State lawmakers have advanced several priority bills to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk and a few more remain pending but are up against a tight timeline. The legislative session in California ends on August 31st. Any bills not transmitted to the Governor will die after that date. (Once advanced to the Governor, he has 30 days to act on the bills.)
NORML Board Member and California NORML Director Dale Gieringer said that the legal cannabis market in California is already “burdened by excessive taxes and regulation. … California needs to be reducing, not increasing cannabis taxes to make the legal market more competitive.”
Today, the majority of US states regulate medical cannabis access and 18 have legalized adult use. Arguably, none of these political and cultural advancements would have been possible without the success of California’s 1996 campaign and the efforts of those activists who worked so hard for the law’s passage a quarter of a century ago.
“The sponsors of this year’s recall election are no friends of marijuana or criminal justice reform. Whatever else might be said about Gavin Newsom, no governor has been so supportive of legal marijuana,” California NORML said in an action alert.
This long slow trudge to overcome the misinformation and exaggerated fears about marijuana was the result of the effective public advocacy and lobbying efforts of dedicated individuals who made this issue a priority.
NORML activists have been meeting with state representatives to educate lawmakers and their staff about the advantages of ending marijuana prohibition and encourage support for over 100 pieces of legislation nationwide.
At a meeting with drug reform advocates in San Francisco, former Mexican President Fox expressed…
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