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CMEs Approved for Medical Cannabis Conference on Sept. 2 at UCLA

Continuing Medical Education credits for California physicians up to 6.75 hours have been approved for the first-ever joint medical conference from the Society of Cannabis Clinicians and The ReLeaf Institute, to be held at UCLA’s Neuroscience Research Building (NRB), 635 Charles E. Young Drive South in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 2.
The conference curriculum is aimed at physicians as well as medical students, nurses, caregivers, the cannabis industry and the general public, with a sliding ticket scale for different classes of attendees. Attendees can join in person, or virtually. Sponsorship packages are also available.
Speakers include MDs with expertise in treating patients with cannabis medicines for a variety of ailments, and some of the “novel” cannabinoids just now being studied. Afternoon sessions will address political issues, with presentations and a roundtable discussion featuring representatives from the California Department of Cannabis Control, the California Medical Board, and the LA County Department of Cannabis Regulations, speaking on the Importance of Social Equity in the Licensed Cannabis Market.
After the presentations, a networking & sponsorship booth exhibition will be held, followed by a happy hour at the SLS Hotel hosted by MedinaCBD.
Read More and Purchase Tickets for the Conference

Conference Agenda
9:00 am
Genester Wilson-King, MD: Cannabis and Endometriosis: It Should be a Treatment Option Now
10:00 am
Patricia Frye, MD: Exploring the Potential Benefits of Cannabis in Autism Spectrum Disorders
11:00 am
Bonni Goldstein, MD: Clinical Effects of Two Important Cannabinoids: CBDV and CBG
12:00 pm
Tim Fong, MD: 2023 Updates to Management of Cannabis Use Disorder
—- 12:30 PM BREAK for LUNCH —-
Box lunch will be provided.
1:15 pm
Sherry Yafai, MD: Dementia and Palliative Care: Where and how can Cannabis be used?
2:15 pm
California Department of Cannabis Control
2:45 pm
Reji Varghese, MBC, Interim Executive Director at Medical Board of California
3:15 pm
Dr. Imani Brown, LA County Department of Cannabis Regulations: The Importance of Social Equity in the Licensed Cannabis Market
3:45 pm
Roundtable discussion: Department of Cannabis Control, Medical Board of California, LA County Department of Cannabis Regulations
—- 15 Minute Break —-
4:30 pm
SCC Closing Remarks – Stephen Robinson, MD, MPH
5:00 pm close
Networking & Sponsorship Booth Exhibition
6:00 – 8:00 pm
Happy Hour at SLS Hotel hosted by MedinaCBD
No cannabis products allowed on site that include flower, vaporizers, etc. All products that will be displayed must be previously approved. UCLA is a non-smoking campus.

Purchase Tickets for the Conference

FACULTY
Dr. Imani Brown is an urban policy and planning professional with more than 25 years’ experience in the areas of public policy, sustainable urban land use, government relations, and small business development. She currently is the Social Equity Program Director for the Department of Cannabis Regulation for the City of Los Angeles. Her programs’ focus is Business, Licensing, Compliance and Technical Assistance, Grants, Pro Bono & Low Bono Legal Services and equity centered policy reform. Dr. Brown was formerly the Executive Director of External Partnerships of Government & Civic Engagement at USC, where she assisted in developing the Community Benefits Agreement for University Village, a multi-billion dollar economic development project. She served as Chief Deputy of Small Business, Transportation and Housing for the late Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald of the 37th Congressional District, where she created small business incubators and opportunities for communities impacted by the Alameda Corridor Project. Dr. Brown is an alumna of the University of Maryland and Cornell University. She earned her doctorate degree in 2009 from the University of Southern California, Sol Price School of Public Policy.
Dr. Timothy W. Fong is a Professor of Psychiatry at the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. He is board certified in adult and addiction psychiatry. He is the co-director of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program and also a member of the Steering Committee of the UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids, whose mission is to address the most pressing questions related to the impact of cannabis legalization through rigorous scientific study and discourse across disciplines. He is the Director of the UCLA Addiction Psychiatry Consultation Service and an attending physician in the UCLA Addiction Psychiatry Clinic.
Patricia Frye M.D. began her journey with medicinal cannabis as the first evaluating physician for a cannabis telemedicine platform, HelloMD, and went on to become professionally certified in Cannabis Science and Medicine by the University of Vermont School of Medicine. During her many years at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California her practice focused on children and teens with autistic spectrum disorder, learning and developmental disabilities, school problems, and behavior issues. She has served as a volunteer for several organizations which include the St. Mary’s AIDS Care Team, Phoenix House, an in-patient drug rehabilitation program for adolescents, Head Start Committee on Health, and Piedmont CASA where she served as an advocate for children in the family court system due to abuse or neglect. Dr. Frye serves on the Cannabis Trade Federation Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the board of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians. In 2018 she authored the book “The Medical Marijuana Guide: Cannabis and Your Health.”
Bonni Goldstein, MD is the Medical Director of Canna-Centers Wellness & Education, a California-based medical practice devoted to educating patients about the use of cannabis for serious and chronic medical conditions. She completed her internship and residency at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where she also served as chief resident. After years of working in the specialty of Pediatric Emergency medicine, she developed an interest in the science of medical cannabis after witnessing its beneficial effects in an ill friend. Over the last 15 years she has evaluated thousands of patients for use of medical cannabis and is recognized as an expert in the clinical application of cannabis therapeutics. She has a special interest in treating children with intractable epilepsy, autism, cancer and other conditions. Her latest book, “Cannabis is Medicine: How Medical Cannabis and CBD are Healing Everything from Anxiety to Chronic Pain” was published in September 2020 by Little, Brown Spark. Dr. Goldstein is currently researching the use of Cannabis-Responsive biomarkers to document objective cannabis treatment efficacy, guide clinical decision-making and improve outcomes.
Dr. Stephen S. Robinson grew up in Newark, NJ and graduated from Reed College in Portland, Oregon and the University of Washington Medical School in Seattle. Dr. Robinson completed his MPH at Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health. His interest in both public health and global health became a lifelong commitment after his first visit to Cuba in the early ’70s. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Harlem Hospital Center and later served as a medical team leader to Ghana and Liberia with Operation Crossroads Africa. After working as Medical Director with Georgia’s Primary Care Assn., he worked in Tanzania, setting up an exchange program between the Institute for Medical Research in Tanzania and the Public Health Sciences Institute at Morehouse College. While there, he also worked with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health evaluating health facilities for their readiness to provide HIV/AIDS care and treatment. Since his move to Oakland, California in 2010, Dr. Robinson has been evaluating patients for their use of medical cannabis. He participated on panels at numerous cannabis-related conferences and delivered presentations on cannabis’ medicinal benefits and dosing strategies to both professional and lay audiences. Dr. Robinson contributed to the revision of the Medical Board of California’s “Guidelines for the Recommendation of Cannabis for Medical Purposes.” He has been a board member of the Society for Cannabis Clinicians, and currently serves as president of the organization.
Dilara K. Üsküp, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in Internal Medicine at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences and an Investigator in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Üsküp is a joint doctoral graduate of the University of Chicago’s Department of Political Science and the Divinity School. She was the first in the University’s history to be awarded both a Ph.D. in political science and a Ph.D. in theology from the Divinity School. She completed her NIH/NIMH training at the UCLA Center for HIV Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Services. Her resaerch investigates the ways religious and political institutions, attitudes, and ideology interacts and shape health behavior to inform public policy. She is also an ordained minister. Her burgeoning research portfolio includes the areas of politics and theology, HIV prevention, cannabis and social equity, and health policy. She collaborates and consultants with faith-based and faith-placed cannabis organizations that are engaged in social justice work around incarceration/citizen reentry, employment/job creation, economic development, health equity, and cannabis social equity. She is co-principal investigator of CaliCANN, a demographic analysis of the state of California cannabis market.
Dr. Genester Wilson-King, MD, is a Board-Certified obstetrician and gynecologist and Fellow of the American College of OB/Gyn with over 25 years of clinical experience providing compassionate, individualized, and research-driven care to patients throughout Florida. After years of working as a full service OB/GYN in established institutions such as Lawnwood Regional Medical Center and Florida Hospital Waterman, she founded Victory Rejuvenation Center (VRC), a private holistic and preventive medicine. Dr. Wilson-King has spent quality time on cultivation farms, in processing facilities, labs, and in dispensaries across the country and in Israel. She is Co-VP of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians and co-authored the Best Practices Guidelines for Cannabis Use in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding. She is also on the Board of the Doctors For Cannabis Regulation (DCFR), a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, and a Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She completed her internship and residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and has degrees from Swarthmore College and Thomas Jefferson Medical College.
Sherry Yafai MD is a Cannabis Specialist and Board-Certified Emergency Medicine physician since 2009. She started her medical career at UCSD Medical School and completed her training at UCSD Emergency Medicine Residency in 2009. After recreational marijuana laws had passed in California in 2017, Dr. Yafai felt compelled to open a private Cannabis Clinic, the ReLeaf Institute, to counsel patients interested in cannabis for wellness and disease related treatment. She is the past Co-Vice President and current Secretary of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians (SCC), a distinguished speaker for UCSD Center for Medical Cannabis Research, Pacific Neuroscience Institute, and multiple other medical programs. Dr. Yafai writes a column for Emergency Medicine News, “The Case for Cannabis” and encourages discussions on the pros and cons of cannabis in the field of medicine.
Purchase Tickets for the Sept. 2 Medical Cannabis Conference at UCLA

BACKGROUND
Under CA state law (the Compassionate Use Act, passed as Prop. 215 in 1996), all MDs and DOs can recommend or approve medical cannabis for their patients, however surveys of physicians have found that few have done so, and that knowledge and competence in this area are low. A recent study concluded that “discussions on cannabis primarily focus on risks (63%) rather than dosage (6%) and harm reduction (25%).”
Cannabinoid medicines and the endocannabinoid system they activate throughout the human body (not just in the brain) are rarely covered in medical school curriculums, leaving physicians with little knowledge about how their patients’ use of cannabis does or could impact their health, what products or dosages might work for them, or what interactions with other medications they may expect.
A new state law in California outlaws denying medical care such as prescribing pain or other prescriptions solely based on a patient’s positive test for THC, one of the active ingredients in cannabis, yet pain specialists continue to test for THC. The California Medical Board has just issued guidelines to physicians that fail to mention the new law, while minimizing the great many studies that have found patients using cannabis for pain can often lessen their use of opioids.
State law also outlaws discrimination against medical cannabis patients requiring organ transplants, and requires hospitals and certain other health-care facilities to permit the use of non-inhaled cannabis medicines by terminally ill patents. A pending law would expand that protection to seniors with chronic health conditions.
Although it is often said that not enough studies have been conducted on cannabis, in fact tens of thousands of studies can be found in any PubMed search, and in publications like NORML’s Emerging Clinical Applications for Cannabis and the Cannabinoids booklet.
Purchase Tickets for the Sept. 2 Medical Cannabis Conference at UCLA
The post CMEs Approved for Medical Cannabis Conference on Sept. 2 at UCLA appeared first on CaNorml.org.

Amplify Your Voice in Sacramento and DC!

Cannabis Laws Don’t Change Themselves…
…but with your help, we can and will enact the policy reforms needed for the cannabis industry to flourish and for its consumers to be treated fairly and with dignity under the law.
The National Cannabis Industry Association, the voice of Main Street Cannabis, and California NORML, the voice of the California cannabis consumer have teamed up to provide California cannabis operators a platform to support the state and federal lobbying necessary for the industry to prosper.

We invite you to join our efforts and amplify your voice by becoming a member of Cal NORML and NCIA through our new unified membership plan offered at the discounted annual rate of $1,200.
Your dual membership will support the work Cal NORML is doing in the state to defend cannabis businesses and support consumers, while also providing a much-needed investment in the national lobbying work NCIA is doing to end the harmful effects of federal prohibition on the cannabis industry.

JOIN NOW
Not sure about joining just yet? Set up a call with someone on our team to learn about the benefits of supporting both these organizations.

California NORML has been advocating, educating, and lobbying on behalf of the cannabis consumer for 50 years and counting. Our recent legislative successes include winning Pain Patients’ Rights and Employment Rights for California consumers.
Cal NORML is the only statewide advocate for all California cannabis consumers. By protecting and expanding the rights of the consumer, our essential work positively impacts the entire cannabis industry. There are over 30 cannabis-related bills this year we are focusing on that will affect you and your business.
Join us to amplify the voice of the cannabis consumer in Sacramento! Cal NORML business members are featured in the Cannabis Marketplace directories on CaNORML.org, and are also invited to join our site with a guest blog post, among other promotional benefits.
Founded in 2010, the National Cannabis Industry Association is the most trusted and most effective national trade association in the cannabis space. NCIA is the only voice for small and independent cannabis businesses in our nation’s halls of power and has made incredible strides advancing congressional support for issues such as 280E reform, banking access, and federal de-scheduling over the last several years. As a show of appreciation for their support for Main Street Cannabis, NCIA members receive a host of networking, educational, and marketing benefits to help them succeed in the competitive cannabis marketplace.
We hope you’ll invest in the future of cannabis as well as your own success by joining the growing list of businesses that have already signed up with NCIA and Cal NORML. If you’d like to learn more about how you can help advance good cannabis policy with us, feel free to reach out any time.
Sincerely,
Kharla Vezzetti, California NORML
Aaron Smith, NCIA
The post Amplify Your Voice in Sacramento and DC! appeared first on CaNorml.org.

End Workplace Discrimination Against Cannabis Consumers

The responsible use of cannabis should never cost you your job.
The post End Workplace Discrimination Against Cannabis Consumers appeared first on NORML.

Minnesota: Adult Use Legalization Law Takes Effect Next Week

“Nearly half of all Americans now reside in a jurisdiction where the adult use of cannabis is legal,” NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “To date, no state has moved to either curtail or repeal these legalization laws. That’s because these policies are working largely as voters and lawmakers intended and they are clearly preferable to criminal marijuana prohibition.”
The post Minnesota: Adult Use Legalization Law Takes Effect Next Week appeared first on NORML.

NORML Op-Ed: Workplace Drug Testing Rules Must Comport with Cannabis’ Evolving Legal Status

Those who consume alcohol legally and responsibly while away from their jobs aren’t punished by their employers unless their work performance is adversely impacted. Those who legally consume cannabis should be held to a similar standard.
The post NORML Op-Ed: Workplace Drug Testing Rules Must Comport with Cannabis’ Evolving Legal Status appeared first on NORML.

Cal NORML News of the Week – July 25, 2023

Weekly Newsletter of The California Chapter of the
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
Subscribe to Get This Newsletter in Your Email Inbox
Sponsor a Cal NORML Eblast and Reach our 32,000 Weekly Readers

Download and read Cal NORML’s White Paper, Blowing Smoke About Cannabis Lounges:
Onsite Consumption No Danger to Public Health
You can also download and distribute Cal NORML’s newly updated literature:
Cannabis Tax Fairness in California
CA Cannabis Consumption Lounges
Medical Marijuana Patients Protected From Discrimination By Doctors in California
California Cannabis Consumers’ Employment Rights
Cal NORML Membership Pamphlet
California Cannabis Laws (printable on 8 1/2 x 14″ paper.)

News of the Week
STATE

California cannabis regulators conducting sticky-note consumer research at state fair
And right next door is this Cal NORML poster, shown here with activist Richard Miller.

State allows cannabis delivery sales in Visalia (and Everywhere in California)
Due to a state mandate that goes into effect next year, the city of Visalia must join other local jurisdictions in adapting their ordinances so they allow for delivery-only medical cannabis businesses to operate in the city. In order to comply with California Senate Bill SB 1186, also known as the “Medicinal Cannabis Patients’ Right of Access Act,” all cities and counties will need to update zoning ordinances that currently prohibit the operation of any cannabis business.
Watch a Webinar and See a Presentation from Cal NORML Legal Committee attorneys Lauren Mendelsohn and Omar Figueroa about SB 1186.
CMB’s New Pain Prescribing Guidelines Advise Physicians to Ignore New State Law, Continue Stigma Against Cannabis Users
Although the new pain prescribing guidelines from the California Medical Board are co-signed by Gov. Newsom, there’s no mention the law he signed last year outlawing discrimination against patients solely on the basis of the presence of THC in urine tests. Instead, it stigmatizes cannabis users as prone to overdose and opioid use disorder, and advises doctors treating cannabis users to consult with an addiction medicine specialist. The guidelines greatly downplay the scores (if not hundreds) of studies finding that cannabis use can lower need for opioid medications for pain, and state that cannabis “is a legal substance so a positive [urine test] result should not directly result in dismissal of a patient from care unless the use conflicts with the terms of the pain management agreement.” There is no such exception in the law, sponsored by Cal NORML and ASA last year. Download a flyer about Medical Marijuana Patients Rights in California.

Cal Chamber’s Midyear Employment Law Update Acknowledges Pending New Employment Rights Law
By contrast, Cal Chamber acknowledges the passages of the Cal NORML sponsored bill AB 2188, which will take effect on 1/1/24. “Though not taking effect until January 1, 2024, employers should be aware of and prepare for some changes with respect to cannabis law and drug screening compliance. Employers will be prohibited from discriminating against an employee or job applicant based on the person’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace. Employers may still conduct preemployment drug testing, and an employer can still refuse to hire someone based on a positive test — but only if it’s a valid preemployment drug screening that doesn’t screen for non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites [e.g. urine and hair tests].”

NATIONAL
MARIJUANA TRAFFICKING OFFENSES HAVE DECREASED BY 61.9% SINCE FY 2018
In fiscal year 2022, 48.6% of marijuana trafficking offenders were Hispanic, 28.6% were Black, 17.4% were White, and 5.4% were Other races. [US Population in 2021: 18.9% Hispanic, 12.6% Black, 59.3% White. The median weight was 176-220 lbs., and the average sentence was 34 months: 77.2% were sentenced to less than 5 years, 17.1% to 5-10 years, and 5.7% to 10 years or more.
Senate Committee Chairman Says Marijuana Banking Bill Actually Won’t Get A Vote This Summer, Despite His Goal, Lobbyist Reports
Senator Objects To ‘War on Drugs’ Bill That Would Require Social Media Companies To Report Users To DEA
DEA’s No.2 quits amid reports of previous consulting work for Big Pharma

Congressional Spending Bill Reports Call For Research On Hemp As Plastic Alternative And Marijuana Impaired Driving Test

Employment Rights
New Congressional Amendments Would End Marijuana Tests For Federal Job Applicants And Encourage Psychedelic Research
Smoking weed after work? A growing number of employers don’t mind.

LOCAL
Public hearing on Redwood Valley cannabis prohibition zone set for Tuesday Mendocino supervisors’ meeting
Cannabis Cheaper In Berkeley Due To Tax Holiday
Growing Dollar Signs Instead of Marijuana Buds in Santa Barbara County
Woodland Cannabis Dispensary holds open house in downtown Woodland
12 Humboldt water restoration projects funded from cannabis enforcement settlement
LA Seeks New DCR Chief

CONSUMPTION LOUNGES

Huge Las Vegas Strip Problem About to Go Up In Smoke
Finding community, changing society: the importance of consumption lounges

See: Cal NORML’s List of Cannabis Lounges in CA

Looking for cannabis doctors, lawyers, stores, products or business services? Visit the Cal NORML Cannabis Marketplace and Support the Businesses that Support Reform!
Join Cal NORML with a business membership or renew your membership today.

BUSINESS / LAW

Police don’t have to tell drivers the real reason they’re being stopped. That’s about to change.
Cannabis Receiverships Are Coming to California
Pot sales approved for events in New York after farmers complain there are too few dispensaries

SCIENCE/HEALTH

DMV/CHP DUI Study Seeks Subjects in Sacramento Area
States With Legal Weed See 37% Drop in Mental Health Treatment
Cannabis use to manage opioid cravings among people who use unregulated opioids during a drug toxicity crisis
Medical Marijuana Linked To Lower Pain And Reduced Dependency On Opioids And Psychiatric Prescriptions, Another Study Shows
Marijuana Is Linked To An Enhanced ‘Runner’s High’ And Lower Pain During Exercise, New Study Finds

CULTURE / MEDIA

Tony Bennett Smoked Pot, Called for Drug Legalization in 2012 After Whitney Houston Died

Bruce Lee: How Green was the Green Hornet?

Coming Events
July 14-30 • 11AM – 10 PM (M-Th); 10 AM – 10 AM (F-Su).
California Cannabis Exhibit at State Fair
Cal Expo Building 6, Sacramento
Stage Schedule
Only adults aged 21 and older are allowed entry, and the consumption and sale of commercial cannabis products is prohibited. (Wine tasting is permitted.) Only clear bags can be brought in. More info.
July 27
Cannabis Drinks Expo
San Francisco
August 4-5 • 10 AM – 5 PM
Join OC NORML at CannaCon
Long Beach

September 2
Medical Cannabis Conference
Brought to you by Society of Cannabis Clinicians & The ReLeaf Institute
UCLA
Take 15% off on the registration fee with code SCCAffiliate15
September 9-10
Cannifest
Eureka
December 1-3
National Interdisciplinary Cannabis Symposium 2
Portland, OR
February 2024 (rescheduled)
Lift Cannabis Expo & Conference
San Francisco

Cal NORML has been the voice of the cannabis consumer in California for 50 years, and we need your help to keep fighting for your rights in Sacramento and across the state.
JOIN CAL NORML WITH A PERSONAL OR BUSINESS MEMBERSHIP AND SUPPORT OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS IN 2023.

Follow California NORML on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

The post Cal NORML News of the Week – July 25, 2023 appeared first on CaNorml.org.

Analysis: One in Seven Use Cannabis to Recover from Work-Related Injuries

“Our study provides novel information on workers’ use of cannabis for their work-related conditions, a population for which little data exist. … Findings of this study demonstrate workers are turning to cannabis many months following the onset of their original work-related condition.”
The post Analysis: One in Seven Use Cannabis to Recover from Work-Related Injuries appeared first on NORML.

There’s No Stopping the Cannabis Revolution

Earlier this month, Marylanders experienced their first taste of cannabis freedom. In a few weeks, Minnesotans will join them. Who will be the next?
The post There’s No Stopping the Cannabis Revolution appeared first on NORML.

Cal NORML News of the Week – July 17, 2023

Weekly Newsletter of The California Chapter of the
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
Sponsor a Cal NORML Eblast and Reach our 32,000 Weekly Readers

Take Action

AB 374(Haney) would authorize local governments to let licensed cannabis consumption lounges and retailers prepare and sell fresh food and beverages, as well as sell tickets for concerts and other events.
This bill would help bolster the overtaxed and regulated cannabis industry in California, and allow consumers who often lack places where they can consume safe and friendly spaces to do so. It is heading for a floor vote in the CA State Senate sometime in August.
There has been some opposition to AB 374 from anti-smoking groups that conflate the dangers of tobacco smoke with that of cannabis. Cal NORML issued a release, Blowing Smoke About Cannabis Consumption Lounges, discussing the safety and need for consumption spaces in California.
Tell Your State Senator to Support AB 374

News of the Week
STATE

The state legislature has begun its summer recess until mid August. Most of the bills we are tracking will have hearings in Appropriations committees, starting on 8/14, and a few will go straight to floor votes. The legislature has until 9/14 to pass bills, after which the Governor will have until 10/14 to sign or veto them.
SB 512 (Bradford), to end double taxation on cannabis by include state and local excise taxes when calculating sales tax, was held in the Assembly Revenue and Taxation committee and will likely not advance in its current form this year.
Committee chair Jacqui Irwin, who sponsored a bill in 2021 to ban cannabis billboards and whose bill this year, AB 1207 to restrict cannabis packaging and flavorings, is opposed by some cannabis industry groups, commented at the hearing that it’s too soon to evaluate the results of AB 195 (2022), which eliminated the cannabis cultivation tax and shifted the responsibility for paying state excise tax from the distributor to the retailer, while making the changes SB 512 sought to correct.
Cal NORML supporters have sent in nearly 900 letters in support of the bill and our director Dale Gieringer spoke up in its favor at the hearing. We will continue to advocate for cannabis tax reform in California. Stay tuned.
Passing on to Appropriations committees are these bills:
SB 302 (Stern) would extend Ryan’s Law, requiring specified health-care facilities to allow terminally ill patients to use nonsmoked (or vaped) forms of cannabis with a doctor’s recommendation. The Stern bill would extend these protections to patients 65 and over with chronic diseases. Write A Letter to Your Assemblymember in Support of SB 302.
SB 700 (Bradford) would amend the employment rights bill Cal NORML sponsored last year to add, “It is unlawful for an employer to request information from an applicant for employment relating to the applicant’s prior use of cannabis.” Tell Your Assemblymember to Support SB 700.
AB 1111 (Pellerin) requires the DCC to issue small producer event sales licenses that authorize them to sell cannabis cultivated by the licensee at specified state-licensed temporary events. Ask Your State Senator to Support AB 1111.

SB 51 (Bradford) would allow the DCC to issue a provisional license for a local equity applicant for retailer activities, indefinitely, if the applicant meets specified requirements. Tell Your Assemblymember to Support SB 51.
AB 1565 (Jones-Sawyer) would require disbursement of up to $15,000,000 beginning in FY 2028–29 to support local equity programs. Tell Your State Senator to Vote Yes on AB 1565.
Cal NORML’s Progress on Enforcement Bills
In order to support the legal cannabis industry and in the interest of public safety, Cal NORML is not opposed to enforcement against the type of large, unlicensed cannabis operators that are often also guilty of human rights and environmental laws. However, we are watchdogging these proposed enforcement bills to ensure that they are not applied against small personal or medical grows. It is generally better to lower barriers to licensure and lessen taxes and regulation rather than spend endless dollars in enforcement, which has never worked well in all the decades of cannabis prohibition.
Cal NORML with the help of our board member, attorney Lauren Mendelsohn, scored a victory by managing to insert language protecting medical gardens into AB 1684 (Mainschein), which expands local governments’ ability to immediately fine for cannabis cultivation to other cannabis activities. After meeting with the author’s office and committee staff, both H&SC 11362.5 (the Compassionate Use Act) and B&PC 26033 (protecting 5-patient gardens) were explicitly excluded from the bill, along with other protections in the language. It now goes to the Senate floor (sometime in August).
Another enforcement bill, SB 753 (Caballero), which would have felonized cannabis gardens as small as 50 plants with attendant water violations, was greatly amended after Cal NORML, DPA, and other groups opposed it. ACLU brought in Hmong farmers from Siskiyou County to testify about the discrimination and heavy-handed enforcement they have seen over water rights, even though it had removed its opposition due to the amendments. We also got amendments to SB 756 (Laird) clarifying that a physical method of delivery must be used for water violations around cannabis cultivation.
SB 820 (Alvarado-Gil), is now a two-year bill after Cal NORML objected to bringing back forfeiture against unlicensed cannabis cultivators. The bill was amended in committee, at our suggestion, to increase the plant count from 50 to 1000 plants before taking any action. Cal NORML legal director, attorney Bill Panzer, attended Cal NORML’s Lobby Day and met with the author’s staff, explaining the multiple problems with the bill, before the author decided to delay further hearings.
NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL

Marijuana Company Stages Boston Tea Party-Style Protest Over Federal Tax Code 280E That Troubles Industry
It’s Been 10 Years Since The First Congressional Marijuana Banking Bill Was Filed, Marking A Milestone As Lawmakers Make What They Hope Is A Final Push
Schumer’s weed plan hits bipartisan resistance
Justice Department Report Shows 61 Percent Decline In Federal Marijuana Prisoners As States Started Legalizing
Ukraine draft medical cannabis law passes first hurdle

LOCAL
New Markets Within California Staggeringly Slow to Open
Monterey County’s cannabis industry is struggling to survive — and claims overtaxing and burdensome regulations are to blame
San Luis Obispo seeking applicants for third retail cannabis store
Backlash prompts San Diego to retreat from proposed vast expansion of where dispensaries can open
After yearslong wait, lawsuit filed as cannabis retailers ready to open in Ventura
Cannabis Mitigation Grant Authorized by Humboldt County Board of Supes
Chico police officer charged with felony, accused of supplying marijuana to minor
SF’s most famous pot brand sued for fraud

CONSUMPTION LOUNGES

High-end experience: Ventura County’s first cannabis lounge opens in Port Hueneme
Drink Your Weed: Inside Rose Mary Jane, Oakland’s first and only Black woman-owned social equity cannabis bar and lounge

Gen Z Fuels Rise in Cannabis Over Alcohol
See: Cal NORML’s List of Cannabis Lounges in CA

Blowing Smoke About Cannabis Consumption Lounges
Cannabis Consumption Lounges No Danger to Public Health: A Cal NORML White Paper

Looking for cannabis doctors, lawyers, stores, products or business services? Visit the Cal NORML Cannabis Marketplace and Support the Businesses that Support Reform!
Thank you to attorney Chris Andrian of Santa Rosa for renewing your membership.
Join Cal NORML with a business membership or renew your membership today.

BUSINESS / LAW

California cannabis companies tied to fake union could lose their licenses
Commercial Cannabis Permit Program and Overlay District Statutorily Exempt Under CEQA Guideline Section 15183
California Gives Up on the Illegal Cannabis Market
The UCETF program written about here Is only one of three eradication efforts in CA.

New Mexico revokes license of local marijuana retailer for selling cannabis from California
Celebrity marijuana brands outperform traditional brands, data suggest

SCIENCE/HEALTH

ASA Report: Regulating Patient Health: An Analysis of Disparities in State Cannabis Testing Programs
Study: Cannabis Use Enhances ‘Runner’s High’ During Exercise
Science Reveals How to Roll the Perfect Joint
As more states legalize pot, their uneven safety rules can pose a risk
FDA, USP Advance Standardization, Regulation of Cannabis Nationally

CULTURE / MEDIA

Check Out These Cannabis Markets in LA and SF This Summer, If You Know Where to Look

DEA “Celebrates” 50 Years, Pushes Social Media Addiction

Follow California NORML on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

The post Cal NORML News of the Week – July 17, 2023 appeared first on CaNorml.org.

Study: Cannabis Use Enhances ‘Runner’s High’ During Exercise

Data suggests that endocannabinoids (namely anandamide), rather than endorphins, are responsible for the so-called ‘runner’s high’ experience.
The post Study: Cannabis Use Enhances ‘Runner’s High’ During Exercise appeared first on NORML.