close-up of a person holding an electronic cigarette, or vape, to their mouth, with vapor visible as they inhale. The device has a blue light and clear chamber showing liquid inside, reflecting progress since 50 years of cannabis reform. CA Norml

Cal NORML Launches Vape Pen Safety Study

A cannabis vape pen rests atop two green cannabis leaves.

UPDATE 5/26: The Study Has Been Released

California NORML is sponsoring a laboratory study to investigate the safety of electronic vape pens.

The study is designed to measure toxic emissions such as benzene, formaldehyde, and heavy metals that could be dangerous to health, as well as the amounts of THC and cannabinoids they deliver to users.

The study is a follow-up to California NORML’s 2001-2004 lab studies of herbal vaporizers, which heat up natural buds or leaf. The studies demonstrated that they could deliver virtually pure THC without any of the toxins or carcinogens present in smoke.…

A large cannabis plant stands in the foreground with the U.S. Capitol and Jefferson Memorial in the background, symbolizing D.C.'s ongoing cannabis reform under a cloudy sky above the historic swamp. CA Norml

CANNABIS REFORM BOGS DOWN IN D.C. SWAMP

A large cannabis plant stands in the foreground with the U.S. Capitol and Jefferson Memorial in the background, symbolizing D.C.'s ongoing cannabis reform under a cloudy sky above the historic swamp. CA NormlEfforts to reform federal cannabis laws remain stuck on hold in Washington, D.C. 

There is no indication as to whether the administration plans to move marijuana from Schedule I to III, as proposed by the Biden administration in April 2024. The DEA’s leadership has expressed skepticism about the proposal and has been sitting on it ever since. President Trump is reported to have privately indicated his interest in rescheduling to cannabusiness interests. However, his advisors are thought to have mixed views.…

A large cannabis leaf on a green background, with the word "CBD CANNABIDIOL" and a chemical structure diagram shown on the right side. Faded cannabis leaves in the background highlight 50 years of cannabis progress and reform. CA Norml

State, Federal Hemp Bans Flummox Consumers – A Cal NORML Report

A large cannabis leaf on a green background, with the word "CBD CANNABIDIOL" and a chemical structure diagram shown on the right side. Faded cannabis leaves in the background highlight 50 years of cannabis progress and reform. CA Norml

State and federal lawmakers have moved to clamp down on hemp products, leaving Californians at a loss to legally obtain natural hemp CBD medications. The California Department of Public Health has effectively banned the sale of hemp products pending the implementation of a new state licensing system in 2028. Meanwhile, the Congress has moved to close a loophole in federal law that allowed hemp manufacturers to chemically convert the natural CBD in hemp into THC and other intoxicating cannabinoids, effectively circumventing the federal ban on marijuana.…