PHOTO: Citizen Lobbyists pictured with Sen. Nancy Skinner at a past Lobby Day.
All Californians are invited to attend the California NORML/Americans for Safe Access Citizen Lobby Day on Monday, May 6 in Sacramento. The event will bring 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.
Attendees are encouraged sign up now so that appointments can be made in your lawmakers’ offices on Lobby Day.
Despite cannabis legalization in California, enacted by the voters with Prop. 64 in 2016, there remain obstacles to consumer access to safe, affordable cannabis products, and to the experience of enjoying it in consumption lounges,” said Ellen Komp, Deputy Director of Cal NORML. “Citizen Lobby Days go a long way towards building relationships with lawmakers, and erasing lingering stigmas against cannabis consumers. And they’re lots of fun!”
“It’s important to realize how important Lobby Day is, because more bills that have come to fruition in California have come from a Lobby Day,” said Richard Miller of Americans for Safe Access California Advisory Committee, pointing to a 2015 bill to end discrimination against medical marijuana patients who need organ transplants. “Past lobby days have helped bring about reforms such as employment rights for cannabis consumers, and medical rights for pain patients and others who use cannabis,” Miller added.
“Participating in Lobby Day is pivotal for civic engagement, as it empowers citizens to amplify their voices in legislative processes,” said Jakki Hernandez of Orange County NORML. “This event offers an inspiring environment for training, pairing newcomers with experienced attendees to foster camaraderie and guidance. Through this collaborative approach, advocacy efforts are strengthened, enhancing the community’s influence in shaping laws that impact them. By the conclusion of the day, newcomers become proficient in discussing the relevant bills, underscoring the importance of fighting for one’s beliefs through education and activation. Every individual should experience a lobby day to witness firsthand the significance of advocating for what they believe in.”
Sponsors for this year’s Lobby Day include Silver Sponsor KIVA Confections, and these Bronze sponsors: The Law Office of Shay Gilmore, The Green Cross, Ananda Strategy, PAX, The Law Offices of Omar Figueroa, Snowtill, Ispire, Ian Rassman, and the Brownie Mary Democratic Club of San Francisco.
“At Kiva, we believe in empowering consumers to shape the future of cannabis by championing responsible consumption. Sponsoring Lobby Day is our commitment to amplifying the consumer voice and advancing efforts to normalize responsible cannabis use,” said Caryn Woodson of Kiva. Sponsor Nate Landau from Snowtill added, “We are sponsoring lobby day because Cannabis compassion donation programs (AB2555) need to be renewed, so patients in need, especially veterans, can continue getting their medicine.”
Sponsor this impactful event.
LOBBY DAY AGENDA
Lobby Day attendees will meet in the morning at the Capitol Event Center, where they will learn about pending bills and get lobbying tips. In the afternoon, participants will meet with lawmakers or their staffers. The day will end with an afterparty and reception on the patio at Cafeteria 15L.
Some of the bills on which we expect to be lobbying are:
AB 2555 (Quirk-Silva) to renew tax-free cannabis compassion programs for indigent patients, which were put into place with SB 34 (Wiener, 2019) and set to expire next year.
AB 1775 (Haney) to allow cannabis businesses to prepare and sell noncannabis, nonalcoholic food and drinks in a cannabis café model boosting both the industry and the consumer experiences. Cal NORML is sponsoring this bill and is working to address concerns raised by the Governor in his veto message last year.
SB 1059 (Bradford) would prohibit a city or county from including in the definition of gross receipts, for purposes of any local tax or fee on a licensed cannabis retailer, the amount of any cannabis excise tax imposed under the Cannabis Tax Law or any sales and use taxes. Cal NORML supports cannabis tax reform in California.
SB-1264 – (Grove) – would exclude from employment rights protections in AB 2188 employees in sworn or nonsworn positions within law enforcement agencies, including dispatch and other public safety communications, community services duties, and animal control. We oppose this bill.
Read about 2024 bills pending in the California legislature.
LOBBY DAY SCHEDULE
MORNING
10 AM – 12 PM; doors open at 9:15 serving coffee, donuts and such
Capitol Event Center
1020 11th St. (between J and K Streets)
Gather for training/legislative overview; pick up your afternoon appointment information
LUNCH BREAK (on your own)
AFTERNOON
1 PM Group Photo at the Capitol Steps
1:30 – 5 PM
Attendees will go to the Capitol for appointments with your elected representatives or their staffs.
EVENING
5 PM – 7 PM
Afterparty / Reception – food, drinks and fun!
Cafeteria 15L
Register to Attend Lobby Day
Sponsor This Impactful Event!
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 hearing about Beer Week in the city, and by Amoeba Records in-store events. “Cannabis growers are rock stars. Strains are celebrities. We’re treating them accordingly,” he said. SF Week Week events will be held on 7 consecutive nights at 7 different dispensaries, showcasing 7 new cannabis strains.
Wearing a Giants jersey and bright orange suit, Breed said she was grateful to be part of, “an opportunity that is so San Francisco.” She added, “When you think about San Francisco, you think about fun, you think about excitement, you think about joy. And the cannabis community, even before it was legalized in California, has been such an important part of that.”
Mentioning the Beat poets in North Beach and the Summer of Love in the Haight as examples of San Francisco culture that have spread across the world, Breed said today’s efforts would help “transform the conversation and open up opportunities for people to experience joy through cannabis.” She joked that SF Weed Week should be held at the same time as Restaurant Week (because, the munchies).
Cannabis businesses are projected to bring in $789 million to the city in 2024/25 Breed said, mentioning that SF has approved 52 business permits through their equity program, and has given out $11 million in grants for equity programs in cannabis. She said SF Weed Week was an opportunity to “support our dispensaries and small business, and use this as a way to bring tourists and other people back to our city for an eperience that only San Francisco can provide.”
Speaking about some flap her office got when the official 4/20 Hippie Hill event in Golden Gate park was cancelled this year, Breed clarified, “I love 4/20…what we did instead of cancelling it we created an event where people can come together safely. We didn’t enforce our ’no smoking in the park’ rules; we allowed people to come together….4/20 is an organic event that has come together not because the city says it’s so, but because the community makes it happen….So as we embark upon this new SF Weed Week, I’m excited to see something like this happen in a more formalized way.”
After she spoke, Breed posed for pictures with the crowd, holding a cannabis bud bouquet presented to her by local cultivator Sense.
The mayor acknowledged the contributions of the Brownie Mary Democratic Club and Cal NORML board member David Goldman, president of the SF BMDC, who also spoke at the event. Goldman mentioned the club’s monthly meetings that host candidates for local office, letting them know that “our community is strong and it votes.” Follow SF BMDC on Instagram at BMSF415.
Goldman’s partner Michael Koehn, an Air Force veteran, spoke about the importance of passing AB 2555 to extend SB 34 compassion programs that provide no-cost medicine to veterans and others. Also speaking on the topic was Nicole Redler of ReCompass, who organizes compassion programs.
Downs invited all back at 4:20 for the official Mirus Gallery show opening, and noted that the show would be up all month, and the gallery will serve as a gathering point for people attending SF Weed Week events
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 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
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 to be disbursed to a number of specific programs.
At issue in past and coming years is so-called “Tier-3” funding, which is to be disbursed as follows, via grant programs:
– 60% to Youth Education, Prevention, Early Intervention and Treatment
– 20% to Environmental Restoration and Protection
– 20% to State and Local Government Law Enforcement
Prop. 64’s cannabis tax funding mandates are enshrined until 2028, when some changes can be made, but only if they don’t reduce the amount of Tier 3 funding mandated in the measure.
Cannabis Tax Reform Efforts
Cal NORML and other groups have been working for years to reduce the tax burden on cannabis businesses in California, currently at 15% state excise tax, plus state sales tax and oftentimes, “special” local taxes on top, bringing total taxes as high as 40% and much higher than taxes on comparable and more dangerous consumer goods like alcohol or cigarettes.
The state excise tax on a bottle of wine is 4 cents. The state excise tax on an ⅛ ounce of cannabis is $4.90 or over 100 times more. At Cal NORML, we witnessed a mass exodus from the legal medical marijuana market back to the well-established illicit one just after Prop. 64 taxes took effect in 2018. “Pop up” sales of unlicensed and untested products lead to the only instances of cannabis products known to cause deaths during the EVALI crisis of 2019.
California is falling short of other states in per capital cannabis sales:
State
Per Capita Cannabis Sales in 2023
Michigan
$295.39
Montana
$288.96
New Mexico
$254.43
Oregon
$221.67
Missouri
$218.62
California
$98.40
Source: https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/news/state-cannabis-sales-trends-august-2023/
Michigan, with its 10% state excise tax that is shared with local jurisdictions (which have no taxes of their own), is pointed to as a model for a successful roll-out of marijuana legalization. Missouri has a 6% state excise tax and caps local taxes at 3% (California has no such cap). Other states like Oregon with its 17% state excise tax has seen business failures; their numbers are boosted by sales from customers from bordering states without legal cannabis. If California were on par in per capita sales with Michigan or Montana, it would be generating $13 billion in annual sales, and the state would be collecting substantially more tax revenue, concludes Cal NORML board member Hirsh Jain of Ananda Strategy.
Some measure of tax reform was gained in California with last year’s budget bill AB 195, which eliminated the cannabis cultivation tax but, in a compromise with groups receiving cannabis tax monies, set a bar of $670 million for Tier 3 programs and directed the legislature to raise the cannabis excise tax to as much as 19% next year should tax revenues fall below the $670-million mark.
Reform groups and tax recipients are gearing up for a battle on taxation in the coming years, and it’s already begun. Meanwhile, little noticed is the fact that the bulk of the 60% cannabis tax allotment for youth education and prevention programs has been diverted to pay for child care, something not mandated by Prop. 64 or approved by California voters.
How Cannabis Tax Funds Have Been Misdirected
Governor Newsom’s budget proposal for 2019 directed, after $12 million to the Department of Public Health, a whopping 75% ($80.5 million) of the 60% of cannabis tax funds earmarked for education, prevention, and treatment of youth substance use disorders to the Department of Education to “subsidize child care for school-aged children of income-eligible families.”
Only a remaining 20 percent ($21.5 million) was directed to the Department of Health Care Services for “competitive grants to develop and implement new youth programs in the areas of education, prevention and treatment of substance use disorders along with preventing harm from substance use.” The remaining 5 percent ($5.3 million) was earmarked for the California Natural Resources Agency to support youth community access grants.
Reporter Brooke Staggs explained in a 2019 Orange County Register article how surprising it was that Prop. 64 tax funding was being directed away away from after-school programs and into child care. The article states:
When Prop. 64 was approved by voters, officials projected more than $1 billion a year would come to the state in new cannabis-related revenue, and at least some of that would be directed for after-school programs for lower-income families.
Now, 19 months later, the numbers are very different. Cannabis has generated much less than projected in sales taxes, and after school programs haven’t seen a single dollar from legalized marijuana.
In May, Gov. Gavin Newsom, who campaigned as a supporter of both Prop. 64 and expanded after school programs, surprised many insiders when he opted to dedicate $80.5 million in cannabis taxes available this fiscal year — plus $130.5 million expected to be available each year going forward — to finance vouchers for child care, money that would go to more than 11,000 families in need. His administration says giving parents vouchers offers more flexibility than direct funding for After School Education and Safety (ASES) programs, because the vouchers can be used by parents who work non-traditional work schedules.
Supporters of ASES have nothing but praise for the programs. But many also said Newsom’s move amounted to a “bait and switch” for voters, who were told marijuana tax revenue would specifically support “after school programs,” which poll consistently higher with voters of all demographics than “subsidized child care.”
After school programs are also backed by data that show students who participate are less likely to use drugs or become victims of crime and more likely to do better in school. Supporters argue that those results align with the mission of Prop. 64 funding.
Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) authored a bill, Assembly Bill 1085, to redirect cannabis tax revenue to ASES programs and federally funded 21st Century Community Learning Centers, which offer after school programs for high school students. McCarty’s bill passed through the legislature but was vetoed by Newsom.
The legislature has fallen in line with the Governor’s suggestion on funding child care with cannabis taxes in subsequent years. This year’s budget bill also contains an allotment of 601,000 to support the State Department of Public Health and $1,801,000 for the Dept. of Food and Agriculture.
Grantees Lead the Charge Against Cannabis Tax Reform
At the November 16, 2023 meeting of the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Prop. 64 advisory group, whose purpose in part is to provide feedback on Youth Education, Prevention, Early Intervention and Treatment Account (YEPEITA)-funded programs, Lynn Silver of the Oakland-based Public Health Institute (PHI), who is on the board of the group, made a pitch for all of the groups present to lobby against tax reductions for cannabis, since they are funded by those taxes. Silver acknowledged at the meeting that the bulk of the funding was going to education, not to YEPEITA programs. Her group continually uses the need for child care funding as a reason to keep cannabis taxes high.
PHI took the lead on a letter sent by various groups last week to legislative leadership proposing increasing the cannabis excise tax and/or re-instituting the cultivation tax in order to ensure that Tier 3 funding continues at needed levels. Their rallying cry has been picked up by the San Francisco Chronicle, among other outlets.
Arguably PHI’s activities have crippled the California cannabis market at the local level, where still over half of the state’s municipalities don’t license cannabis businesses. The Oakland-based group has contacted every city and county in California, encouraging them to pass restrictive measures with high local taxes, levied on top of the state excise tax. Their “Getting It Right from the Start” project has released its fifth annual scorecard of California’s cities and counties, ranking localities according to how well they limit the number of legal cannabis retail outlets, how high they tax cannabis, and whether they ban cannabis at events and lounges:
The institute is funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the CA Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (which arguably has no business addressing cannabis). PHI’s director Silver testified last year against a bill, SB 512, that would have ended double taxation on cannabis, since local taxes are currently included in the gross receipts total that must pay the 15% excise tax (as a new video from CDTFA jauntily reminds retailers). The bill failed.
Hearing Reveals Budget Surplus of $260 Million in Tier 3 Fund
At a March 12 hearing of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee #5, representatives from the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) and (Department of Finance) DOF said they expect future tax revenues will just about meet their $670 million mark in coming years, though they seemed to think the excise tax would be automatically adjusted up per AB 195.
Katie Howard from Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) testified that not all grant monies were being distributed to cities and counties for law enforcement activities, since there were not enough applicants for the grants. Under Prop. 64, only local jurisdictions that license cannabis businesses can apply for the grants, as an incentive for locals to license. A pending two-year bill from Assemblymember Lackey, AB 1616, would open grants up to cities and counties that have not licensed, but so far has stalled in the legislature over conflicts with Prop. 64.
Some $260 million in unspent funds have accumulated in the Tier 3 law enforcement account, and those funds are being used on loan to backfill deficits in the Tier 3 accounts, to the tune of $100-$150 million a year, to be paid back at some unspecified date at $50 million yearly. Asked by Committee member Christopher Ward if cannabis tax funds overlapped with other general-fund-supported programs, Andrew Hoang of DOF replied that DSS (Dept. of Social Services) provides childcare funding but, “the department is looking to utilize that Prop. 64 excess for child care.”
So it seems that even more cannabis tax funds could be going to child care, even though that funding stream was not approved by the voters in Prop. 64, and the cannabis industry continues to struggle to bring in adequate tax revenue in a scheme that already overtaxes their product, and may increase taxes very soon.
Conclusions
Governor Newsom signed AB 2925 (Cooper), requiring DHCS to provide to the Legislature a spending report of funds from the YEPEITA paid for by the Cannabis Tax Fund for the 2021–22 and 2022–23 fiscal years by July 10, 2023. Cal NORML has requested this report from DHCS and DOF, but has not yet received it.
Before we talk about raising taxes on cannabis to try and fund YEPEITA programs, we should look at how cannabis taxes are currently being spent, and how they are being diverted away from Prop. 64-mandated programs.
Rather than continuing to hamstring the legal cannabis market with overly high taxation and overregulation, California should be looking to more progressive and successful cannabis tax models that will help the legal, licensed industry thrive and provide more tax income for all, while ensuring consumers have more access to safe cannabis products, and squelching the illicit cannabis industry instead.
Read more about Lobby Day
BECOME A SPONSOR TODAY!
California NORML and ASA (Americans for Safe Access) are pleased to announce Citizen Lobby Day, taking place May 6, 2024 in Sacramento, CA. Our members and coalition partners will host a lobby day and training in support of state legislation to better regulate cannabis and protect consumers in California.
The California Citizen Lobby Day offers an exciting and unique opportunity to reach out to the medical and adult-use cannabis community. Becoming a sponsor of the Citizen Lobby Day is an excellent way to maximize your visibility to full or targeted groups of conference attendees. We offer a variety of options to suit every budget and marketing strategy.
Becoming a sponsor is a great way to help get legislation passed that is beneficial to cannabis consumers and the legal cannabis industry. It is also a great way to position and brand your business or organization as one that is helping solve problems and move the cannabis issues forward.
SPONSORSHIP LEVELS
• $5,000 Platinum
• $2,500 Gold
• $1000 Silver
• $500 Bronze
WHAT YOU GET
$500 Bronze (available to nonprofit groups and Cal NORML business members. Become a member here.)
• Text listing in Lobby Day Materials
• Logo with link on the Lobby Day Website
• Thanked on Event Facebook page and Cal NORML LinkedIn page
• Corporate Materials placement on or near the Registration table
• Two free tickets to the event
$1000 Silver
• All of the above, plus:
• Thanked on Cal NORML Twitter account (15K followers)
• One Cal NORML eblast sponsorship (30 K followers)
$2,500 Gold
• All of the above, plus:
• Four free tickets to the event
• One-year Business Marketplace listing on CaNORML.org
$5,000 Platinum
• All of the above, plus:
• One year banner ad on CaNORML.org; any page of your choice
If you have any questions, please email us.
Sponsor Cal NORML Lobby Day 2023
$500.00 – $5,000.00
Buy now
Cal NORML / ASA Lobby Day Coming to Sacramento on Monday, May 6
All Californians are invited to attend the California NORML/Americans for Safe Access Citizen Lobby Day on Monday, May 6 in Sacramento. The event will bring 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.
Register to Attend Lobby Day.
Past lobby days have helped bring about reforms such as employment rights for cannabis consumers, medical rights for organ transplant and pain patients who use medical cannabis, and cannabis tax reform, among other ongoing issues.
Sponsor This Impactful Event!
Lobby Day attendees will meet in the morning at the Capitol Event Center, where they will learn about pending bills and get lobbying tips. In the afternoon, participants will meet with lawmakers or their staffers. The day will end with an afterparty and reception on the patio at Cafeteria 15L.
Some of the bills on which we expect to be lobbying are:
Consumer Rights
AB 1610 (Jones-Sawyer) – would protect cannabis consumers and the legal cannabis market by ensuring products are accurately labeled, and provide greater transparency and oversight in product testing and recalls. It would mandate labs to conduct blind proficiency tests of products to ensure results are consistent; create standard procedures for the randomized testing of retail products; require any product recall to be publicly reported to consumers online; and mandate all licensed labs to be annually audited by the Department of Cannabis Control.
Supporting the Legal Cannabis Industry
Register to Attend Lobby Day.
Sponsor This Impactful Event!
SCHEDULE
MORNING
Capitol Event Center – 1020 11th St. (between J and K Streets)
10 AM – 12 PM; doors open at 9:15
Gather for training/legislative overview; pick up your afternoon appointment information
LUNCH BREAK (on your own)
AFTERNOON
1 PM Group Photo at the Capitol Steps
1:30 – 5 PM
Attendees will go to the Capitol for appointments with your elected representatives or their staffs.
EVENING
Afterparty / Reception
5 PM – 7 PM
Cafeteria 15L
Lobby Day Ticket 2023
$25.00 – $50.00
Buy now
Sponsor Lobby Day!
To learn more, write here.
Please support Cal NORML with a personal or business membership to help us advance cannabis consumers rights in California!
Here are bills that Cal NORML is tracking or lobbying on in California for 2024. Some are two-year bills carried over from last year, with various deadlines for them to see hearings, depending on their progress last year.
AB 1775 (Haney) – would allow cannabis businesses to prepare and sell noncannabis, nonalcoholic food and drinks in a “cannabis café” model boosting both the industry and the consumer experiences. A similar bill was vetoed by Gov. Newsom last year. Cal NORML is sponsoring this bill and is working to address concerns raised by the Governor in his veto message. TELL YOUR LAWMAKER TO VOTE FOR AB 1775.
AB 1610 (Jones-Sawyer) – would address cannabis recall orders and laboratory practices, working towards more accurate testing results and better consumer safety. Cal NORML is also sponsoring this bill and is reaching out to experts and stakeholders for input on the bill’s language.
AB-2223 (Aguiar-Curry) – would help address the proliferation of unlicensed, intoxicating hemp-derived products in California. Cal NORML supports this effort.
SB 1059 (Bradford) – clarifies cannabis taxation. Cal NORML suports cannabis tax reform in California.
SB 1064 (Laird) – a “spot” bill that states the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to strengthen the state’s legal cannabis market.
AB-2296 (Villapudua) – would add a sentencing enhancement for illegally manufacturing concentrated cannabis if it occurs in a structure where a child under 16 years of age is present or causes a child under 16 years of age to suffer great bodily injury.
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 will be mailed on or before February 5 and can be returned as soon as they are received. Vote-by-mail drop boxes open February 6 and in-person voting will be available in all California counties.
The deadline to register to vote online is 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.
In California, you can vote even if on parole, probation, or post-release community supervision. See information about having voting rights restored after serving a state or federal prison term for a felony conviction.
Cal NORML is in the process of updating the NORML Smoke the Vote Guide for the primary election. You can send information about candidates or measures through that portal or here.
Presidential Primary
California has open primaries, meaning all voters can vote for candidates of any party, even for partisan offices. The exception is the Presidential primary, where the Republican, Green and Peace & Freedom parties aren’t allowing cross-over voting by Californians not registered to any party, but the Democratic, American Independent, and Libertarian parties are if a form is filled out and returned to county elections offices or brought to a polling place.
Read about Presidential candidates at NORML’s Smoke the Vote Guide
California Senate Race
Three Democratic Congress Members and a Republican ex-baseball player are the top candidates vying for the CA Senate seat vacated when Dianne Feinstein died. Laphonza Butler, who was appointed by Gov. Newsom to fill the seat, is not running for election to the seat. Feinstein’s term was set to expire in January 2025. In the March 5 Primary Election, voters will have the full-term contest on their ballot, and they will also see a separate contest for the remainder of the unexpired term ending in January 2025.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) is a longtime friend and champion of the marijuana reform movement. She was a staffer for Rep. Ron Dellums, one of the first Congress members to advocate marijuana reform in the 1970s, and continued to support marijuana reform as a state legislator and Congress member during the darkest days of the drug war. A strong racial justice advocate, Rep. Lee denounces cannabis laws for their disproportionate impact on minorities. Lee is a Co-Chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus. She was a leading co-sponsor of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, the first-ever federal legalization bill to be approved (twice, in 2019 and 2021) by the House of Representatives. At age 77, Rep. Lee is the most senior major candidate in the race, but also the most likely to push cannabis as a high-priority issue in the Senate.
Adam Schiff (D-West LA, Valley), is the frontrunner and top money earner in the race. He is best known for leading the House impeachment investigation of Donald Trump, but has been more reticent on cannabis and criminal justice reform. He has typically voted well on cannabis bills, but has generally held off from co-sponsoring them. One exception is the STATES Act of 2018-9, a Trump-era bill that would have protected the legality of state marijuana laws.
Katie Porter (D-Orange County) is co-chair of the Democratic Progressive Caucus. A single mom, she takes pride in being the only candidate who never accepts corporate donations. She is particularly well versed in economic issues, but has consistently voted well on marijuana bills. She has participated in the Congressional cannabis caucus and co-sponsored the MORE legalization act. Porter is the only single mother in Congress. She was voted toughest questioner in Congress for her tough questions to corporate executives on wage and banking issues. Porter is fighting to beat out Republican Steve Garvey in the race for second place in the primary, so she can run face-to-face in the runoff against her Democratic colleague Adam Schiff, who is leading the polls. Porter was the first Democrat to be elected to represent her district, which covers much of south-central Orange County.
Ex-baseball star Steve Garvey is fighting to come in second in the primary so as to make the runoff as a Republican in this open primary. A political novice, Garvey has been vague about his views on practically everything. However, he has some experience with cannabis: He is boosting a CBD topical product line known as Level Select. “It keeps me in the game of life at 73,” he told Market Watch. But he has made it clear his products do not contain THC.
KEY CONGRESSIONAL RACES
U.S. House District 16 (Palo Alto / Pacifica)
Evan Low (D) is an openly gay Democratic Assemblymember who has been a vocal supporter on LGBTQ rights and cannabis issues in the state assembly. He sponsored AJR 27 calling on President Trump to leave legal cannabis industry alone and was supportive of cannabis businesses as chair of the Assembly Business and Professions committee.
Santa County Supervisor Joe Simitian (D) voted well on cannabis issues when he was in the legislature a decade ago, including a medical marijuana employment rights bill and another classifying marijuana possession as an infraction. He is endorsed by the retiring incumbent Anna Eshoo.
Sam Liccardo (D) built a reputation as a can-do reformer as mayor of San Jose. During his eight years of tenure, San Jose was on the forefront of California cities that encouraged licensed cannabis businesses.
Rishi Kumar (D) responded to a constituent inquiry saying, “I am for personal choice…people can decide, Legalization makes sense.”
U.S. House District 30 (Pasadena)
In this race to replace Adam Schiff, Asm. Laura Friedman boasts a good voting record on cannabis. Her opponent Mike Feuer spent six years in the Assembly before serving as LA City Attorney from 2013 to 2022. While voting well on most cannabis legislation, he opposed Asm. Ammiano’s 2011 bill to defelonize personal use cultivation. After becoming city attorney, he proposed saliva test DUI checkpoints for drugs, which would have resulted in many wrongful cannabis DUI arrests. Feuer has led the charge in cracking down on LA’s many illegal dispensaries. Also running is CA Senator Anthony Portantino, an old-school moderate Democrat with an OK voting record in the legislature.
U.S. House District 31 (San Gabriel Valley)
Another crowded open-seat race to replace Grace Napolitano features three Democrats with prior legislative experience.
Former Rep. Gil Cisneros served a term in Congress from Orange County in 2019-20 before losing his seat to Republican Young Kim. While there, he cosponsored medicinal cannabis and banking bills, advocated descheduling, and voted to protect state legalization laws. A lottery millionaire and philanthropist, he was appointed Under Secretary of Defense by President Biden and is now running to re-enter Congress.
State senator Bob Archuleta leans toward traditional family values, but compiled a commendable voting record on cannabis and drug issues in the State Senate.
State Senator Susan Rubio, another moderate, has avoided votes on controversial drug issues like employment rights and medical cannabis access in the state legislature.
KEY STATE LEGISLATIVE RACES
State Senate District 3 (Davis/Vacaville)
In this race to fill Bill Dodd’s open seat, candidate Christopher Cabaldon voted against allowing cannabis businesses as mayor of West Sacramento. Running against him is former Rohnert Park mayor Jackie Elward, has labor support and supports cannabis, having worked with Teamsters on the issue. Former Vallejo City Councilmember and manager of Solano County’s Behavorial Health Adult Outpatient Clinics Rozzanna Verder-Aliga is a third Democrat in the race, in which Republicans Thom Bogue, Mayor of Dixon, and Jimih Jones are also running.
State Senate District 5 (Stockton)
Running for this open seat for the seat being vacated by Susan Eggman is Former Rep. Jerry McNerney, less than a year after leaving Congress, where his voting record on marijuana was good. He is running against Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua (D-Stockton), who has a mixed voting record in the state Assembly. (His wife, Edith Villapudua is running for the Assembly District 13 seat Carlos is vacating.) Also running for this Senate Seat is Republican Jim Shoemaker.
State Senate District 7 (Berkeley/Oakland)
Several candidates are running for this seat being vacated by Nancy Skinner.
Dan Kalb, a hard-working Oakland city councilmember, wrote and supported good cannabis regulations in Oakland and is endorsed by the Brownie Mary Democratic Club of Alameda County. He faces Mayor Jesse Arreguin, who sponsored a measure to lower cannabis taxes in Berkeley, serving as a model for other jurisdictions.
Also in the race are left-leaning Richmond city councilmember Jovanka Beckles, who has courted support from the cannabis community but been criticized for divisive behavior on the city council; labor advocate Kathryn Lybarger; and Sandre Swanson, an ex-Assemblyman from Oakland who was hostile to cannabis in the past but came around somewhat when the money came in.
State Assembly District 19 (San Francisco)
In the race to replace Asm. Phil Ting, SF Supervisor Catherine Stefani wants to increase the minimum distance between cannabis retail stores and day care centers from 600 ft. to 1000 ft. Running against Stefani is fellow Democrat David Lee, a community college administrator and part time lecturer at San Francisco State University, where he teaches political science. His has been endorsed by Assemblymembers Ting and Anthony Rendon, plus San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, and Alameda County Supervisor Lena Tam. Also running are Republicans Nadia Flamenco and Arjun Gustav Sodhani.
Read about all federal and state races at NORML’s Smoke the Vote Guide
LOCAL RACES
Omar Figueroa for Sonoma County Judge
With more than a quarter century of legal experience, Omar Figueroa has defended hundreds of medical cannabis cultivators, patients, and caregivers and made thousands of court appearances throughout California. After attaining his law degree from Stanford Law School, he joined the pro bono legal team, led by legendary trial attorney J. Tony Serra, defending Bear Lincoln, a Native American facing the death penalty in Mendocino County. Omar has also defended dozens of activists accused of nonviolent crimes pro bono, from computer hackers, to forest defenders, to street medics, to animal rights activists, to political protesters. Additionally, he is an experienced civil litigator, having used civil RICO laws in federal court as a member of the legal team that successfully sued Rohnert Park police officers who allegedly robbed cash and cannabis from motorists on Highway 101.
Humboldt County Measure A
Highly contentious Measure A in Humboldt County would cap the number of cannabis cultivation licenses and impose water and other restrictions on farmers. Opponents say it will undo years of public process on current regulations and saddle farmers with more onerous requirements. A group of farmers sued, claiming that proponents are misleading the public into thinking the measure will protect small farmers.
Los Angeles County Democratic Central Committee
In AD 69, the Brownie Mary Democratic Club has endorsed Joseph Luis Piñon, and in AD 52 Paul Neuman and Renee Nahum are endorsed.
California NORML is excited to announce a new partnership with Banking and Merchant Specialist, Ian Rassman. This new collaboration will benefit our business members while generating essential funds for Cal NORML with each tap of your customers’ payment cards.
You’ll enjoy all applicable processing services at extremely competitive rates alongside personalized service from a team that understands the cannabis industry. Cal NORML earns a small commission with each transaction, with no additional charge to you.
This is a fantastic opportunity for all cannabis businesses and ancillary companies, as well as those outside the industry to support cannabis consumers’ rights in California.
Cal NORML receives regular requests to partner with a variety of companies, due to our stellar reputation and vast network. We are pleased to have found a beneficial match with Ian, who you may know through his service as Executive Director of Los Angeles NORML. Ian offers 13 years’ experience in the Banking and Payments Industry and has enjoyed 35 years of involvement with the cannabis culture. You may review his Cal NORML Cannabis Marketplace listing here.
Learn how you can help sustain Cal NORML’s essential advocacy and lobbying efforts in the coming years, while providing a helpful needed service to your customers that will boost your sales.
Please contact kharla@canorml.org or 707-337-9747 for more information and questions.
Founded in 1972, California NORML is a non-profit, membership-supported organization dedicated to protecting and expanding the rights of California’s cannabis consumers. We lobby lawmakers, publish newsletters, sponsor events, and offer legal, educational, and consumer health advice. Current focuses include employment rights and medical marijuana patients’ rights. We are funded solely from donations from within California.
An analysis by the SJ Mercury News found that California has earned more than $5.7 in tax revenue since California legalized recreational cannabis sales in 2017, and the only significant negative result of legalization is an increase in medical emergencies attributed to cannabis.
“It’s possible that people are much more likely to go to the ER (or take their kids in) for cannabis-related issues when they think they won’t be arrested (or lose custody) for doing so, or are less likely to be stigmatized by the medical professionals they encounter,” posits NORML’s Political Director Morgan Fox. “This could very well be responsible for a significant portion of any increases we see post-legalization. Public education in terms of storage, titration, mode of ingestion, and general responsibility goes a long way toward making sure fewer people end up in the ER.” Seniors are one group that have been having adverse reactions, as they are unused to stronger forms of cannabis.
Cal NORML director Dale Gieringer thinks that the increased use of edibles is greatly to blame, noting, “It’s very easy to accidentally consume and/or over dose on them, and they weren’t nearly as widely available before legalization.” Recent news stories confirm this idea.
Cannabis overdoses are not fatal, and generally not very serious; they tend to get overtreated in the hospital, e.g. with intubation (in rare instances with very young children). Those treated in the ER for adverse reactions to cannabis are typically treated with fluids, and sometimes benzodiazepines, prior to being released. “This is hardly a scenario that shares similarities with other toxic poisonings, which can require stomach pumping and may result in organ failure and death,” says NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano. Home remedies for cannabis over dose include having a sugary snack or drink, taking CBD, or holding pepper under the tongue.
Other positive aspects of legalization noted in the article are a decrease in marijuana arrests and past marijuana convictions being expunged, with no significant increase in use by adult Californians or youths in our state.
Every registered voter in California will receive a vote-by-mail ballot for the March 5 primary election. Ballots will be mailed on or before February 5 and can be returned as soon as they are received. Vote-by-mail drop boxes open February 6 and in-person voting will be available in all California counties.
The deadline to register to vote online is 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.
In California, you can vote even if on parole, probation, or post-release community supervision. See information about having voting rights restored after serving a state or federal prison term for a felony conviction.
Cal NORML is in the process of updating the NORML Smoke the Vote Guide for the primary election. You can send information about candidates or measures through that portal or here.
Read about all federal and state races, candidates’ voting records, and more at NORML’s Smoke the Vote Guide
Presidential Primary
California has open primaries, meaning all voters can vote for candidates of any party, even for partisan offices. The exception is the Presidential primary, where the Republican, Green and Peace & Freedom parties aren’t allowing cross-over voting by Californians not registered to any party, but the Democratic, American Independent, and Libertarian parties are if a form is filled out and returned to county elections offices or brought to a polling place.
California Senate Race
Three Democratic Congress Members and a Republican ex-baseball player are the top candidates vying for the CA Senate seat vacated when Dianne Feinstein died. Laphonza Butler, who was appointed by Gov. Newsom to fill the seat, is not running for election to the seat. Feinstein’s term was set to expire in January 2025. In the March 5 Primary Election, voters will have the full-term contest on their ballot, and they will also see a separate contest for the remainder of the unexpired term ending in January 2025.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) is a longtime friend and champion of the marijuana reform movement. She was a staffer for Rep. Ron Dellums, one of the first Congress members to advocate marijuana reform in the 1970s and continued to support marijuana reform as a state legislator and Congress member during the darkest days of the drug war. A strong racial justice advocate, Rep. Lee denounces cannabis laws for their disproportionate impact on minorities. Lee is a Co-Chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus. She was a leading co-sponsor of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, the first-ever federal legalization bill to be approved (twice, in 2019 and 2021) by the House of Representatives. At age 77, Rep. Lee is the most senior major candidate in the race, but also the most likely to push cannabis as a high-priority issue in the Senate.
Adam Schiff (D-West LA, Valley), is the frontrunner and top money earner in the race. He is best known for leading the House impeachment investigation of Donald Trump, and has been more reticent on cannabis and criminal justice reform. He has typically voted well on cannabis bills, but has generally held off from co-sponsoring them. One exception is the STATES Act of 2018-9, a Trump-era bill that would have protected the legality of state marijuana laws.
Katie Porter (D-Orange County) is co-chair of the Democratic Progressive Caucus. She takes pride in being the only candidate who never accepts corporate donations. She is particularly interested in economic issues, but has consistently voted well on marijuana bills. She has participated in the Congressional cannabis caucus and co-sponsored the MORE legalization act. Porter is the only single mother in Congress. She was the first Democrat to be elected to represent her district, which covers much of south-central Orange County. She was voted toughest questioner in Congress for her tough questions to corporate executives on wage and banking issues. Porter is fighting to beat out Republican Steve Garvey in the race for second place in the primary, so she can run face-to-face in the runoff against her Democratic colleague Adam Schiff, who is leading the polls.
Ex-baseball star Steve Garvey is fighting to come in second in the primary so as to make the runoff as a Republican in this open primary. A political novice, Garvey has been vague about his views on practically everything. However, he has some experience with cannabis: He is boosting a CBD topical product line known as Level Select. “It keeps me in the game of life at 73,” he told Market Watch. But he has made it clear his products do not contain THC.
KEY STATE LEGISLATIVE RACES
State Senate District 7 (Berkeley/Oakland)
Several candidates are running for this seat being vacated by Nancy Skinner.
Dan Kalb, a hard-working Oakland city councilmember, wrote and supported good cannabis regulations in Oakland and is endorsed by the Brownie Mary Democratic Club of Alameda County.
Also running are Jesse Arreguin, who been a cannabis-friendly mayor for Berkeley; progressive Richmond city councilmember Jovanka Beckles; labor advocate Kathryn Lybarger; and Sandre Swanson, an ex-Assemblyman from Oakland who was notably hostile to cannabis in the past.
Read about all federal and state races at NORML’s Smoke the Vote Guide
LOCAL RACES
Omar Figueroa for Sonoma County Judge
With more than a quarter century of legal experience, Omar Figueroa has defended hundreds of medical cannabis cultivators, patients, and caregivers and made thousands of court appearances throughout California. After attaining his law degree from Stanford Law School, he joined the pro bono legal team, led by legendary trial attorney J. Tony Serra, defending Bear Lincoln, a Native American facing the death penalty in Mendocino County. Omar has also defended dozens of activists accused of nonviolent crimes pro bono, from computer hackers, to forest defenders, to street medics, to animal rights activists, to political protesters. Additionally, he is an experienced civil litigator, having used civil RICO laws in federal court as a member of the legal team that successfully sued Rohnert Park police officers who allegedly robbed cash and cannabis from motorists on Highway 101.
Humboldt County Measure A
Highly contentious Measure A in Humboldt County would cap the number of cannabis cultivation licenses and impose water and other restrictions on farmers. Opponents say it will undo years of public process on current regulations and saddle farmers with more onerous requirements. A group of farmers sued, claiming that proponents are misleading the public into thinking the measure will protect small farmers.