January 26 – President Obama signaled more of the same in drug policy by nominating Bush appointee Michele Leonhart as DEA administrator. Leonhart is unfondly regarded by medical marijuana advocates for having denied a cultivation permit to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, further impeding research into the medical uses of cannabis. Her nomination indicates …
January 21 – The California Supreme Court released its long-awaited ruling in People v. Kelly today. As expected, the court struck down the so-called SB 420 quantity limits in Ca Health & Safety code 11362.77 as applied to patients’ right to grow, but upheld their application for other purposes, e.g. as a “safe harbor” guideline …
To all NORML supporters in California: We are kicking off 2010 with a major legalization blitz in Sacramento. The California legislature will be hearing Tom Ammiano’s landmark legalization bill AB 390 on Jan. 12th. We are asking all California activists to start the new year by contacting their Assembly members in support of AB 390. …
The California Assembly will be hearing AB390, Tom Ammiano’s landmark bill to legalize and regulate marijuana in early January, 2010. Please tell your assembly member that it’s time to stop wasting money on marijuana prohibition and to reap the benefits of a legally regulated market. See this flyer for key legislators.
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 …
October 19 – While it is certainly encouraging that the Obama administration has committed to writing the AG’s declared policy of respecting state medical marijuana laws, the proof will be in the pudding. Just a week ago, federal prosecutors in San Diego appeared to violate the policy by filing charges against a pair of San …
LA’s District Attorney Steve Cooley is threatening a citywide crackdown on the city’s medical cannabis dispensaries. Speaking on Oct 8th, Cooley told reporters that “about 100%” of the dispensaries are illegal, and that he intends to close them. Cooley and City Attorney Carmen Trutanich have been erroneously claiming that sales of medical marijuana are illegal, …
Two marijuana legalization initiatives are currently collecting signatures for the 2010 ballot in California. (1) The California Cannabis Initiative, sponsored by Joe Rogoway, Omar Figueroa and James J. Clark, (Withdrawn 2/4/2010) and (2) The Tax and Regulate Cannabis California Initiative, sponsored by Richard Lee, Jeff Jones, and Oaksterdam University. (A third initiative, the Common Sense …
Fresno is taking legal action against landlords of Medical Marijuana Collectives. Fresno Bee story CBS47 TV news story ABC story The Madera County Board of Supervisors will be meeting next Tuesday to pass an emergency ordinance to ban the 4 dispensaries in the County. The public is asked to attend next BOS meeting on 9/22 …
September 20 – For the first time, officials are casting doubt on the popular myth that Mexican “cartels” are responsible for illegal marijuana grows on public lands in California. A story published today in the Sacramento Bee Mexican marijuana growers boldly operate in California says: U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration special agent Gordon Taylor said authorities …