Kharla Vezzetti Dec 1, 2009 – A San Diego jury’s not guilty verdict for medical marijuana defendant Jovan Jackson sends a powerful message to District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis to call off the heat and dismiss the numerous other defendants currently facing similar charges in San Diego. The jury rightly cited the vagueness of current laws as a …
December 12 (UPDATE): LA City Council will take up the latest ordinance draft on Wednesday, December 16. December 2 (UPDATE): The latest draft of the L.A. Ordinance has been released. As written, it would cap the number of collectives at 70, distributed among 21 police precincts, and furthermore allow one coop per 57,000 people. It …
UPDATE: On November 18, after a four-hour session, the full City Council declined to introduce the ordinance without amendments that would allow sales. The proposed regulations are expected to be presented next week for a vote by the full council. All of the amending motions to the 5th draft ordinance regulating medical marijuana collectives in …
UPDATE: Red Bluff backs off strict medical marijuana prohibitions; dispensary ban remains in effect Nov. 10 – Medical marijuana supporters met today to oppose Red Bluff’s proposed ban on MMJ cultivation, collectives and dispensaries. Speaking to a packed house of over 150, California NORML attorney James Silva explained via telephone/microphone how the ordinance violates state …
November 11 – The California Medical Association has adopted a resolution declaring criminalization of marijuana to be a “failed public health policy”: Resolution 704a-09 CRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA RESOLVED: That CMA consider the criminalization of marijuana to be a failed public health policy; and be it further RESOLVED: That CMA encourage and participate in debate and …
SACRAMENTO, Oct. 28th. The state Assembly Public Safety Committee held historic hearings on the legalization of marijuana, the first since “Indian hemp” was prohibited in 1913. The hearings were chaired by Tom Ammiano (D-SF), who has proposed a legalization bill, AB390, which will be heard early next year. “I speak on behalf of California’s millions …
Berkeley, Nov. 3rd – In a remarkable turn of events, both sides at today’s California Supreme Court Hearing on the Kelly case agreed that the so-called SB 420 quantity limits in Health and Safety Code 11362.77 are unconstitutional when applied to limit patients’ right to a compassionate use defense under Prop. 215. Instead, they discussed …
California NORML Release – Oct 26, 2009 A medical marijuana regulation ordinance proposed to the L.A. City Council by City Attorney Carmen Trutanich would cost $36 – $74 million in lost tax revenues plus untold additional enforcement costs, according to an analysis by California NORML. The hastily written ordinance, which is being rushed for an …
October 19 – Marijuana arrests in 2008 rose to their highest level in California since the state’s 1976 decriminalization law, according to the latest data from the Cal DOJ Bureau of Criminal Statistics. The state reported 17,126 felony marijuana arrests in 2008, up from 16,124 in 2007, while misdemeanor possession arrests rose to 61,366 from …
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE “““““““““““““““` Cal NORML Release – Oct 17, 2009 Mendocino reported a record number of marijuana arrests in 2008, according to data from the Cal DOJ Bureau of Criminal Statistics. Felony arrests soared to an all-time record of 238, up 42% from 167 in 2007. Misdemeanors increased to 169, up from 129 last …