Kharla Vezzetti June 4 – The California Assembly has passed a bill, AB 2650, that bans dispensaries within 600 feet of schools. Thanks to lobbying by MMJ advocates, the bill was greatly watered down from an earlier version which would have banned them within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, libraries, religious institutions, child care or youth centers, …
May 28th, 2010 – In a lawsuit sponsored by California NORML, Tehama County patients are challenging a local ordinance that would drastically limit their right to grow medical marijuana. Tehama’s is the most restrictive of a rapidly growing number of anti-cultivation measures that have recently been proposed by local officials hostile to medical marijuana. The …
Cal NORML Release – May 5, 2010 The California Board of Equalization reports that the state is collecting $50 – $100 million in sales taxes from medical marijuana, confirming the estimate previously published in an economic analysis by California NORML (also independently affirmed by Americans for Safe Access). California NORML currently estimates the state’s retail …
May 4, Ridgecrest, CA: A medical marijuana raid by the Naval Criminal Intelligence Service has led to the arrest of five defendants on federal charges. The defendants were charged for distributing marijuana for the R&C Collective next to the China Lake Naval Base. Read more. Unlike the DEA, NCIS does not operate under the Justice …
SACRAMENTO – Legislative committees considered a pair of marijuana bills last week, approving Mark Leno’s bill SB 1449 to make petty pot offenses an infraction, and narrowly passing a much watered-down version of Assemblywoman Buchanan’s bill AB 2650 to limit dispensary siting. On April 20th (fittingly enough) the Senate Public Safety Commitee voted 5-2 to …
In a surprise legislative move, a bill that would drastically limit medical marijuana dispensary siting has been introduced by Assemblymember Joan Buchanan (D-Contra Costa). It is scheduled for hearing in the Assembly Public Safety Committee on April 20th. As currently amended, the bill, AB 2650, would forbid any medical marijuana collective, dispensary or other provider …
UPDATE: April 4 – One week after Davidovich’s acquittal, the San Diego DA’s office brought new charges against medical marijuana defendant Donna Lambert, over possession of two legally registered guns in her home. Deputy District Attorney Steve Walter said outside court Friday that the two jury verdicts [Davidovich and Jovan Jackson] should not be interpreted …
March 17 – As federal DEA pressure subsides in California, opponents of medical marijuana are pushing to impose new and unprecedented restrictions on medical marijuana cultivation through local ordinances of dubious constitutionality. In Long Beach, a city within LA County, the city council adopted a dispensary ordinance that requires all patient collectives to grow marijuana …
UPDATE: BILL TO DECRIMINALIZE MINOR POT POSSESSION OFFENSES SIGNED BY GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER Cal NORML Release – March 14, 2010 SACRAMENTO State Sen. Mark Leno (D-SF) has announced the introduction of a bill (SB1449) to downgrade possession of one ounce or less of marijuana to an infraction instead of a misdemeanor. By making possession an infraction, …
UPDATE March 24 – AB 1811 was passed by the Assembly Public Safety committee on March 23rd and will now go to the Assembly floor. CalNORML director Dale Gieringer testified in favor of the bill at the hearing. March 10 – A bill to legalize medical marijuana paraphernalia has been introduced by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano …