“With public support for marijuana policy reform reaching super-majority status in recent years, prohibitionists and other political opponents have largely abandoned efforts to try and influence public opinion. Rather, they are now relying on gamesmanship to prevent voters from weighing in on the issue.”
The post Missouri: Legal Challenge to 2022 Legalization Initiative Dismissed appeared first on NORML.
“It’s time for local officials to put an end to the NIMBYism and unwarranted fears surrounding the establishment of licensed marijuana retailers. Cannabis is here and here to stay. Municipalities need to embrace this reality and provide the necessary oversight in order to hold these businesses accountable and to make this marketplace safe, transparent and profitable for the community.”
The post Analysis: Legal Cannabis Businesses Associated with Increased Home Values appeared first on NORML.
At a time when few cultural influencers were willing to speak out publicly about the injustices of cannabis prohibition in America, Barbara Ehrenreich was an exception.
The post NORML Remembers Barbara Ehrenreich appeared first on NORML.
Those who wish to perpetuate the failed public policy of cannabis criminalization have lost the hearts and minds of the American public. And they know it.
The post NORML Op-ed: Prohibitionists Fear Democracy More Than Marijuana appeared first on NORML.
“Americans understand that no industry can operate safely, transparently, or effectively without access to banks or other financial institutions and it is self-evident that this industry, and those consumers that are served by it, remain severely hampered without this access.”
The post Survey: Most Voters Support Federal Banking Reforms for Licensed Marijuana Retailers appeared first on NORML.
“The passage of AB 1954 beings and end to the this long-standing and discriminatory practice. With dozens of studies showing that cannabis often leads to a reduction in pain patients’ use of potentially more harmful opioids, it made no sense for doctors engage in this sort of flagrantly discriminatory and destructive behavior.”
The post California: Governor Signs Bill Prohibiting Doctors from Discriminating Against Medical Cannabis Patients appeared first on NORML.
Gov. Newsom has signed a bill (AB 1954 – Quirk) to protect the right of patients to medical treatment if they use marijuana, and the right of physicians and clinics to treat them. The bill was sponsored by Cal NORML and co-sponsored by Americans for Safe Access.
“Many physicians are under the mistaken impression that they can’t prescribe medication to patients who test positive for cannabis,” said Dale Gieringer, Director of Cal NORML. In California, many health plans, health systems, and hospitals require patients to sign agreements not to use illicit or controlled substances for the duration of their prescribed opioid treatment and agree to drug testing. The new law clarifies that physicians cannot be punished for treating patients who use cannabis, notwithstanding its illicit status under federal law.
Cal NORML regularly hears from patients who are terminated from pain management medications on account of their use of medical cannabis. An online survey with nearly 600 respondents found that 18.5% have been denied prescription medications by a doctor due to their cannabis use.
A great many studies have shown cannabis is effective for pain, and can help patients reduce their use of opiates. Our survey shows that 24-30% of respondents have increased their use of opiates or other medications due to drug testing by their doctor or employer.
The California Medical Association House of Delegates adopted a resolution in 2019 condemning the automatic elimination of patients who use medicinal cannabis from pain management programs. AB 1954 would specify that a positive drug test for cannabis should not in itself be the sole basis for denying medical treatment to a patient absent a medically significant reason. “It is irresponsible and unethical for pain management programs to eliminate patients who are using medical cannabis for their chronic pain, because there is conclusive scientific evidence that cannabis is a safe and effective treatment for chronic pain,” said Larry A. Bedard, a Marin-based physician who authored the CMA resolution.
“I’m so happy this bill has passed. Patients can’t wait any longer,” said Yami Bolanos, a patient and advocate from Los Angeles who was instrumental in the passage of AB 258 (Levine; 2015), ending discrimination against organ transplant patients who use cannabis in California.
The Governor also signed a bill Cal NORML supported, Sen. Hueso’s update to Ryan’s Law, SB 988. That law allows terminally ill patients to use cannabis in certain healthcare facilities, but hospitals were resisting implementing the law, claiming a federal conflict, which has been addressed in SB 988.
Other Pending Bills
The Governor has until September 30 to sign all pending bills into law. Take action at the links below.
• AB 2188 (Quirk) would protect workers against job discrimination based on urine or other tests for inactive THC metabolites. Write a Letter to Gov. Newsom in Support of AB 2188.
• SB 1186 (Wiener), which would require local jurisdictions to allow delivery of medical cannabis, has passed through the legislature and is on the Governor’s desk. Cal NORML lobbied for the bill, and testified at hearings on its behalf. Ask Gov. Newsom to Sign SB 1186.
• Cal NORML is also in support of AB 1706 (Bonta), a bill that provides urgently-needed solutions to the delayed implementation of our automatic marijuana record-sealing statute. Tell Gov. Newsom to Sign AB 1706.
• AB 2595 (Jones-Sawyer) would require the State Department of Social Services to treat a parent’s use of cannabis in the same manner as alcohol or legally prescribed medication. Write to Gov. Newsom in Support of AB 2595.
• AB 1885 (Kalra), allowing veterinarians to recommend cannabis products. You can send a support letter on AB 1885 via https://petcannabis.org/
• AB 2210 (Quirk) would allow temporary cannabis event licenses at places that serve alcohol (though not at the same time).
• AB 1326: Sponsored by Sen. Anna Caballero (D), the bill would set the stage to allow for interstate marijuana commerce from California to and from other legal states, contingent on an official assurance that the activity would not put the state at risk of federal enforcement action.
The post Gov. Newsom Signs Bills to Protect Medical Marijuana Patients, Considers Others appeared first on CaNorml.org.
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The California legislature has passed a Cal NORML-sponsored bill, AB 2188 (Quirk), that would ban workplace discrimination due to drug tests for inactive metabolites of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. The most commonly used drug test by employers, urine tests, can pick up a worker’s cannabis use days or weeks before they show up for work and have no correlation with on-the-job impairment. By contrast, oral swab tests, which are permitted for use in the bill, detect actual THC and are a better indicator of recent use.
The bill’s passage is the result of a multi-year effort by sponsor California NORML, the state chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. A bill carried by Asm. Mark Leno in 2008 to protect the workplace rights of medical marijuana users passed in the legislature but was vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger. Asm. Rob Bonta carried two similar bills in 2018 (AB 2069) and 2019 (AB 2355), but they failed to pass through the legislature. Asm. Quirk introduced similar language as a two-year bill in 2021, in order to begin the process of reaching out to stakeholders and supporters.
Meanwhile, twenty-one states have passed laws protecting medical marijuana users against job discrimination, and six of those states (Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Montana and Rhode Island) plus several cities (New York City, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Atlanta, etc.) now also protect recreational cannabis users’ workplace rights.
This year, Cal NORML is joined by strong support for AB 2188 from unions on behalf of their members. It is supported by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), California Nurses Association, CA Board of Registered Nursing, and UDW/AFSCME Local 3930.
“California has always been a leader in the cannabis industry, and we must lead once again by prohibiting discrimination against people who consume cannabis when they are off-the-job,” said Amber Baur, executive director, United Food and Commercial Workers Western States Council. “Using an outdated test to determine workplace impairment does not increase workplace safety—it only causes employees to feel unsafe and harassed at work. We’re proud to support AB 2188 because it’s time for the law to keep up with science.”
“Our members and the people we care for live in communities most likely to be discriminated against for the legal consumption of cannabis. This practice must end,” said Doug Moore, Executive Director, UDW/AFSCME 3930.
“Urine tests are a highly offensive invasion of workers’ personal bodily privacy,” said Cal NORML director Dale Gieringer. “They are too frequently abused to discriminate against unpopular workers and minorities. Workers should have the same right to use cannabis as to use other legal substances off the job.”
Other supporters include the California Employment Lawyers Association, Cannabis Equity Policy Council, Americans for Safe Access, Drug Policy Alliance, United Cannabis Business Association and California Cannabis Industry Association, and Origins Council, among others. The California Chamber of Commerce has removed the bill from its “job killer” list after amendments were taken in the Senate. The cities of Oakland and San Francisco have passed resolutions last year in favor of the measure.
Governor Newsom has until September 30 to sign the bill into law. Supporters can write a Letter to Gov. Newsom in Support of AB 2188.
The post California Legislature Passes Bill to Protect Rights of Workers Who Use Cannabis Off the Job appeared first on CaNorml.org.
“I have repeatedly called on our Republican-led General Assembly to support the legalization of adult-use marijuana, but they’ve yet to meet this call for action from myself and Pennsylvanians. Until they do, I am committed to doing everything in my power to support Pennsylvanians who have been adversely affected by a minor marijuana offense on their record.”
The post Pennsylvania: Governor Launches Effort to Issue Mass Pardons to Those with Low-Level Marijuana Convictions appeared first on NORML.
NORML’s Interns for the Summer ’22 semester share thoughts regarding their time working with the NORML staff.
The post Summer 2022 NORML Interns Answer Questions About the Job appeared first on NORML.