In a victory for cannabis consumers, the Oakland City Council on Tuesday, November 12 voted to exempt cannabis from a proposed total ban on residential smoking and vaping in multi-unit dwellings, including condos. The vote was 6-0 with 2 abstentions. The cannabis exemption was strongly opposed by the state’s powerful anti-smoking lobby, richly funded by the tobacco tax. They argued that second-hand marijuana smoke is as dangerous as tobacco smoke and poses unacceptable hazards to people in neighboring apartments. “The anti-tobacco lobby is blowing smoke about marijuana,” argued Cal NORML director Dale Gieringer in testimony before the council. “Marijuana smoke

Please support NORML’s work by donating to our 60th Anniversary – Keith Stroup Celebration fund OAKLAND – The Emerald Cup will celebrate its 20th anniversary in Oakland by conferring its Lifetime Achievement Award to NORML founder Keith Stroup, sixty years after the world’s first marijuana freedom protest in San Francisco started a worldwide movement to end cannabis prohibition. EGGEMIER’S “PUFF IN” SPARKS MARIJUANA REFORM IN U.S. On August 16th, 1964, a lone crusader named Lowell Eggemeier marched into the San Francisco Hall of Justice, fired up a joint, and puffed it in the presence of the police inspector. “I am

UPDATED August 4, 2024 – By all measures, the first-ever cannabis consumption space at the CA State Fair was a huge success, and augurs well for seeing more of such events and spaces in California. AdWeek magazine reported that more than 100,000 people visited the cannabis exhibit, which this year included the opportunity to purchase and enjoy products from California’s cannabis farmers. Overall attendance at the 17-day California State Fair was up 10% this year over 2023, even though the Fair suffered through 11 days of triple-digit temperatures. An article from Sacramento Bee noted, “Officials noted that a nod from

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 2025 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

  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

Under the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, the cannabis excise tax is set at 15% of gross receipts from licensed retail cannabis sales in California.  Many local governments impose additional taxes on cannabis, ranging as high as 10% in some jurisdictions, including Los Angeles. Cannabis is heavily overtaxed relative to comparable goods in California.  Adding the sales and use tax of 7.25% to 10.5% on top of the excise tax raises the cost of a joint by another 8 – 11 cents—more  than the total state excise taxes for an alcoholic beverage.  If local cannabis taxes are added in, the