California Weekly Roundup: June 27, 2016

NEWS      

National

Democratic Senators Push DEA to Downgrade Marijuana Classification

Jim McMahon thinks marijuana can help retired players

Whoopi Goldberg becomes the latest celebrity to endorse medical marijuana

California

Microsoft Has Entered the Cannabis Space

Nobody Knows Whether Your Landlord Can Stop You From Smoking Pot

Local

Meet Former Mayor Turned Cannabis Business Tells All (Hawthorne)

Richmond lifts ban on commercial cannabis grows (Richmond)

California marijuana company beats police raid (Santa Rosa)

East Bay pot bust roils dispute over medical marijuana (Livermore)

Placer County to Limit Medical Marijuana Cultivation (Placer County)

Rio Dell City Council Says Nay to Medical Marijuana Land Use Ordinance (Rio Dell)

It’s up to the voters; Long Beach council won’t compete with medical marijuana initiative (Long Beach)

California Pot Farmers Are Fighting For The Right To Grow (Calaveras County)

City of Salinas hopeful pot businesses will come in (Salinas)

Special Report: Can L.A.’s Outlaw Delivery Services Survive Long Enough to Become Legal? (Los Angeles)

Medical pot meeting: Nevada Co. supervisor Miller closes door to media (Nevada County)

PUBLIC MEETINGS & EVENTS 

June 27, 2016 - Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee Hearings on AB 26 (Sacramento)

The hearing begins upon the adjournment of the Senate floor session in room 3191 in the State Capitol Building in downtown Sacramento, CA. The committee will vote on AB 26 (Jones-Sawyer), which requires training for employees in the medical cannabis field. ASA supports this bill. You may testify at the hearing or contact committee members here: http://sbp.senate.ca.gov/  

June 28, 2016 - Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Hearing (Los Angeles)

9:30 AM at Kenneth Han Hall of Administration, 500 West Temple Street, Room 383, Los Angeles, CA 90012. The Board will vote on extending the current moratorium on medical cannabis businesses. Please arrive early to complete a speaker's card and oppose item #3 in the Public Hearing section of the agenda. You can contact the Supervisors in advance using the contact information at http://bos.co.la.ca.us/  

June 28, 2016 - Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on AB 2300 (Sacramento)

9:00 AM in room 113 in the State Capitol Building in downtown Sacramento, CA. The committee will vote on AB 2300 (Wood), which affirms that state law does not authorize the smoking of medical cannabis where smoking is prohibited by a landlord. ASA is neutral on this bill, which upholds the status quo. You may testify at the hearing or contact committee members here: http://sjud.senate.ca.gov/  

June 29, 2016 - Senate Governance and Finances Committee Hearings on AB 1575 and AB 2149 (Sacramento)

9:30 AM in room 112 in the State Capitol Building in downtown Sacramento, CA. The committee will vote on two medical cannabis bills. AB 1575 (Bonta) makes useful changes in the MMRSA. ASA supports the bill. AB 2149 (Bonilla) will allow medical cannabis businesses to pay sales tax in cash without a penalty. ASA supports this bill. You may testify at the hearing or contact committee members here: http://sgf.senate.ca.gov/

TAKE ACTION NOW 

Tell Senator Grassley to Give the CARERS Act a Vote

Right now the CARERS Act, the most important piece of legislation addressing medical cannabis is being held up by Senator Chuck Grassley. Senator Grassley needs to hear from medical cannabis patients and caregivers who can tell him how important it is that we pass the CARERS Act. Click here to read more about the CARERS Act.

COURT SUPPORT 

What is Court Support and how do I get involved? 

None this week. Email requests for court support to CARoundup@SafeAccessNow.org before 12:00 PM on Friday to be included in Monday's Roundup.

Find more information and additional listings on The Human Solution Calendar: http://www.thsintl.org/calendar

ASA WEBSITE SPOTLIGHT 

ASA Blog: Citizen Advocates Kill Medical Cannabis Tax in California

Medical cannabis patients scored a huge victory in California last week, when the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee rejected SB 987. That bill by Assembly Member Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) would have imposed a statewide excise tax of 10% on medical cannabis. The tax would have been in addition to existing sales tax, any new or existing taxes imposed by cities and counties, and any other taxes adopted by the state legislature.

Americans for Safe Access (ASA) opposed SB 987 because it would have placed an unfair burden on legal medical cannabis patients. Thousands of ASA members sent emails, signed petitions, and made phone calls opposing the bill in response to our action alerts. Hundreds visited legislative offices in person to oppose the bill as part of our California Citizen Lobby Day in March. Those efforts paid off last Monday, when the committee voted 4 to 5 to kill SB 987...