Los Angeles NORML

05/26/2021

Myself and other board members are meeting this week to organize and plan our post Pandemic strategy
to finally have the City of Los Angeles Licence "on sight consumption locations " ! Especially and immediately for our Veterins !

02/08/2020

There will be an opportunity to join LA NORML at this event!

01/31/2020

01/02/2020

Always so much fun!

11/23/2019

HISTORIC: A bill to end marijuana prohibition just passed

Today, you were a part of making history. The House Judiciary Committee just approved the MORE Act on a bipartisan vote of 24-10. This is legislation that tens-of-thousands advocated for by sending messages, making phone calls, and meeting with lawmakers in DC and district offices.

This marks the first time that a congressional committee has ever passed a bill to remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act.

Now, we still have much to do. Here’s what’s next:

The House Judiciary Committee just approved the MORE Act, legislation that tens-of-thousands advocated for by sending messages, making phone calls, and meeting with lawmakers in DC and district offices.

11/16/2019

The State of Cannabis in Long Beach was fabulous, great speakers, interesting conversations.

10/10/2019

CA's Bureau of Cannabis Control Announces Local Equity Grant Funding Recipients

The Bureau awarded a total of $10 million in equity grant funding to 10 local jurisdictions, as follows:

City of Los Angeles Awarded $1,834,156.38

Today's announcement breaks down the $10 million in equity grant funding

09/26/2019

What Is Medical Marijuana and Facts You Need to Know

You are on your own
You may be thinking, Hey, if it’s "medical,” a doctor will help me navigate the green new world. Often, that’s not so. A few users have a medical marijuana doctor who walks them through products and shows them how to use a vape pen. But that’s unusual. “Older people think there will be a prescription waiting for them at the dispensary, like at a drugstore,” says Rick McKnight, 72, a retired sales executive from Ocala, Florida, who self-treats hip pain with marijuana. “It’s not like that. You get your medical marijuana card. The doctor gives you some recommendations — not a prescription. Then you’re on your own.”

IT'S IMPORTANT TO DO YOUR 'DUE DILIGENCE' with regards to what works for you. Some initial 'hit and miss' but don't give up. Your doctor was working with the same system, if one doesn't work for you, try another product.

Medical marijuana is legal in many states. Here are the key facts on availability and use, as well as a survey of research on effectiveness.

09/26/2019

House Passes Cannabis Banking Bill in Historic Vote

WASHINGTON, DC — The US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to pass legislation that would make banking services available to the cannabis industry, a landmark vote that marks the first time in history the House has approved a standalone cannabis reform bill.

Though cannabis remains illegal under federal law, House lawmakers passed the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking in Cannabis Act by a 321–103 vote. The measure, which would protect financial institutions and other businesses that provide investments, loans, capital, or other financial services to cannabis companies, now heads to the Senate, where it’s expected to face a tougher fight.

A strong vote, 321-103, moves cannabis banking reform over a major hurdle. Now it's the Senate's turn.

09/23/2019

New Children’s Book Seeks to Teach Kids About Marijuana | Cannabis Now

A new book introducing cannabis to children aims to normalize conversations about cannabis as one of the plants in a home garden. Written by Susan Soares, the sweetly illustrated book, “What’s Growing in Grandma’s Garden,” takes on the voice of a boy gardening with his grandmother, eating the vegetables they grow and talking about the cannabis also growing in grandma’s garden.

“What’s Growing in Grandma’s Garden” depicts a boy learning about cannabis from his grandmother.

09/23/2019

Weed Helps People Get Off Alcohol and Painkillers, According to New Survey

Researchers surveyed 8,805 cannabis consumers between the ages of 21 and 64 who live in one of the 21 cannabis-legal states around the US. LOCALiQ found that 52 percent of respondents said they were able to reduce their use of prescription drugs and 49 percent reduced their use of over-the-counter painkillers, Leafly reports. 37 percent said they reduced their alcohol intake since they began smoking weed, and 60 percent of respondents said they place priority on living a healthy lifestyle.

TIME TO GET OF THE CHEMICALS AND GET ON TO MOTHER NATURE!!

The survey also reports that most cannabis consumers are buying pot to help them de-stress or treat other medical issues.

09/20/2019

House Marijuana Banking Vote Officially Scheduled For Next Week, Leadership Announces | Marijuana Moment

House leadership confirmed on Friday that a bipartisan marijuana banking bill will receive a floor vote next week.

The Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, which cleared the Financial Services Committee in March, will be voted on through a process known as suspension of the rules, requiring two-thirds of the chamber (290 members) to support it for passage.

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) announced the scheduling of the vote in remarks on the House floor on Friday morning.

“We will consider several bills under suspension of the rules, including H.R. 1595, the SAFE Banking Act of 2019, as amended.”

IT WOULD BE SMART TO WRITE TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE SUPPORTING THIS.

House leadership confirmed on Friday that a bipartisan marijuana banking bill will receive a floor vote next week. The Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, which cleared the Financial Services Committee in March, will be voted on through a process known as suspension of the rules, requiri...

09/12/2019

California Has Completely Crapped the Bed Rolling Out Legal Marijuana

Thanks to high taxes and overregulation, California reportedly has three times as many illegal marijuana dispensaries as it does licensed shops.

And that's probably an undercount. The numbers—873 legal vs. 2,835 unlicensed—come from a marijuana dispensary trade association that made its calculations by looking at who is advertising on Weedmaps, a site helping pot users order marijuana from dispensaries online. There's probably more than a few unlicensed dispensaries out there who don't advertise on Weedmaps either.

The black market still dominates. And more enforcement and fines aren’t going to fix it.

09/10/2019

Bill Requiring Public Disclosure on Disciplinary Actions Against Marijuana Applicant or Licensee - California Globe

According to the bill, SB 581 would not only put up the publicly available infractions and crimes applicants have done, but it would post them on either licensing authorities websites or through the California Cannabis Portal. Any and all documents having to do with actions taken against them would also be linked for anyone to view.

The bill has received support, passing the Senate 35-0 in May. Those supporting the bill have pointed out that this is all public information, that the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control have done the same thing for years, and that the ease of the system would lower the amount of requests that the current system of asking for applicant information receives.

Currently in the Assembly, Senate Bill 581, would require authorities to publicly disclose disciplinary actions taken against a Marijuana applicant or

09/09/2019

Washington, D.C. Enacts New Employment Protections For Medical Marijuana Patients | Marijuana Moment

Government workers in Washington, D.C. cannot be punished simply because they’re medical marijuana patients under a local law that was enacted on Wednesday.

The legislation, which must still undergo a standard 30-day congressional review before taking effect, stipulates that a “public employer may not refuse to hire, terminate from employment, penalize, fail to promote, or otherwise take adverse employment action against an individual based upon the individual’s status as a qualifying patient unless the individual used, possessed, or was impaired by marijuana at the individual’s place of employment or during the hours of employment.”

NORML first reported on the bill’s enactment, which occurred without the signature of Mayor Muriel Bowser (D).

Government workers in Washington, D.C. cannot be punished simply because they’re medical marijuana patients under a local law that was enacted on Wednesday. The legislation, which must still undergo a standard 30-day congressional review before taking effect, stipulates that a “public employer m...

09/09/2019

Vape Pen Lung Disease: Here’s What You Need to Know

If you own illicit vape cartridges, throw them away immediately. The CDC, FDA, and HHS advised consumers Thursday to avoid buying cannabis vapes or using products off the street. They are unregulated, untested, and could be contaminated.

BIGGEST REASON NOT TO BUY FROM ILLICIT SHOPS, only buy at legal stores!

Throw away any street-purchased vape carts. Pen makers are cutting them with dangerous additives including Vitamin E oil.

09/05/2019

New Effort Aims To Erase A Quarter Of A Million Marijuana Convictions From Records | Marijuana Moment

Today we’re expanding Clear My Record statewide, which will open the door to relief for tens of thousands of Californians,” Code for America founder Jennifer Pahlka said in a press release. “We are demonstrating that government can make good on its promises, especially to those who have been denied jobs, housing and other opportunities because of their criminal record. Clear My Record is igniting change across the state and the nation.”

“Code for America has set a goal of clearing 250,000 eligible convictions nationwide by the end of 2019.

Hundreds of thousands of past marijuana convictions could be cleared from people’s records in California thanks to new technology developed by the nonprofit technology organization Code for America. The group has already helped five major counties in the state expedite the expungement process by a...

09/05/2019

California Legislature Fails To Legalize CBD Products In 2019

Currently, cannabis licensees may only sell CBD products that are extracted from cannabis rather than industrial hemp. Although CBD products are widely available in California, the California Department of Health issued a guidance in 2018 that prohibited the sale of CBD as an approved food, food ingredient, food additive, or dietary supplement until the US FDA determined that CBD products can be used as a food or California made the determination that CBD was safe.

https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/19/09/14377446/california-legislature-fails-to-legalize-cbd-products-in-2019

The California Senate Appropriations Committee failed to move AB-228 out of the committee during its final hearing of the 2019 legislative session on August 30, 2019. The...

09/05/2019

You Can Now Book a Reservation at the Country’s First Cannabis Cafe - L.A. Cannabis News

America’s first official weed cafe is set to open in West Hollywood on September 24. Lowell Farms: A Cannabis Cafe will offer farm-to-table dining and smoking options, thanks to a brand new kind of business license that allows for on-premises cannabis consumption, along with food and drink service.

The experience at the cafe is designed to be welcoming and stylish (and well-ventilated), comfortable for cannabis enthusiasts, curious first-timers, and even those who just want a cool place to hang out with their weed-inclined friends without partaking themselves. It’s especially targeted to tourists who come to visit California from prohibition states and want to sample legal marijuana in a way that won’t get them kicked out of their hotels.

Images: Courtesy of Lowell Farms: A Cannabis Cafe America’s first official weed cafe is set to open in West Hollywood...

09/04/2019

USDA’s Canada Hemp Industry Report Demonstrates Regulatory Hurdles

Major takeaways from the USDA report about Canada’s hemp industry include:

Hemp varieties will continue to be strictly controlled by the federal government and producers may only plant varieties from the official List of Approved Cultivars. (WHY?)

Producers are not allowed to keep hemp seeds for planting, and every growing season producers must purchase government certified seeds. (WHY CAN'T THEY WORK WITH THE SEEDS THEY HAVE?)

High-CBD varieties have yet to be registered for use in Canada
All cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, including CBD and THC, are regulated in the same way.

Currently, the sale of natural health products (NHPs) containing any cannabinoid (including CBD) in Canada is prohibited. (TRYING TO CONTROL AND BENEFIT FROM EVERYTHING)

https://internationalcbc.com/usdas-canada-hemp-industry-report-demonstrates-regulatory-hurdles/

Canada has cultivated hemp legally for over 20 years, however, regulations are making it hard for hemp farmers in Canada to cash in on CBD's popularity.

09/03/2019

Weedmaps won’t offer timeline for ending promotion of illegal marijuana shops

HOLDING OUT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE...
Both legal cannabis businesses and state regulators are pushing Weedmaps to start removing hundreds of illegal ads now. Until that happens, they say Weedmaps is continuing to boost illegal operators that undercut legal operators, stifle state tax revenue and, in some cases, make people sick.

“Time is of the essence,” said Jerred Kiloh, president of the United Cannabis Business Association, an industry trade group that’s pushed legislation to penalize promotion of unlicensed operators. “It is crucial to establish a near-term deadline in order to truly protect Californians.”

Weedmaps CEO Chris Beals would only say in an emailed response that the company “will have more to share in the weeks ahead,” while spokesman Travis Rexroad said Tuesday that he’ll have more specifics “in the near future.”

Experts say the web company’s ongoing practice contributes to California’s lagging tax revenue and threatens public health.

09/03/2019

Crime Rates Drop After Marijuana Dispensaries Open Nearby, Study Finds | Marijuana Moment

“The results imply that an additional dispensary in a neighborhood leads to a reduction of 17 crimes per month per 10,000 residents, which corresponds to roughly a 19 percent decline relative to the average crime rate over the sample period,” the paper states.

AND THE SKY DIDN'T FALL DOWN!!

One concern that marijuana legalization opponents often voice is the fear that dispensaries will increase local criminal activity. But a new study found the opposite to be true. “The results imply that an additional dispensary in a neighborhood leads to a reduction of 17 crimes per month per 10,00...

09/03/2019

Federal Grant Funds Research Into Removing Pesticides From Marijuana | Marijuana Moment

“The product is of particular interest to cannabis farmers, because OPs, when vaporized and inhaled, are exponentially more toxic than when ingested by mouth,” according a a press release from New York University, where one of Brooklyn Bioscience’s principals is a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering. “[I]n states such as California and Colorado, which are introducing strict regulations governing the cultivation of cannabis, a much lower level of OPs is allowed than that considered acceptable in fruits and vegetables.”

A federal agency is providing a quarter of a million dollars in funding to a biotech startup that’s developing technology to remove dangerous pesticides from a variety of crops, including marijuana. The National Science Foundation announced the $250,000 two-year grant to Brooklyn Bioscience last m...

08/30/2019

Plant researchers discuss breeding priorities for stable hemp genetics

Hemp Industry Daily caught up with hemp plant breeders – from commercial companies and public programs – to find out what breeding trends they’re excited about and their breeding priorities for bringing new varieties to the market.

Here’s what they had to say:

To maintain growth, the booming U.S. hemp industry needs a reliable supply of steady, stable seed genetics. Professional and academic plant breeders are rushing to fill the market demand, but it might take at least another

08/30/2019

Dean of Cannabis Law Radio (10)

A very Hippie radio host interviewing the Dean of Cannabis Law
https://www.blogtalkradio.com/alicebtoklas/2019/08/24/dean-of-cannabis-law-radio-10

With Attorney Bruce Margolin

08/28/2019

California Cannabis: Preparing For Phase 3 Licensing In L.A. On September 3rd

The final countdown is on for Round 1, Phase 3 retail licensing in Los Angeles. On September 3rd at 10 a.m., the L.A. Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) will open the flood gates to would-be Round 1 applicants. And in its own announcements on the subject, the DCR states that it has verified over 800 social equity applicants (out of 1800 applicants that applied–though the City is continuing to process people) that will vie for the first 100 coveted Type 10 retail licenses (75 of which will go to Type 1 social equity applicants and 25 of which will go to Type 2 social equity applicants). Where Round 1 licensing is first come, first served with an online application via the City’s Accela licensing portal, it’s going to be fast and furious on September 3rd to get a license.

September 3rd at 10am the DCR will open the floodgates