UPDATED July 15, 2024 Cal NORML director Dale Gieringer was the first person to make a cannabis purchase at the California State Fair, on Friday, July 12. Two days later, Cal NORML’s Deputy Director Ellen Komp was among the first to experience the cannabis consumption lounge at the Fair. Outside the CBD-only cannabis exhibit hall at the Fair is a “cannabis oasis,” where cannabis flower and products can be purchased, and drinks and edibles can be consumed. At one end of the “oasis” fair-goers can purchase cannabis products from Embarc or, at the other end, from a group of cannabis

On June 19, the SB 1264 (Grove), a bill to exclude law enforcement from employment rights protections for off-the-job cannabis use, failed to pass the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee, in a 3-2-2 vote. The bill would have amended AB 2188, the Cal NORML–sponsored bill banning job discrimination based on urine or hair tests for inactive THC metabolites. Watch the committee hearing (starting about 2:15 in). Beth Malinowski of SEIU (Service Employees International Union) testified against the bill, saying, “Employers, including law enforcement, are free to test for recent use of cannabis by means of oral swab, blood or breath

Also see: DCC’s AB 1894 and new requirements for packaging, labeling, advertising, and marketing. Beginning on July 1, 2024, Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 26152.1 will take effect, requiring: • Advertisement and marketing of an integrated cannabis vaporizer, defined in Section 26122,  shall prominently provide in a clear and legible fashion: “An empty integrated cannabis vaporizer shall be properly disposed of as hazardous waste at a household hazardous waste collection facility or other approved facility.” • Advertisement and marketing of a cannabis cartridge shall prominently provide in a clear and legible fashion: “A spent cannabis cartridge shall be properly disposed

The California NORML/Americans for Safe Access Citizen Lobby Day on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Sacramento brought dozens of supporters from across the state to meet with their state representatives and make our voices heard on pending legislation affecting the rights of cannabis consumers in California. A survey sent to lobby day participants found that 81% of respondents found the experience “empowering”; 88% found it “educational/interesting” and 77% thought it was “enjoyable/fun.” Of the respondents, who were adult use and/or medical marijuana consumers and/or cannabis business people, 69% responded yes to, “I felt my voice was heard regarding cannabis legislation

San Francisco Mayor London Breed stopped off before attending the Giants home opener today to welcome participants in the first SF Weed Week, to be held throughout the city on April 13 – 20th.  The kickoff press conference was held in conjunction with a Cannabis Mylar Art Exhibit, showcasing over 1,000 commercial mylar product packages from the legal and illicit market, at the Mirus Gallery & Art Bar at 540 Howard Street. It was organized by cannabis journalist David Downs and attended by about 100 supporters from the Bay Area and beyond. Downs said he got the idea for a “Weed Week” after

As the California cannabis industry, already overburdened by overtaxation, faces a raise in the state excise tax from 15% to as much as 19% in order to fund programs that benefit from cannabis taxes, a sizeable chunk of the Cannabis Tax Fund is being diverted into programs not mandated for funding by Prop. 64. By Ellen Komp, Deputy Director, Cal NORML Updated 3/20/2024 Also see: Help Cal NORML Fight for Fair Taxation of Cannabis in California Proposition 64, the voter-approved measure that legalized the adult recreational use of cannabis in California in 2016,  required taxes collected on state-licensed cannabis to be

  Read about all federal and state races, candidates’ voting records, and more at NORML’s Smoke the Vote Guide Every registered voter in California will receive a vote-by-mail ballot for the March 5 primary election. Ballots can be returned as soon as they are received. Vote-by-mail drop boxes opened on February 6 and in-person voting will be available in all California counties. The deadline to register to vote online was February 20th. You can check your voter status online. If you need to register after February 20, you can do so at your county elections office or polling place on the day

An analysis by the SJ Mercury News found that California has earned more than $5.7 in tax revenue since California legalized recreational cannabis sales in 2017, and the only significant negative result of legalization is an increase in medical emergencies attributed to cannabis. “It’s possible that people are much more likely to go to the ER (or take their kids in) for cannabis-related issues when they think they won’t be arrested (or lose custody) for doing so, or are less likely to be stigmatized by the medical professionals they encounter,” posits NORML’s Political Director Morgan Fox. “This could very well be responsible for

Learn About New Cannabis Laws Taking Effect in California in 2024, Pending Federal Legislation, and More.  5.25 MCLE Credits GET ACCESS TO SESSION RECORDINGS Sponsored by: Learn about new California laws affecting cannabis consumers and businesses from top attorneys in the field. California attorneys can earn MCLE credits for attending online. Cal NORML’s Legal Seminar series is aimed at educating attorneys and the general public about current cannabis laws in California, addressing both individual rights of marijuana users in California and cannabis business law, as well as pending federal action. The first session covers new employment rights laws that took

Download a Fact Sheet with this information.  A law that took effect on January 1, 2023 (AB 1954 – BPC 2228.5) prohibits physicians and health plans to have policies denying medical treatment to qualified patients with a recommendation to use medical marijuana. The only exception is if a clinical determination is made on a case-by-case basis that a “medically significant” contraindication exists. The law states, “A physician and surgeon shall not automatically deny treatment or medication to a qualified patient based solely on a positive drug screen for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or report of medical cannabis use without first completing a