Legislative
session begins in Sacramento; two sensible proposals fail to advance before deadline
The second year of the 2011-2012 California legislative session has begun
in Sacramento, and unfortunately, two important marijuana policy bills have died because they were not voted on before a legislative deadline. Although both proposals enjoy strong public support [PDF], both were pulled prior to a vote by their sponsors due to a lack of majority support in their respective chambers.
The first
bill was AB 1017, introduced by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano. This bill proposed changing the penalty for marijuana cultivation from an automatic felony to a
“wobbler” that could be charged as a misdemeanor. AB 1017 received a vote last spring, when it lost 24-36, and it did not garner enough support to pass if it were voted on again. Although it did not advance, Asm. Ammiano should be praised for his consistent support and championing of sensible marijuana policy reform in the Golden State.
The
second bill was SB 129, introduced by Senator Mark Leno and sponsored by Americans
for Safe Access. This bill sought to protect the employment rights of medical
marijuana patients. Sen. Leno has been a consistent champion for medical marijuana patients' rights, and his and ASA's efforts on this push are greatly appreciated.
Thank you to all the activists who took the time to write their elected officials in support of these proposals. There is sure to be more marijuana policy legislation introduced in Sacramento this spring, so please keep an eye on your inbox and continue to educate your elected officials on the need for sensible marijuana policy reform.
Check
back for future updates, and make sure to subscribe to
MPP's free legislative alert service, so we can keep you posted about
marijuana policy reform developments.
Feds
announce aggressive targeting of medical marijuana providers in California
On October 2, the four United States attorneys representing California held a press conference announcing a new aggressive approach to targeting medical
marijuana providers in California. The U.S. attorneys outlined plans to target providers and/or landlords that varied based on which of the four regions the provider was in .
This development is especially
disturbing, considering President Obama’s previous position: In 2009, based on
an earlier campaign pledge, his Justice Department issued a memo declaring that
individuals acting in “clear and unambiguous compliance” with state medical
marijuana laws should not be targeted. Now, the president has gone back on his
word. Since the announcement, federal aggression has increased, including threatening newspapers running ads for medical marijuana and raids — including on a cultivator in Mendocino County who had
been a leader in participating in the zip tie program designed to increase
regulation and oversight.
If you live in California, please email your assemblymember, state senator, Governor Jerry Brown, and Attorney General Kamala Harris, asking that they publicly denounce
federal interference with the California medical marijuana program. And
regardless of where you live, please call the White House and
respectfully ask that they allow states to implement and regulate medical
marijuana programs. For more information on how you can help advocate against
these developments, please see MPP's "What You Can Do to Oppose the Federal Crackdown on Medical Marijuana" handout.
Groups seek to place marijuana-related
initiatives on the ballot
With the 2012 presidential election coming up in
November, a number of groups are seeking to place initiatives on the ballot to
reform marijuana laws in California. MPP encourages you to read about these
efforts and determine whether you are interested in giving one or more of them
your support. While this is not an exhaustive list, the initiatives with the
most prominent backing are the Regulate Marijuana Like Wine Act and the Medical Marijuana Regulation, Control, and Taxation Act. MPP has endorsed each of these initiatives.
California's
medical marijuana ID card program
Visit our FAQ page to learn more about
California's medical marijuana ID card program. Sutter and Colusa counties are
still not issuing state ID cards. If you live in one of these rogue
counties, contact state@mpp.org to find out how you can help bring
this important program to your area.
The current legal status of
marijuana in California
Despite the fact that California's
medical marijuana laws and laws for simple possession are among the most
progressive in the country, responsible adults are still being arrested or
cited at an alarming rate for possession of a substance that has been proven
safer than both alcohol and tobacco. According to Dr. Jon Gettman, in 2003 the
arrest rate for marijuana crimes in California was 173 per 100,000 people. By
2007, that rate had climbed to 203 out of 100,000.
Proposition 19, a ballot measure
that sought to end the draconian policy of arresting and prosecuting adults who
choose to use a substance proven safer than alcohol by removing criminal
penalties for marijuana offenses and allowing localities to tax and regulate its
cultivation and distribution, was narrowly defeated in 2010, 46% - 54%.
Although the measure lost, it was the highest percentage a marijuana
legalization measure has ever gotten on the ballot.
To learn more about marijuana laws, uses,
and statistics in California, please see Dr. Jon Gettman's report.
