A man and a woman at a protest hold signs reading "Senate Bill 289 Criminalizes Safe Drivers." They are standing outdoors in 2013, with trees in the background and other protesters partly visible beside and behind them. CalNORML supports their fight for drivers' rights. CA Norml

CalNORML Vigilant for Our Rights Again in 2013

Join CalNORML and support our efforts in 2014! December 2013 – Cal NORML kicked off 2013 with a successful conference in January marking the 100th anniversary of marijuana prohibition in California this year and setting goals for ending it. Over 300 people from across the state attended the conference in San Francisco, which hosted 56 …

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Warnings on Butane Extractions and Dabbing

October 2013 – It has come to our attention that many are purchasing butane-based lighter fluids to make backyard cannabis concentrates, and manufacturing indoors with volatile solvents, causing explosions and fires. Qualified patients can use and make hashish legally under state law. However, the Bergen decision (2008) determined that using butane to make hash oil …

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A person stands in a field, reaching up to touch tall, green hemp plants. The plants are significantly taller than the person, who is wearing a light-colored shirt, pants, and a hat. The sky above is clear with a few scattered clouds, reflecting the progress since the California Senate passed the Hemp Bill. CA Norml

California Senate Approves Hemp Bill

UPDATE 9/27/2013 – Governor Brown signed the bill into law. SACRAMENTO, Sept 11th – The State Senate unanimously passed Sen. Mark Leno’s industrial hemp bill, SB 566. The bill would exclude hemp with THC content

Attorney General Eric Holder speaks at a podium with "Prison Sentencing Guidelines" displayed, addressing the SF ABA Meeting. The event, broadcast live on C-SPAN with an ABA logo in the background, focuses on mandatory minimum drug-crime sentences. "1:16 pm ET" is shown at the top right corner. CA Norml

AG Holder Calls for Rethinking Mandatory Minimum Drug-Crime Sentences at SF ABA Meeting

UPDATED 8/14/2013 August 12 – US Attorney General Eric Holder was aware that coming to California’s Bay Area meant encountering drug policy reform advocates. His May appearance at UC Berkeley law school saw him greeted by medical marijuana advocates, including a banner in the sky saying, “Holder: End RX Cannabis War” In advance of his …

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Black and white side profile portrait of an older man with short, white hair and a full beard and mustache. The man is wearing a dark suit and a bow tie. The background is dark, emphasizing his facial features and formal attire, reminiscent of California's dignitaries who saw the 100-year-old ban on marijuana. CA Norml

California’s 100-Year-Old Ban on “Indian Hemp” (aka Marijuana)

By Dale Gieringer, CalNORML director One hundred years ago, on August 10, 1913, an obscure law banning the possession of “Indian hemp” took effect in California. Also known as cannabis indica or hasheesh, Indian hemp had long been available in drugstores without causing any evident problems; hemp was also grown as a fiber crop in …

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Writers, Starlets and Mexicans: The History of Hollyweed

Angelinos awoke to art student Douglas Finegood’s interpretation of the Hollywood sign on January 1, 1976, the day marijuana was decriminalized in California. Another “vandal” altered the sign in the same way on January 1, 2017 to celebrate the passage of Prop. 64, legalizing adult recreational use. Los Angeles has had a remarkable relationship with …

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Two men are posing for a photo in a room at the US/Mexico Summit. One is wearing a light shirt, patterned tie, dark jacket, and name badge. The other man is in a dark jacket, light shirt, red tie, and light-colored pants. They are both smiling and standing side by side. CA Norml

US/Mexico Summit Looks At Legalization, Research

CalNORML Director Dale Gieringer with former Mexican President Vicente Fox at the Summit San Cristobal, Mexico, Jul 18-20. This past weekend former Mexican President Vicente Fox hosted a symposium at Centro Fox, where delegates from the US, Mexico and Europe discussed legalizing and regulating marijuana as an alternative to Mexico’s bloody drug war. The symposium …

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Close-up of a person holding and using an electronic cigarette. The device emits vapor that clouds the area around their face, with a blue light glowing from the tip. Their mouth is slightly open, suggesting an inhale or exhale of the vapor, potentially highlighting concerns addressed in CA Bill Against E-Cigarettes (SB 648). CA Norml

CA Bill Against E-Cigarettes Harmful to Consumer Health: SB 648 Would Restrict Use of Medical Marijuana Vaporizers by Prop 215

Also see: Blowing smoke about e-cigarettes By Dale H. Gieringer Sacramento Bee Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014 UPDATE AUGUST 14: We’re happy to report that the author has pulled SB648 over concerns about its impact on medical marijuana patients. Thanks to the many NORML members who wrote or called their representatives. UPDATE 7/31/2013: The hearing on …

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