Kharla Vezzetti 
It is with sadness that Cal NORML reports the death of former California Senator John Vasconcellos at the age of 82. As well as his other accomplishments, Senator Vasconcellos was a champion of medical marijuana rights. In 2003, Vasconcellos authored SB420, which legalized medical marijuana collectives and established a baseline number of plants that could …
SACRAMENTO, April 30. The California Senate Health Committee approved Sen. Correa’s medical marijuana regulation bill SB 1262 by a vote of 6-0 after the author amended it to satisfy the objections of opponents, including medical marijuana advocates, the California Medical Association, and county governments. In particular, the bill was amended to drop provisions restricting the …
UPDATE 12:20 PM – AB2500 FAILED TO PASS THE ASSEMBLY PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. Thanks to all the NORML members and supporters who wrote in about this bill. April 29, 2014 – The growing popularity of marijuana has raised public worries about the risk of an increase in driving accidents due to marijuana DUIs. Fortunately, the …
SACRAMENTO, April 21-22. – Two medical MJ regulation bills – SB 1262 by Sen. Lou Correa and AB 1894 by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano – passed their first committee hearings in the California legislature this week, heightening the likelihood that the legislature will finally pass some kind of comprehensive state legislation for the legal sales, production, …
The Sacramento Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to ban outdoor medical marijuana cultivation in unincorporated areas of the county, but chose not to ban indoor cultivation and rather work with advocates to develop an indoor ordinance. The move came after Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan introduced two ordinances to ban both outdoor and indoor cultivation of medical …
April 21, 2014 – SB 1262 (Correa), a bill introduced by the California Police Chiefs Association and the California League of Cites, passed the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee today in Sacramento and will next be heard in the Senate Health Committee. In introducing the bill, Correa said the primary concern was public …
On Wednesday, April 16 the Martinez city council voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance outlawing the cultivation of medical marijuana outdoors “or within public view.” An amendment by councilmember Mark Ross to add language specifically ruling out greenhouses was rejected, as was the total ban that was called for by audience members. After a year-long …
UPDATE 4/22 – AB 1892 passed the Assembly Public Safety committee by a 5-2 vote. SACRAMENTO – Tom Ammiano has re-introduced his medical marijuana regulation bill under a new bill number, AB 1894. The new bill will be heard in the Assembly later this month, effectively replacing his other bill, AB 604, which had been …
UPDATE 4/29/2014 – AB2500 FAILED TO PASS THE ASSEMBLY PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. Thanks to all the NORML members and supporters who wrote in about this bill. UPDATE 4/23/14 – Assembly Bill 2500 has been amended to impose ‘per se’ criminal penalties to individuals who drive with trace levels (2ng/ml or above) of THC or other …
On March 25, the San Francisco Drug Policy Alliance sponsored a showing of “Breaking the Taboo,” a film about the War on Drugs produced by Richard Branson’s son Sam’s indie Sundog Pictures and Brazilian co-production partner Spray Filmes. Afterwards, a panel featuring Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson, California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, San Francisco District …