Kharla Vezzetti September 14, 2011 – California reported a moderate decline in marijuana arrests in 2010, according to the latest figures from the Criminal Justice Statistics Center. There were 16,585 felony and 54,849 misdemeanor marijuana arrests, down from 17,008 and 61,164 respectively in 2009. This marks the second year in a row that arrests have declined, after …
The CA Assembly approved Sen. Correa’s bill SB 847 to prohibit the location of dispensaries near residential zones by a vote of 68-5. This bill would prohibit a marijuana cooperative, collective, dispensary, operator, establishment, or provider from being located within a 600-foot radius of a residential zone or residential use unless a local ordinance, which …
Cal NORML Release Aug. 15th, 2011 – Orange Co. Superior Court Judge David Chaffee ruled that the city of Anaheim may legally prohibit medical cannabis dispensaries. This is the second hearing of the case Anaheim vs Qualified Patients’ Association, which was remanded to the lower court by the Appellate Court last year. The court ruled …
CAL NORML KERN COUNTY ALERT 8/11/11 – Kern Citizens for Patients Rights is organizing a referendum petition to repeal the county’s repressive, new medical MJ dispensary ban and anti-cultivation ordinance. Similar petition drives have succeeded in overturning or suspending anti-MMJ ordinances in San Diego and Butte County. Interested supporters are invited to contact Kern Citizens …
Cal NORML Release, July 8, 2011 – After nine years of regulatory delay, the DEA rejected a petition by a coalition of groups including NORML to reschedule marijuana for medical use. The response came only after advocates sued in federal court for unreasonable delay. The petition, filed in 2002 by the Cannabis Rescheduling Coalition, cited …
Take Action to support this measure June 23, 2011 – House lawmakers introduced legislation in Congress today to end the federal criminalization of the personal use of marijuana. The bipartisan measure – entitled the ‘Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011’ and sponsored by Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank and Texas Republican Ron Paul along with …
Cal NORML Release – Jun. 22, 2011 Butte County activists submitted 12,308 signatures on a referendum petition to suspend the county’s controversial medical marijuana ordinance, which sharply limits patients’ right to grow their own medicine. The ordinance is now officially suspended for 30 days pending validation of the signatures. If, as seems likely, at least …
CORRECTION Our previous posting erroneously misinterpreted the scope of the Correa bill, SB 847, banning collectives within 600 feet of residential areas. The bill applies ONLY to collectives that have a storefront or mobile location requiring a business license, e.g. a dispensary or delivery service. It does NOT apply to patients who privately share garden …
June 9, 2011 – In a difficult session for marijuana advocates, the California legislature failed to approve key bills to protect medical marijuana employees’ rights and to decrease cultivation penalties, while advancing legislation to tighten regulation of dispensaries. The Assembly soundly defeated Assemblyman Tom Ammiano’s bill to reduce cultivation from a felony to a wobbler, …
June 7 – CalNORML received an announcement this morning that 500,000 people have “friended” the Facebook page for the excellent book Marijuana is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink, co-written by NORML’s deputy director Paul Armentano. In celebration, the book’s publisher is offering a special price of $5.99 on the book through …