The 2019 legislative session delivered up an impressive quantity of legislation relating to California’s nascent marijuana legalization program. Most, but not all, were signed into law by Governor Newsom. The impact will be minimal on most consumers, but just so you can’t say you didn’t know, here is a quick rundown on what happened.

SB 34 – The Cannabis Compassionate Use Tax Act aka The Dennis Peron and Brownie Mary Act, was certainly one of the key pieces of legislation that undid Prop. 64 tax section that required the payment of state taxes even on cannabis that was provided for free to veterans and other financially disadvantaged patients. As was twitted by the bills author, Senator Scott Wiener:

"Gov. @GavinNewsom signed #SB34, our legislation to ensure #cannabis compassion programs - which provide free medical cannabis to low income patients - can survive. These programs are critical to the health of many with #HIV, cancer, PTSD & other conditions. Thank you Governor!"

There was some indication that Gov. Newsom was waffling on this bill, but thanks to all the people who wrote and phoned into his office as requested by activists throughout the state, including this newsletter, the Governor signed the bill into law which will take effect March 1, 2020.

SB 153 authored by State Senator Scott Wilk requires the appropriate state agencies to develop an industrial hemp program plan that follows the requirements of the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp and its derivatives such as CBD.

SB 185 by State Senator Mike McGuire allows for the creation of proprietary appellations for cannabis grown in certain geographical areas of California. In the same way that appellations are currently done for wine, the bill applies prohibitions against misrepresentation of county of origin and appellation of origin to the use of names that are likely to mislead consumers as to the kind of cannabis they are purchasing.

SB 223 by State Senator Jerry Hill allows parents to give medical cannabis to their children while on school campuses. Although parents were allowed to give their children medical marijuana previously it was not allowed on school campuses requiring parents to take their children off the school grounds in order to administer cannabis.

The bill, called Jojo’s Act, is named after a South San Francisco High School student with a form of severe epilepsy who was having up to 50 seizures a day. To prevent his debilitating and life-threatening seizures, his mother had to take him off campus to give him a dose of cannabis oil.

The law takes effect on Jan 1, 2020, but each school district will have the final say on whether they'll allow it. Students would need a doctor's note and parents would have to bring the medical cannabis to school rather than store it there. It would also have to be in a non-smoking form like a capsule.

SB305 Compassionate Access to Medical Cannabis Act or Ryan’s Law introduced by State Senator Ben Hueso would have required certain health care facilities to allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis on site. Concerned that health care facilities would be at risk of losing Medicare and Medicaid funds if they allowed use of federally illegal cannabis, Governor Newsom vetoed the bill writing “This bill would create significant conflicts between federal and state laws that cannot be taken lightly,”

As part of his veto message the Governor protested having to sign it as “It is inconceivable that the federal government continues to regard cannabis as having no medicinal value,” further stating that its “ludicrous stance puts patients and those who care for them in an unconscionable position.”

SB 595 by State Senator Steven Bradford  requires state and local government agencies involved in the licensing of cannabis businesses to develop and implement a program to provide a deferral or waiver for application, licensing and renewal fees in order to further the enactment of local equity programs which provide technical and financial help for low-income, minorities and people who have been convicted of non-violent drug offenses.

AB 37 by Assembly Member Reggie Jones-Sawyer will allow cannabis companies to take tax deductions for business expenses.  Under current federal tax law Section 280E, cannabis businesses cannot deduct expenses from their taxes for business expenses which all other businesses are allowed to do. California had followed the same approach by not allowing cannabis businesses to deduct their expenses.

With the passage of AB 37, California will no longer follow Section 280E and will allow licensed cannabis businesses to deduct their business expenses. Note that it is “licensed” cannabis businesses – if they do not have a local and state license, they will still not be able to deduct their business expenses.

AB 404 by Assembly Member Mark Stone would allow testing laboratories to rectify minor errors in the testing process and to retest any sample.

AB 420 (that’s right 420) by Assembly Member Tom Lackey would authorize the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research to cultivate cannabis for use in its research programs. The research programs would include “the study of naturally occurring constituents of cannabis and synthetic compounds and to require the program to develop and conduct studies to examine the effects of cannabis, cannabinoids, and related constituents, and other behavioral health outcomes." It also authorizes controlled clinical trials to focus on examining testing methods for detecting harmful contaminants in cannabis, including mold and bacteria.

AB 858 by Assembly Member Marc Levine regulates cultivation canopy sizes for outdoor cultivation authorized by a Type 1C license. The bill allows a maximum size of 2,500 square feet or less of total canopy size, with the option to meet an alternative maximum threshold to be determined by the licensing authority of up to 25 mature plants.

AB 1291 by Assembly Member Reggie Jones-Sawyer requires a licensed cannabis business with 20 or more employees to enter into a labor peace agreement. The bill requires cannabis businesses with less than 20 employees to enter into a labor peace agreement within 60 days of employing its 20th employee.

As explained by attorney Ken Stratton, “A Labor Peace Agreement is essentially a contract between an employer and an organized labor union in which the employer agrees to help the union organize the employer’s workforce (i.e., unionize), for example by providing certain information or by agreeing not to disrupt certain union organizing efforts, in return for the union’s agreement not to strike or cause other disruption at the employer’s workplace during a union organizing campaign.”

AB 1529 by Assembly Member Evan Low requires that a standardized symbol be placed on all cannabis vape cartridges.

Signed by Governor Newsom was a ban on cannabis smoking in public conveyances that had been rolled into omnibus transportation bill AB 1810 making it illegal to smoke cannabis on any bus, taxicab, limousine, housecar, camper, or pedicab. Alcohol consumption was specifically allowed in the bill. Although consumption of cannabis on the tour buses is banned, it does not prevent the sampling of cannabis at the various stops along the way.

Although not strictly a cannabis law, SB 8 by State Senator Steve Glazer bans smoking tobacco and any other product, such as cannabis, in the approximately 300 California state beaches and state parks. It was promoted as an anti-littering bill as research and surveys have shown that about 70 percent of smokers habitually flick their butts onto the ground. The bill exempts smoking on roads and in parking areas. If caught smoking in any other area, the fine is $25.

OK there you have it. Now you can’t say you didn’t know because ignorance of the law is no excuse.

Brownie Mary Democrats Annual Awards Banquet

You are invited to attend The Brownie Mary Democrats of California’s annual Awards Banquet at the California Democratic Party’s State Endorsing Convention at the Long Beach Convention Center on Saturday, November 16 at 6:30 p.m.

Featured awardees and presenters:

State Senator Scott Wiener, long-time supporter of cannabis law reform and author of SB 34 which eliminated state taxes on cannabis provided free to veterans and financially challenged patients.

Anna Boyce – co-author of Prop. 215. As the face of Prop. 215 in TV commercials seen by millions of California voters, many have credited her as the reason Prop. 215 passed as it was her demeanor and authenticity as a retired white-haired nurse that convinced the voters who were sitting on the fence to get off on the side of supporting it.

Additional awardees and presenters will be announced over the next week.

The Awards Banquet will be held in the private banquet room of a nearby restaurant located just 6 blocks from the Long Beach Convention Center. As what would seem befitting for a cannabis organization, the restaurant is the very popular King’s Buffet featuring an all-you-can-eat delectable array of Chinese delights, a Mongolian grill, deserts and beverages.

Located at 520 Pine Ave., the restaurant is less than a 10-minute leisurely walk from the Long Beach Convention Center and, if driving there is a parking garage just ½ block from the restaurant with free parking.

The cost for the Awards Banquet is $25. Seating is limited so to make your reservation CLICK HERE.

If you come on down for the Awards Banquet, you might want to also consider coming on down during the day and take-in the California Democratic Party convention at the Long Beach Convention Center as it is open to all (you don’t have to be a Democrat) and there is no charge for admission. Although only registered delegates and those who have purchased observer passes can attend the delegate general sessions, all other events including the exhibit area, caucuses, committee meetings and hospitality suites are open to everyone.

Brownie Mary Democrats will have a booth in the Exhibit Hall so be sure to stop by to visit and receive a free marijuana leaf necklace and register to win a deluxe cannabis gift basket.

MAPP NOVEMBER MEETINGS

An in-depth review of the newly passed legislation, an intriguing look into Russian oligarchs investment into cannabis businesses in the United State and a that-was-the-month-that-was review of cannabis news will be the focus of the Palm Springs and Joshua Tree MAPP meetings.

There is always great camaraderie at the meetings with thought-provoking discussions and that unique humor that always pervades cannabis meetings. We will also be revealing more plans for MAPP’s 20^th Anniversary Party on Saturday, Dec. 7.

The Palm Springs/Coachella Valley MAPP meeting will be held on Saturday, November 2 at 12 noon at the mystical Crystal Fantasy, 268 N. Palm Canyon, Palm Springs CA 92262. Note that Palm Canyon will be closed for the Palm Springs Gay Pride Festival. Parking will be available but you will probably have to park a couple blocks away and walk to Crystal Fantasy. After the meeting you can join the thousands of attendees and walk along Palm Canyon and enjoy the hundreds of food, craft, organizational and specialty booths and the free and somewhat outrageous entertainment.

The Joshua Tree/Yucca Valley MAPP meeting will be held on Saturday, November 2 at 3 p.m. at the legendary Beatnik Lounge, 61597 Twenty-Nine Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree CA 92252.

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The Cannabis Compassionate Use Tax Act

End taxation of donated medical marijuana

Please take 120 seconds to contact Governor Newsom and urge him to sign SB 34, which would exempt compassionate care programs from paying state cannabis taxes when they are providing free medical cannabis to financially disadvantaged people living with serious health conditions. Last session, the measure was vetoed by Governor Brown.

SB34 has passed both the Senate and the Assembly and now sits on Governor Newsom's desk awaiting his signature.

Background info on this bill is printed below but rather then make you scroll all the way to the bottom for info on how to contact Gov. Newsom, I will give it to you right here. There are two ways: phone and email.

PHONE

To contact Gov. Newsom by phone call: (916) 445-2841. When you do you will be asked to choose your language and then press 6 to tell the Governor to sign SB 34. You will be placed on hold until a real live person, not a voice-recorder, answers the phone. When they speak to you tell them to let Governor Newsom know that you want him to sign SB 34, the Cannabis Compassionate Use Tax Act. That’s all you have to say – they don’t want to hear anymore although you can certainly say more if you want. Calls can only be made Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For those so inclined an interesting probably very effective way is to send a FAX. In the FAX just write: Please sign SB 34, the Cannabis Compassionate Use Tax Act. You can write more if you want, but it is not necessary. The FAX number is: (916) 558-3160.

EMAIL

An email can be sent anytime. Sending an email is easy but here are a few instructions to make it even easier. Note the part below about choosing a subject - this is important for your Sign SB 34 comment to be recorded.

When you get on the Governor's website, there is a comment form. Check comment then fill in name and email address and then chose subject. Now here is where it gets fun. Scroll way way way down the different subjects to SB00034 Cannabis Donations. Click on it and then click on Continue.

On the next page check the PRO box and then write your message. Please sign SB 34, the Cannabis Compassionate Use Tax Act. That’s all you have to write, but feel free to write more up to 6000 characters. Then click on Send Message and that’s it. You have done your part to help get this important reform to Prop. 64 implemented.

READY TO DO YOUR PART? TO SEND AN EMAIL CLICK HERE.

I understand that the Governor has some concerns about this legislation so it is critical that he hear from constituents that he should sign it. He has until Oct. 13 to sign the legislation into law so your action is needed now!

Like I wrote, it won’t take more then 120 seconds to send an email. A phone call might take a bit longer waiting for a real live person to answer the phone, but it’s worth it if you can.

Alright if you want the background info on SB 34 – here it is courtesy of CaNORML.

Due to an oversight in how Proposition 64 was drafted, these not-for-profit donation programs that have been serving medical cannabis patients for decades are now being forced to pay taxes meant for businesses, which are forcing these charity programs to shut down.

Following the passage of Prop 215 in 1996, which legalized medical use of cannabis in California, not-for-profit compassionate care programs started providing free cannabis to financially-disadvantaged individuals with medical cannabis recommendations for illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, and other life-threatening conditions. Cultivators and retailers donate the cannabis to these programs, which then provide the cannabis for free to patients who are already struggling under significant medical expenses.

With the enactment of Prop 64, which legalized the adult use of cannabis in California, taxes were put in place for both adult use and medical use of cannabis. These taxes were designed to be applied to all cannabis that enters the commercial market, which compassionate use cannabis does not enter because it is neither bought nor sold. However, due to an ambiguity in drafting of Prop 64, there is no way for cannabis designated for compassionate use to avoid being assessed the cultivation tax. That means that compassionate care programs are forced to pay high taxes on a product that is neither bought nor sold, effectively crippling the compassionate care programs and leading to mass closures of these donation-based programs.

The bill would exempt qualifying compassionate care programs from state cultivation and excise taxes, by allowing licensed retailers and delivery services to facilitate compassionate care programs for medical patients. All donations must be marked as donations in the track-and-trace system and will remain subject to existing testing and packaging requirements.

SB 34 has passed both the Senate and the Assembly and is now sitting atop Gov. Newsom's desk waiting for him to sign it. As I wrote above, the Governor has apparently expressed some reservations so it is critical that he hear from YOU that he should SIGN SB34. He has until Oct. 13 to sign it, but don't wait until the last minute to contact Governor Newsom.

Now you know it all. If you haven’t contacted the Governor’s office, now is the time. Once again here is how to do it.

PHONE

To contact Gov. Newsom by phone call: (916) 445-2841. When you do you will be asked to choose your language and then press 6 to tell the Governor to sign SB 34. You will be placed on hold until a real live person, not a voice-recorder, answers the phone. When they speak to you ask them to tell Governor Newsom that you want him to sign SB 34, the Cannabis Compassionate Use Tax Act. That’s all you have to say – they don’t want to hear anymore although you can certainly say more if you want. Calls can only be made Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For those so inclined an interesting and very effective way is to send a FAX. In the FAX just write: Please sign SB 34, the Cannabis Compassionate Use Tax Act. You can write more if you want, but it is not necessary. The FAX number is: (916) 558-3160.

EMAIL

An email can be sent anytime. Sending an email is easy but here are a few instructions to make it even easier. Note the part below about choosing a subject - this is important for your Sign SB 34 comment to be recorded.

When you get on the Governor's website, there is a comment form. Check comment then fill in name and email address and then chose subject. Now here is where it gets fun. Scroll way way way down the different subjects to SB00034 Cannabis Donations. Click on it and then click on Continue.

On the next page check the PRO box and then write your message. Please sign SB 34, the Cannabis Compassionate Use Tax Act. That’s all you have to write, but feel free to write more up to 6000 characters. Then click on Send Message and that’s it. You have done your part to help get this important reform to Prop. 64 implemented.

READY TO DO YOUR PART? TO SEND AN EMAIL CLICK HERE.

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I am a long-time marijuana smoker having started over 50 years ago. Over the last 20 years I have also been a prodigious marijuana smoker imbibing multiple times every day. I have used it primarily to treat anxiety, reduce stress and to enjoyably alter my consciousness.

Some might claim that I am addicted to marijuana. Addiction is defined online at dictionary.com as “the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.” 

I recently had the opportunity to determine if I was addicted. On September 9 I took off from LAX for 10 days of snorkeling, hiking and sightseeing in Maui. Flying with marijuana has always been fraught with fears of arrest and even in these days of tolerance as legalization continues to make advances, being caught with some bud can cause problems. 

I have always been super cautious as I appear to be a “person-of-interest” when it comes to inspections. Twice when flying, twice when returning from an ocean cruise and more times than I can remember when crossing the border into the U.S. from either Mexico or Canada, I have been pulled from the line of people waiting to be inspected to be taken to a private room where a government agent conducted a personal inspection of my luggage.   Over the last couple years, when I arrived at my destination or returned home from flights, I have found notices enclosed in my luggage that they had been inspected by government agents.

As a consequence, I never have any cannabis on my person or in my luggage where I am likely to undergo an inspection. Usually when I arrive at my destination, like when I was in Washington DC last March to attend Americans for Safe Access National Unity Conference, it was easy to score marijuana so I didn’t go without. Unfortunately, this was not to happen on my trip to Maui,

In the land of the fabled Maui-Wowie one might think it would be relatively easy to score, but it is not. Although medical marijuana is legal in Hawaii, I was informed that there was only one legal dispensary in Maui and that my medical marijuana recommendation from a California doctor would not cut it in the “Aloha state.” Not knowing anyone living there, I had no local sources to score for me.

I wasn’t about to hang around sleezy bars, dim alleys or any other usual haunts where marijuana may be found so for the next 10 days, I went without so much as a single hit. It is the longest period of non-consumption that I can remember enduring over at least the last 25 years.

I was soon to find out if I was addicted to marijuana to the extent that I was “enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.” 

“Trauma” is a very subjective word, but one definition found in Webster’s Dictionary defines it as “a disordered psychic or behavioral state resulting from severe mental or emotional stress or physical injury.” Fair enough – trauma can be psychological as well as physical so did I experience physical and/or psychological trauma when I ceased consuming for 10 days?

There were no tremors, sweats, shaking, nausea, vomiting and hallucinations which are commonly associated with abstinence from alcohol or other addictive substances that had been consumed consistently over a long period of time. Even though some anti-cannabis aficionados may go overboard in describing the perils of cannabis, most of the reefer-madness crowd of drug warriors admit that the physical manifestations of marijuana withdrawal are minor.

Not so for the psychological withdrawal symptoms. Claims of psychological addiction to marijuana are the stock-in-trade for groups like SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) which claim that marijuana withdrawal symptoms run the gamut from weakness, hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness), and psychomotor retardation to anxiety, restlessness, depression, and insomnia.

During the entire 10 days I experienced no weakness, no hypersomnia or the slowing of my ability to do things. Although I do use marijuana to treat anxiety, I didn’t seem to develop any when I was not able to use it. Further I had no problems falling asleep. Although cannabis does indeed help with these concerns, I probably had none due to the fact that I spent my entire Maui stay snorkeling, hiking and exploring so that by the end of the day, being 73, I was too worn down to have any energy left for anxiety and all my body wanted to do was get a good night’s sleep.

As for being depressed, I wouldn’t say I was depressed when I couldn’t find any marijuana, but I was disappointed.  If I had really been craving it, I would certainly have been out scrounging around and no doubt I would found it, but I was not about to sacrifice time away from swimming with fishes or hiking in the rainforest to search out some local bud.

Did I miss smoking marijuana? I sure did, but I like to compare it to chocolate milk shakes. I love chocolate milk shakes – they are a culinary delight that is a definite physical sensory pleasure of the highest order. One could say I was addicted to them as I would drink three to four chocolate milk shakes a week.

The problem is there are over 1,000 calories in an average milk shake and here I was consuming over a day’s worth of calories every week in just chocolate milk shakes. Not good so I cut my milk shake consumption down to one a month at most.

When I pretty much cease drinking them, I had no physical withdrawal symptoms. But I did have psychological symptoms because I liked drinking them and when I stopped, I missed drinking them. Cannabis is the same way – when I stopped smoking cannabis, I missed smoking because I so enjoy smoking. For example, I am writing this missive totally stoned not because it helps me write better, but because I so thoroughly enjoy being stoned that it makes the time spent writing more entertaining, exciting and enjoyable.

I miss consuming marijuana but that is not depression and it certainly is not the result of substance addiction. When you stop doing something you like, stop consuming something you like or stop seeing someone you like, you just miss it – it doesn’t mean you were addicted.

I am now back from Maui and have resumed my daily multiple consumption of cannabis. Unlike chocolate milk shakes which are bad for me because of all the saturated fat, sodium and sugar contained in each 1,000+ calorie shake, cannabis provides multiple health benefits. Reducing the risk of cancer, strengthening the immune system, facilitating neurogenesis (creation of new nerve cells), enabling a good night’s sleep, mitigating depression without anti-psychotics and in the elderly slowing the development of Alzheimer’s, treating glaucoma, providing chronic pain relief and lessening movement disorders.

Further because it is so fun and relaxing, it promotes socialization and consciousness alteration without the use of alcohol. One might reasonably conclude that it is a bad thing that cannabis is not addicting. Imagine how healthy our communities would be if exercise, eating veggies and consuming cannabis were addicting.

It is good that I was able to quit smoking marijuana without any withdrawal symptoms because it is not addicting, but not smoking marijuana for 10 days was not good for my health. I certainly hope that the day will come when traveling with marijuana is as de rigueur as traveling with clean underwear.

I also hope the day will come when I can travel without fear of incessant inspections and am no longer a person-of-interest. 

October Palm Springs & Joshua Tree MAPP Meetings

Latest Medical Marijuana Updates

Ruth Hill from Holistic Caring will make a special presentation on several medical marijuana issues. She will provide updates on the newest medical marijuana products and a comparison of truefarma and truefarmacbd websites. Of special interest will be an explanation of the relationship between cannabis and anticoagulants. She will also provide the latest information on using cannabis for diabetes.

A special item for discussion will be planning for MAPP's 20th Anniversary celebration in December. Join in to help plan a party to remember.

Circle Saturday, October 5 on your calendars and do whatever it is you do to set reminders in your smart phones. Cookies, milk, punch will be available plus win a pipe and a cannabis book,

The Palm Springs/Coachella Valley MAPP meeting will be held on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 12 noon at the mystical Crystal Fantasy, 268 N. Palm Canyon, Palm Springs CA 92262.

The Joshua Tree/Yucca Valley MAPP meeting will be held on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 3 p.m. at the legendary Beatnik Lounge, 61597 Twenty-Nine Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree CA 92252.

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TRUMP THUMBS UP TO END FEDERAL MJ PROHIBITION

I have written about the very real possibility of federal marijuana prohibition coming to an end by 2020.  It is truly one of the few bipartisan issues being considered by Congress with both the House of Representatives and the Senate considering a number of bills that will end it once and for all. It is likely to pass the House if and when it comes up for a vote, but the fly in the ointment has always been what will Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell do in the Senate and will President Trump sign it.

We still do not know what McConnell will do but Trump has now made it very clear that he will sign almost any legislation that gets to his desk. Trump issued one of his trademark repetitive comments affirming that “We’re going to see what’s going on. It’s a very big subject and right now we are allowing states to make that decision. A lot of states are making that decision, but we’re allowing states to make that decision.”

No doubt politics plays a role in his decision but in this case it is aimed at voters who are not part of his base as there are no chants of “free the weed” at his rallies. Hopefully he will put pressure on McConnell to let whatever bill gets to the Senate from the House come up for a vote so he can boast how, along with criminal justice reform, his administration supports ending federal marijuana prohibition.

To read the full story of this breath-taking step towards putting the final nail in the coffin of marijuana prohibition CLICK HERE.

FREE DOWNLOAD OF

Completed in 2016 on the cusp of cannabis legalization in California, "Mary Jane, A Musical Potumentary” is “The Big Lebowski” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” morphed into the “La La Land” of cannabis legalization. A cameo from Ed Asner and 16 original songs create a most remarkable and fun movie shining a bright light on the cannabis culture which drove the economy of northern California’s “Emerald Triangle” for more than 40 years.

The film follows Mary Jane who left San Francisco after the “Summer of Love” in 1967 to become a ‘back to the land’ farmer in Humboldt County. Now she is struggling to come to terms with her life as a grower and mother in a black market economy where she has raised her son with cannabis farming as his only career option.

With legalization just around the corner, the film slyly asks will the corporations move in and take over? And will it be boom – or bust?

Never released for mainstream viewing in theatres across the country, it is now undergoing possible revision for a new and updated release. Sam Clauder, the film’s Executive Producer, has made the entire film available on Youtube.com. CLICK HERE to see the film’s three-minute trailer and CLICK HERE to see the film in all it’s wide screen glory. Sam has asked that you post your positive comments on the Youtube.com site and email your ideas for improvement and negative comments directly to [email protected].

Hook your computer up to your big screen TV, roll some joints, pack your pipe and fill your vaporizer then make some popcorn and snacks and settle back for one of the most extraordinary and entertaining cannabis films ever made.

September MAPP meetings

Cannabis Cultivation & Raids in Anza

Saturday, September 7

Palm Springs at 12 noon and Joshua Tree at 3 p.m.

Cannabis cultivation is a passion and a business for many in the Anza Valley. On Saturday, Sept. 7 Edison Gomez from the High Country Growers Association will be the featured speaker at the monthly meetings of the Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project at Crystal Fantasy in downtown Palm Springs at 12 noon and at the Beatnik Lounge in Joshua Tree at 3 p.m.

The Anza Valley is a beautiful and idyllic sparsely populated locale nestled in the Santa Rosa Mountains 40 miles southwest of Palm Springs and 90 miles northeast of San Diego. Long a small agricultural community with an ideal climate and rural location, it has for many years been a mecca for cannabis cultivation. With the advent of Prop. 64, many of the growers there have sought to legitimize their endeavors through inclusion in Riverside County's newly developed commercial cultivation ordinance, but have been thwarted by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors.

Not letting a murder investigation that had begun in the area on Tuesday evening interfere, approximately 80 search warrants were served on cannabis cultivators on Wednesday, June 5. With a staging area established at the local Hamilton High School in the unincorporated town of Anza, over 600 personnel including deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff's office, Army National Guard, Code Enforcement and Animal Control and other public safety agencies swarmed over the rural area serving warrants, confiscating crops and arresting local residents

Mr. Gomez will present a fascinating history of cannabis cultivation in the Anza Valley and insights into a community under siege. He will provide a first-hand account of the raid including why it happened, how the raid was conducted, who was affected and the how community is coming together to deal with its aftermath.

The Palm Springs/Coachella Valley MAPP meeting will be held on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 12 noon at the mystical Crystal Fantasy, 268 N. Palm Canyon, Palm Springs CA 92262.

The Joshua Tree/Yucca Valley MAPP meeting will be held on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 3 p.m. at the legendary Beatnik Lounge, 61597 Twenty-Nine Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree CA 92252.

There is no charge to attend and all are welcome. Milk and cookies will be served.

September is Sizzling!

Do Something Cool!

Light Up and Join our 420 Club

Donate $4.20 a month

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#marijuana #marijuananews #cannabis #trump #anza #MAPP #marijuanalegalization #MaryJanemovie

The Only Way Not to Get Busted for Smoking Cannabis in Public Places

but where the hell are they?

One of the major problems of Prop. 64 is the provision that bans any consumption in public places. That means that streets, parks and almost all places that the public has access to, including private businesses, are verboten to consume cannabis.

This includes smoking in your car just before you go to a movie, concert or a restaurant. In fact smoking in a parked car could be even more problematic then smoking on the street or in a park as the police officer could reasonably conclude that you were consuming prior to driving which would make the offense possibly more serious.

Fines of up to $100 can be levied if you are cited while consuming cannabis in a public place.

The only place you can legally consume is in a private home or a licensed cannabis lounge. However there are very few licensed cannabis lounges due to the requirement of Prop. 64 that a facility offering on-site consumption must possess either a retail sales license or a microbusiness license. As I am sure you are all aware, these are very difficult, costly and time consuming to obtain in addition to the number available being very limited if they are available at all.

This restriction is not found for alcohol or tobacco in which there are literally hundreds if not thousands of places in most cities and counties where you can consume these legally. Restaurants and other businesses can provide for tobacco consumption if they choose to have a designated smoking area available which is usually in open-air patios.

As for alcohol, restaurants and clubs can obtain liquor licenses or beer/wine licenses. As you probably know from your own observation there are lots of them out there but for the record in California there are almost 48,000 bar and  tavern licenses or about one business selling on-site consumption of alcohol for every 8,350 people.

Not having places other than one’s home to legally consume cannabis can make it especially difficult for people to consume cannabis at all if where they live cannabis consumption, especially smoking or vaping, is prohibited. This is true for many apartment dwellers and folks who live in Section 8 housing. Ellen Komp from CaNORML informed me that she was at a National Cannabis Industry Association conference in which the difficulties that seniors and the disabled have in regards to finding places in which they can legally consume cannabis was discussed.

Due to the Prop. 64 requirement mentioned above that a restaurant or business must have a retail cannabis license or microbusiness license, there are very few onsite cannabis consumption places available. A few dispensaries have obtained on-site consumption licenses and do have lounges but they are very few and far between. In addition Prop. 64 does not allow dispensaries to sell anything other than cannabis, so they cannot sell food or beverages.

Many allow their customers to bring their own food and beverages and some provide them free. It would seem only fair though that if customers can bring their own food and beverages to an on-site cannabis consumption lounge, then customers should be able to bring their own cannabis to an on-site food consumption business like a restaurant.

This glaring problem of practically nowhere to go to consume cannabis except home needs to be solved. An attempt to do this was undertaken in the 2019 State Legislature with the introduction of AB 1465. This bill would create a new license category known as a consumption cafe/lounge license. This license would allow the sale of cannabis products, but is different from a regular dispensary license as it would only allow sales of cannabis in amounts suitable for on-site consumption. It would also allow for food and beverage service.

The bill did pass the Business and Professions Committee but did not make it out of the Appropriations Committee. The bill will most likely be introduced again in the next legislative session, but even if it passes it is not likely that sufficient onsite consumption lounges will open up to meet the need for providing places where people can consume cannabis outside of their homes.

If a bill like AB 1465 allowing cannabis lounges that sell cannabis passes, it is likely that the regulations and licensing procedure for obtaining a cannabis café lounge license will be as complex, convoluted and expensive as obtaining a retail dispensary license. With the numbers most likely being as severely restricted as retail dispensary licenses, there will still be relatively few places available to consume cannabis outside the home.

Of course Prop. 64 could be amended to make public consumption of cannabis akin to public consumption of tobacco which is allowed on streets/sidewalks, specific areas of many businesses and in public parks and beaches unless prohibited by local ordinance. However that doesn’t allow for one of cannabis’s most major benefits to take effect.

As an RN, I have always been in favor of legalizing marijuana as it is the most viable alternative to alcohol for socialization, celebration and consciousness alteration. Depending on the size of a municipality, there are hundreds to thousands of bars, taverns and restaurants where a person or groups can go to consume alcohol.

If we truly want to reduce the negative consequences associated with alcohol consumption - unruly behavior, fights, sexual assaults, drunk driving and exceedingly negative health consequences resulting in over 80,000 deaths a year at a cost in the U.S. alone approaching a quarter trillion dollars every year – then there must be a significantly high enough number of these cannabis friendly businesses that people can go to in place of going to an alcohol based bar or tavern.

Although it may be possible to license enough cannabis café lounges that sell cannabis to reach that significant number of locations, I would caution against holding one’s breath waiting for that to happen. A far easier, less expensive and less restrictive option would be to allow businesses to have cannabis consumption areas in the same way they have tobacco consumption areas.

Although some bars and restaurants may sell tobacco most do not as tobacco vending machines have been outlawed. They do, however, allow their customers to bring their own tobacco with them for consumption in areas set aside for tobacco consumption.

In the same way, businesses can allow their customers to bring their own cannabis on the premises to consume in specific cannabis areas. Many businesses that do not sell alcohol would chose to allow cannabis consumption as it could significantly increase their customer base and most importantly the frequency in which customers return to their business.

The business would make money selling food and beverages and might even have a cover charge or at least a minimum food and beverage purchase requirement for admission. I have spoken with several owners of independent Starbuck’s like coffee shops that would welcome being able to set aside a portion of the business space for cannabis consumers who bring their own cannabis.

With less severe and restrictive licensing requirements then a business that would be selling cannabis, the number of licensed premises could easily reach the point where they will draw a significant number of people away from alcohol based bars and taverns.

Of course, legislation that will allow this will be strongly opposed by the alcohol industry which has always opposed the legalization of marijuana. They are well aware that if marijuana consumption is easily and affordably available that alcohol consumption will decrease significantly. This explains why some of the largest financial political contributions made to politicians and political action committees opposing marijuana legalization come from alcohol businesses and trade associations.

Businesses which allow marijuana to be consumed on the premises but not sell it should increase the sales at retail cannabis dispensaries as people will have to purchase their cannabis from them before going to a business that permits onsite cannabis consumption but doesn’t sell it. As for the handful of dispensaries that obtain a cannabis lounge license, they will be in the very unique situation of being able to sell cannabis to their customers in the same way a bar sells alcohol to its customers. That novelty in and of itself should draw in significant numbers of customer all of which will continue to add to the decrease in alcohol consumption.

To make this happen will require amending Prop. 64 by the state legislature. I am beginning the process with the introduction of a resolution at the August 23 - 25 California Democratic Party’s Executive Board meeting in San Jose. If it passes, and I think it will, we will then go to asupportive State Senators and Assembly members to draft and introduce legislation in support of the Party’s resolution. To read the resolution CLICK HERE.

As noted above, having a plethora of onsite consumption locations available is important for the health and safety of our community. For that reason alone as well as providing legal places to consume cannabis, the introduction and passage of a bill allowing for onsite consumption businesses as described above is critical.

AUGUST MAPP MEETINGS

Hear all the newest riverting cannabis news political, social and health plus onsite consumption updates and actions to take in the IE to make it happen where you live!

It’s hot outside but the MAPP meetings are really cool. Lots has been happening on the federal level as we inch closer to ending federal marijuana prohibition. Some action happening on the state level too regarding dispensaries, delivery services, compassion programs and yes cannabis café bills – can the Beatnik Café become a legal cannabis lounge – it could happen.

Join with old friends, meet new ones, network with activists, cultivators and consumers and enter the drawing to win a silicone pipe and Dr. Fitchner’s Cannabinomics. Plus enjoy a delightful assortment of cookies with cold milk and punch.

The Palm Springs/Coachella Valley MAPP meeting Saturday, August 3 at 12 noon takes place at the  mystical Crystal Fantasy, 268 N. Palm Canyon, downtown Palm Springs CA 92262

The Joshua Tree/Yucca Valley MAPP meeting Saturday, August 3 at 3 p.m. takes place at the legendary Beatnik Lounge, 61597 Twenty-Nine Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree CA 92252

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

ORDER TICKETS NOW & SAVE 20% BY ENTERING MAPP IN PROMO CODE BOX

Historic Federal Vote Protects and Defends Cannabis Legalization

In what has been immodestly heralded as an historic vote, the House of Representatives by an overwhelming margin of 267 to 165 voted to approve an amendment protecting the laws in states that have legalized marijuana to the multi-billion dollar super large-scale Appropriations bill that funds major parts of the federal government for Fiscal Year 2020.

This amendment denies funding to the Dept. of Justice to enforce federal marijuana laws in states that have legalized not just medical marijuana, as it has done since 2014, but expands the funding prohibition to all states that have legalized marijuana for any use. Most notably the amendment received more “yes” votes than the 2015 amendment protecting only medical cannabis states.

Almost all Democrats supported the amendment with only eight voting in opposition. While the majority of Republicans voted against the amendment to deny funding to the DOJ, 41 GOP members supported it.

Not only does this amendment extend the enforcement ban to Washington DC and U.S. Territories like Guam, but in a separate bill passed the following day, the House approved a similar amendment protecting the cannabis laws of Indian tribes. It is interesting to note that this amendment was passed on a voice vote as no member called for a roll call vote.

Additionally, Democrats excluded a longstanding rider from the Appropriations’ bill which prevented Washington, D.C. from using its own local tax dollars to implement a legal marijuana sales program that had been approved by DC voters in 2014.

The rider preventing Washington D.C. from setting up a voter approved distribution program had been authored in previous years by Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD). The anti-cannabis congressman bitterly responded to the rider not being included complaining “we’re not in charge anymore,” presumably referring to the Republican Party's loss of control of the House in last year’s midterm elections.

To make up for the rider not being included, the congressman introduced legislation to prohibit the decriminalization of sex work in D.C. Like his rider, it was also rejected during an Appropriations Committee hearing. Hmmm - are Democrats in favor of allowing local governments to decriminalize prostitution? Just which party is the party truly protecting states’ rights?

Of course passing in the House does not guarantee its passage into law. It still remains to be seen how the Senate will approach the appropriations amendments when that chamber takes up its version of this massive funding bill over the next several weeks.

The Senate through a coalition of almost all Senate Democrats and about a fourth of Senate Republicans had gotten the amendment approved in previous years when it only protected medical marijuana. With the amendment now protecting medical and adult-use of marijuana, the opposition may get stronger.

The key player will be Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell. He is an old-line drug warrior that has always supported War on Drugs legislation including marijuana prohibition. He did vote in favor of the bill allowing farmers to cultivate hemp as he knew it would be a boon for Kentucky farmers who have seen their farming income from tobacco significantly decline. If it’s about money for farmers who vote for him, he will throw his decrepit principles under the bus.

It is interesting to note that last year when the House passed the First Step Act, the first federal criminal justice law reform legislation in just about forever, McConnell claimed there wasn’t enough time to bring the bill to the floor. His claims of not enough time were bogus and showcase his antagonism to any criminal justice reform legislation, let alone marijuana law reform, even when the reform is supported by a bi-partisan coalition of Senators. This is not a good omen for the amendment passed by the House denying funding to the DOJ to enforce federal marijuana law in states that legalized its use.

All hope should not be lost. Since marijuana legalization is now supported by a majority of Americans including Republicans, there is always the possibility that McConnell and other Senate Republicans might come to their senses especially when they recognize that stakes for Republicans in the Senate for being re-elected are very problematic. In 2020 there will be 20 Republicans up for re-election and only 12 Democrats almost the reverse of 2018 when 26 Democratic Senate seats were up for election and only 9 Republicans.

It was the fear of losing votes by those Republicans up for re-election in 2020 that played a major role in McConnell suddenly finding the time in 2018 to allow the First Step Act to be voted on and passed on the Senate floor. It may very well be the same fear that will motivate McConnell to allow the Appropriations bill with the DOJ defunding amendment to be voted on and passed.

Then of course there is our mercurial President Trump. My hunch is that he will sign it - just like the First Step Act which he signed. Even though he had nothing to do with it, he now highlights the bill as one of the notable achievements of his administration - at least when speaking to minority audiences. I am sure that after signing the Appropriations bill with the DOJ cannabis defunding amendment, he will tweet grandiose statements taking full credit for the amendment even though he had nothing to do with it either.

He will do this not because he gives a damn about marijuana legalization, but rather because it is not an issue that motivates his all-important base – at his rallies they neither chant “free the weed” or “lock tokers up.”

THE Cannabis Celebration Event

Sales, Consumption, Entertainment, Music, Seminars and FUN

A wonderful and exciting summertime cannabis event is taking place at The State of Cannabiz 2019 Health and Wellness Fair on Saturday, August 10 at the Adelanto Sports Stadium, 12000 Stadium Way, Adelanto CA 92301.

The all-day event is a tribute to the recreational and medical uses of cannabis highlighting its use for health, socialization and celebration. It’s a fun event that recognizes the importance of cannabis in our modern day lives. Geared more to a slightly older crowd then other cannabis celebratory events, the 2019 Health and Wellness Fair welcomes adults 21 & over, seniors, medical patients, veterans and other cannabis consumers to join in for a day of art, music, meditation, seminars, food and of course cannabis.

Yes cannabis can be consumed and purchased in all its many forms - flowers, edibles, vapes, topicals, tinctures, concentrates and more. Spend the day with your friends and make new ones as you visit the many booths featuring your favorite cannabis products, enjoy the music, activities and educational workshops all the while consuming your favorite herb in a safe and welcoming environment.

Music and entertainment is provided all day beginning at 12 noon including a comedy show at 4 p.m. The event’s entertainment culminates at 5:30 p.m. with a special performance by QUNTO SOL, one of the best of the Border Bands - A border band is a band that lives on or near the international border, where the duality of their location influences the music they create. Fusing elements of blues and reggae, and inspired by the sound of the Americas, Africa and the Caribbean, the sound of QUINTO SOL is as unique as it is diverse.

I am really looking forward to the workshops and seminars as I will be the moderator introducing the speakers and their topics ranging from health, wellness, fitness and nutrition to the latest bio-science technologies, innovation, products and consumer trends.

Not only will you have a great time, but it won’t cost you an arm and a leg to attend – general admission is only $25 and $20 for seniors, medical marijuana patients and veterans PLUS you get an additional 20% discount off your admission price by clicking on PROMO CODE on the order page and entering the promo code MAPP. CLICK HERE to order your tickets and save now.

With each admission you get a free swag bag with lots of swag and a ticket for the raffle where you can win great prizes.

If you have never been to a licensed cannabis consumption event, then don’t miss the opportunity to come to one of the best. If you have been to one before, you know how much fun they are and you won’t want to miss this one.

Mark your calendar and save money by ordering your tickets now. Just CLICK HERE or go to www.stateofcannabiz.com

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#marijuana #marijuananews #cannabis #marijuanalegalization #medicalmarijuana #cannabisevents #Adelanto #Trump #FirstStepAct

Riverside Co. BOS Permits MJ Businesses While Cops Raid Anza Valley Growers

Buried deep within the consent calendar for the July 2 meeting of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors was the following item:

TRANSPORTATION AND LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCY: Receive and File Cannabis Request For Proposals Results. All Districts.

The vast majority of consent calendars items are voted on en masse with no discussion although a supervisor can pull a specific item for discussion. At the July 2 Riverside County Board of Supervisors meeting, not one supervisor thought any discussion about allowing cannabis businesses to operate in Riverside County was worth discussing.

WOW! Marijuana is now just an item mentioned in the consent calendar and no one cares? Seems that the controversy over marijuana businesses is now somewhere between shoe stores and 99¢ emporiums.

What now seems to be a ho-hum ordinance is the outgrowth of over two years of meetings, deliberations, hearings, recriminations, quarrels and more – not to mention over a decade of contentious contention between medical marijuana patients and reefer mad BOS, cops and district attorneys.

The little noticed notice in the consent calendar announced that Riverside County has broken free of the mindset of 2/3rds of California counties and cities which have banned any and all cannabis businesses. The County is now actually, really and truly considering the applications of 69 would be cannabis entrepreneurs consisting of 24 retailers, 30 cultivators and 15 other marijuana-related businesses.

A county that was once considered to be the backwaters of cannabis promotion, is entering the still somewhat rarified airspace of local governments allowing Prop 64 to be fully implemented.

The conversion of Riverside County from reefer madness to reefer sanity began back in 2015 when Riverside County enacted one of California’s most sensible medical marijuana patient cultivation programs allowing a patient to cultivate 12 plants with two patients per household and most importantly permitting indoor and outdoor cultivation.

Considering that it wasn’t all that long ago that Riverside County was putting the screws to anyone and everyone who dared to cultivate cannabis even for their own personal use, this transformation is beyond amazing – it is mind boggling.

I have written previously of this new ordinance objecting to its cumbersome, complicated and convoluted developer’s agreement model of licensing and regulating, but perhaps the silver lining is that the developer agreement model will generate far less money for the county then a standard tax and regulate model.

In theory this should mean the cost of production and distribution will be considerably less. Whether that cost saving is passed onto the consumers by the cultivators and business owners remains to be seen, but I would advise against holding one’s breath in anticipation of more affordable cannabis products as a result of the developer’s agreement model.

The upshot of Tuesday's meeting is that the county is going ahead with allowing cannabis businesses and this is just the beginning. It is has been made fairly clear that the county will be issuing more licenses as the program is implemented and county staff become more seasoned in dealing with applications, approvals and regulating existing cannabis businesses.

With cannabis businesses operating throughout the unincorporated areas of the County, how much longer will cities continue to ban cannabis business when their residents can merely drive down the road a bit to an unincorporated area to purchase their cannabis for which the county will get all of the taxes and fees and the cities getting nothing.

The one area in which there is a great deal of unfairness and bitter resentment is found in the Anza Valley. The Anza Valley is a beautiful and idyllic sparsely populated locale nestled in the Santa Rosa Mountains 40 miles southwest of Palm Springs and 90 miles northeast of San Diego. Long a small agricultural community with an ideal climate and rural location, it has for many years been a Mecca for cannabis cultivation.

With the advent of Prop. 64, many of the growers there have sought to legitimize their endeavors through inclusion in Riverside County's newly developed commercial cultivation ordinance, but have been thwarted by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors.

Not letting a murder investigation that had begun in the area on Tuesday evening interfere, approximately 80 search warrants were served on cannabis cultivators on Wednesday, June 5. With a staging area established at the local Hamilton High School in the unincorporated town of Anza, over 600 personnel including deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff's office, Army National Guard, Code Enforcement and Animal Control and other public safety agencies swarmed over the rural area serving warrants, confiscating crops and arresting local residents

You can hear the story on the current podcast of Marijuana Compassion and Common Sense. Presenting a fascinating history of cannabis cultivation in the Anza Valley and insights into a community divided, Edison Gomez, Jesse Carroll and Jacob Baird from the High Country Growers Association provide a first-hand account of the raid including why it happened, how the raid was conducted, who was affected and the how community is coming together to deal with its aftermath. To hear the radio show now CLICK HERE or go to www.blogtalkradio.com/marijuananews anytime you want 24/7.

July MAPP Meetings

The MAPP meetings are back on again so let’s get together this Saturday, July 6 in both Palm Springs and Joshua Tree. Lots to discuss including Riverside Co.s foray into legal cannabis businesses, new bills in congress to end federal marijuana prohibition, the positions on marijuana legalization of the Democratic candidates for President as well as Trump, what’s happening in California, 2,500 year old archeological discovery, cannabis for Fido and Fluffy and lots more.

Cookies, milk and punch will be served plus there will be a drawing at each meeting to win a free silicone pipe and a copy of Cannabinomics by Dr. Christopher Fichtner

The Palm Springs/Coachella Valley MAPP meeting Saturday, July 6 at 12 noon takes place at Crystal Fantasy, 268 N. Palm Canyon, downtown Palm Springs CA 92262

The Joshua Tree/Yucca Valley MAPP meeting Saturday, July 6 at 3 p.m. takes place at the Beatnik Lounge, 61597 Twenty-Nine Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree CA 92252

July is Sizzling!

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Light Up and Join our 420 Club

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or call 760-799-2055

#marijuana #cannabis #riversidecounty #marijuanalegalization #marijuanabusinesses #Marijuanaanti-prohibitionproject #MAPP marijuanalicensing #marijuanaregulations

Cops Moan While Civil Liberty Advocates Rejoice

Asset forfeiture, more colloquially known as “policing for profit” and “theft by a cop” is one of the most onerous vestiges of the War on Drugs. Trampling civil liberties, flouting the constitution and being ethically, morally and fundamentally bankrupt, asset forfeiture laws undermine good policing by placing the emphasis on making money rather than protecting the public from dangerous criminals.

Enacted ostentatiously to reduce crime by depriving drug traffickers, racketeers and criminal syndicates of their ill-gotten gains, the program quickly morphed into a gigantic cash cow for police agencies who were allowed to keep the money taken in by asset forfeiture.  

What made asset forfeiture so lucrative was that no one had to be convicted of a crime before police could seize their property. More often than not, no charges were ever filed. All cops had to do was claim that they suspected that someone’s property like cars, boats and cash were tied to crime in order for them to keep it.

Like all drug laws, there was a racial component to its enforcement. It should come as no surprise that minorities, immigrants and low-income communities were significantly more likely to fall victim to “theft by cop.” The ACLU reported that over 85 percent of forfeiture payments went to agencies where people of color made up more than half of the local population.

In progressive states like California, legislators realized that this was wrong and passed laws curtailing the ability of police to seize property. Police got around this obstacle by working with federal agencies to enforce loosey-goosey federal asset forfeiture laws thereby not needing state law any longer to seize an innocent person’s assets. Federal law allowed local police agencies to keep up to 80% of assets seized keeping the money spigots open and flowing.

Here is why it great to live in California. Introduced in 2016 and going into effect in 2017, SB 443 made it more onerous for police to make money seizing a person’s assets as the law now required a conviction in most cases before state and local law enforcement agencies could permanently keep anyone’s property.

According to Mica Doctoroff, legislative attorney with the ACLU of California Center for Advocacy & Policy, “The goal of SB 443 was simple: to rein in policing for profit in California and reestablish some of the most basic tenants of constitutional law and values. In particular, the bipartisan-backed law was designed to prevent California law enforcement agencies from circumventing state law in order to use the federal civil asset forfeiture process to profit off the backs of property owners who have not been convicted of an underlying crime.”

While the federal government continues to police for profit and cheer lead the failed war on drugs, through SB 443 California has said enough is enough and we are not going to allow policing for profit in our state.

The police were totally opposed to SB 443 and now it is easy to see why. The amount of money California police agencies have lost because they cannot keep innocent people’s assets any longer is staggering.

LA IMPACT —compared to what they took in during 2015, the Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force lost $3.2 million. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department lost $1.6 million.

In the Inland Empire, San Bernardino police agencies went from $2.9 million in 2015 to $258,996 in 2018 while Riverside agencies went from $2.1 million to $1.2 million. Santa Ana and Anaheim police departments lost $2.5 million.

Police are bemoaning the loss of all this money claiming it will put public safety in jeopardy. Of course if police are paying more attention to crimes in which there are real victims instead of spending time going after victimless crimes where they can make more money, our communities will be safer and our constitutional rights and liberties will be respected.

NURSE NAVIGATOR TO SPEAK ON CANNABIS NURSING CONVENTION

Palm Springs and Joshua Tree MAPP Meetings on Saturday, May 4

Ruth Hill, RN, a cannabis nurse navigator specialist, will report on the 2019 Cannabis Nurse Network conference with the latest information on cannabis research, cannabis magazines published by women, new laws being considered by the California legislature and innovative developments in cannabis nurse/patient consultation programs. 

The Cannabis Nurse Network is a global network of registered nurses who include Endocannabinoid System health, and implement cannabinoid therapeutics in support of a patient’s journey to holistic balance. The organization sponsors an annual professional development and education conference designed exclusively for cannabis nurses & licensed medical professionals to advance their understanding of cannabis medicine, the endocannabinoid system and its practical application in day-to-day patient care & practice.

In addition to discussing these important issues, RN Hill will provide handouts on many of the conference’s programs.

Ruth Hill brings over 50 years in nursing from a multitude of settings including hospice and palliative care. She is a member of the Hospice and Palliative Nursing Association, the Oncology Nursing Society and the American Cannabis Nurses Association. Ruth joined Holistic Caring two years ago, a consulting organization that focuses on educating clients on the safe use of medical cannabis.

Cookies, milk and punch will be served plus win a genuine silicon pipe at each meeting.

The Palm Springs/Coachella Valley MAPP meeting Saturday, May 4 at 12 noon takes place at Crystal Fantasy, 268 N. Palm Canyon, downtown Palm Springs CA 92262

The Joshua Tree/Yucca Valley MAPP meeting Saturday, May 4 at 3 p.m. takes place at the Beatnik Lounge, 61597 Twenty-Nine Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree CA 92252.

Honor Your Mother                                 Join our 420 Club

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or call 760-799-2055

#marijuana #cannabis #drugpolicyreform #marijuanalegalization #assetforfeiture #Marijuanaanti-prohibitionproject #MAPP

Assert Your Power It's Your Government
Join Us at the ASA/CaNORML
Citizens MJ Lobby Day in Sacramento

The ASA/CaNORML Citizen Lobby Day in Sacramento has always been a special event that is informative, productive and fun. For 2019 they are putting together the largest, most rewarding and successful Citizen Lobby Day ever and you can be a part of it!!!

On Monday, May 6, they are expecting over 200 participants representing patients, advocates, providers, industry workers and others to participate in the state's largest cannabis lobby day.

It’s an amazing experience in the democratic process as you take part in the legislative briefing and lobbyist training which will give you the information and skills you need to meet with your state assembly member and state senator at California's state Capitol that very same day. Citizen lobbying works - Research shows that an in-person visit from a constituent like you is six times more likely to influence an undecided lawmaker than a visit from a paid lobbyist.

Lobby day begins with a continental breakfast at 8:00 AM in the Metropolitan Terrace on the 7th Floor of the Citizen Hotel located at 926 J Street, Sacramento. The morning program starts at 9:00 AM, where you will be presented an overview of the bills on which you will be lobbying, along with tips for effective lobbying. You will then be armed with fact sheets on all the bills for your afternoon meetings with lawmakers, along with forms to report on your meetings. Return the forms at the evening VIP reception for lawmakers and attendees in the Scandal Lounge back at the Citizen Hotel starting at 5:30 PM.

Here are some of the bills you will learn about and be trained to lobby for:

• SB 34 (Wiener) to protect compassion programs in California

• AB 286 (Bonta) To Temporarily Lower Cannabis Taxes

• SB 233 (Hill)To Allow Medical Cannabis Access in Schools

• AB 1465 (Bloom) To License Cannabis Consumption Cafés and Lounges

• SB 305 (Hueso) To Allow Qualified Patients Medical Cannabis Access in Healthcare Facilities

ASA/CaNORML’s Citizen Lobby Day has always been extraordinary – everyone who has participated has always felt it was one of the most satisfying days they have spent in a long long time and look forward to participating again

Want to join in – you can!

Every year we rent a van and bring 10 to 15 IE residents to Sacramento for Citizen Lobby Day. Let me assure you that getting there is half the fun!

We will leave on Sunday, May 5 at 8:30 a.m. from Palm Springs and will pick up at several locations along the travel route in the IE from Palm Spring to Riverside and San Bernardino. We arrive in Sacramento at around 6 p.m. and check in at a local motel. We go for dinner and after dinner get together for a social cannabis-friendly event.

On Monday, May 6 we go to the Legislative Briefing and Lobbyist Training at the Citizen’s Hotel in downtown Sacramento. In the afternoon you will go to the State Capitol Building and to the offices of your state assembly member and senator. ASA will make appointments for you, so you will be expected. You will most likely meet with the legislator’s Chief Legislative Aide, but it is not unusual to meet with your actual state assembly member and senator.

After the lobbying, we reconvene in the Scandal Lounge at 5:30 p.m. in the Citizen Hotel for a VIP Reception with lawmakers and other state officials. We leave about 7:00 p.m. for home arriving back in the IE around 2 or 3 a.m.

Yes it is a very full day – one that you will tell everyone you know about. You are not on the sideline looking in – you actually participate in our democracy! And it’s all for cannabis – your right to safe, reliable, local and affordable access in California.

Yes you will actually be able tell your grandkids what you did to end marijuana prohibition.

The cost is only $85 per person. This includes transportation, lodging (two to a room) and all registration and reception fees. We will dine together if you chose, but all food purchases are on your own. We will be staying at the Red Lion Roy Inn in Sacramento. All rooms have microwaves and refrigerators as well as free-internet. Although there is a continental breakfast served at the Citizen Lobby Day morning briefing, there is also a continental breakfast served at the hotel. For those inclined, there is also a fitness center.

There is only room for 12 people in the party van and there are only six seats left – so don’t delay and miss out on this enlightening and fun trip. Email me at [email protected] and reserve your seat in the van, your room in the Inn and most of all you participation in grassroots cannabis activism.

For those who want to go but need some FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, we have a limited number of SCHOLARSHIPS to cover all costs except for meals. Just ask when you make your reservation.

If you can take off on Sunday May 5 and Monday May 6 and don’t need much sleep to function on Tuesday or can just sleep on Tuesday, then don’t miss this extraordinary day. I guarantee you will not regret attending and will look back on it for many years as something that you participated in and accomplished and are very proud of.

Space is limited so if you want to join us, contact me ASAP. Send that email to [email protected] and I will get back to you to sign you up for an experience that will make you feel proud to be an American, a Californian and a cannabis consumer!!!!!!

LOOKING FOR A 420 PARTY ON 420 DAY?

There is one in Palm Springs and It's FREE!!!!

As if you ever needed an excuse to come to Palm Springs, how about a 420 DAY celebration party with live bands, DJs spinning hot dance music, speakers, information booths and more - it is everything you could ever want in a 420 Day celebration except for maybe consuming cannabis. Palm Springs has some weird on-site consumption laws and even though the location is a licensed dispensary where you can buy enough weed to zap a cat, on-site consumption is still verboten.

No matter what PS does and doesn't, the event takes place on Saturday, April 20 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the PSA Organica Dispensary, a licensed facility just east of downtown Palm Springs. It is an open-air event and since it is Palm Springs, you know the weather is going to be just perfect.

There will be a special ceremony at 4:20 p.m. honoring the amazing health and recreational uses of this ancient medicinal herb. You don’t want to miss celebrating the rapidly approaching collapse of marijuana prohibition and the end of 80 years of reefer madness.

Best of all it’s all FREE – all you need to bring with you is proof that you are at least 21 years of age and you can be a part of an amazing 420 Party.

PSA Organica is located at 400 E Sunny Dunes Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92264. For more information, call them at: (760) 778-1053

Celebrate 420 DAY all year - feel good all year by helping us all year!

Join MAPP’s 420 Club and donate $4.20 every month to keep us going, going, going.

From working with local governments to establish reasonable and workable regulations for cannabis businesses to protecting cannabis consumers from losing their jobs for using legal cannabis, MAPP is there. Please help us be there for you.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MAPP'S 420 CLUB

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Riverside County Will Lose $30 Million with Proposed Marijuana Biz Ordinance

Riverside County has just released its proposed ordinance on marijuana businesses and will hold a Board of Supervisors hearing on the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 29 at 9 a.m. As expected, the ordinance is a morass of overly complex regulations, byzantine bureaucratic application procedures designed as a full employment program for lawyers and a Developer Agreement finance scheme that will result in massive losses of tax revenues to Riverside County.

Now am I sure about what I wrote above? No I am not because this ordinance is as transparent as lead. There are 9 lengthy, complex and obtuse attachments for the BOS to consider when this ordinance comes up for consideration on Tuesday, Jan. 29. If you want to peruse this entangled amalgamate of regulations, permits, fees and more CLICK HERE.

Under this ordinance the county will issue 100 permits broken down into 50 for cultivators, 19 for retailers, 22 for manufacturers, 4 for nurseries, 4 for distributors and one testing laboratory. The rational behind these off-the-wall numbers is that this is the most the Planning staff can handle in 2019.

The major flaw in this entire ordinance is that it is based on a Developer’s Agreement model instead of a Regulate and Tax model which is used by every other municipality that has allowed cannabis businesses to exist. The problem with a Developer's Agreement is that fees cannot be based on sales as then it would be a tax and would require a vote of the people.

If you do not know what a Developer Agreement model is and how absurd it is to apply to cannabis businesses, check out my Oct. 2018 newsletter by CLICKING HERE. With an understanding of what a Developer Agreement is and what it does, it becomes crystal-clear see why no other city or county in California has gone the Developer Agreement route.

The Riverside County BOS had no concept of what they were doing when they went along with Supervisor Chuck Washington’s insistence that a Developer’s Agreement be used for legalizing cannabis businesses. After passing this absurd ordinance, they dumped the problem on figuring out how to implement a Developer’s Agreement onto the backs of the Riverside Co. Planning Dept.  The Planning Dept. had no idea how to do this so they spent an unknown amount of taxpayer dollars to hire HdL Consulting Company.

HdL bills themselves as “the only consulting firm with professionals who have direct experience regulating cannabis operations at the local and state level.” They have made millions developing ordinances, writing regulations, crafting licenses and constructing tax programs for befuddled cities and counties throughout the state.

Not knowing what to do the Riverside County Planning staff punted to HdL to essentially reinvent the wheel as no one has ever done this before with cannabis businesses.

Did the County get its money’s worth? As far as I can tell from my reading of the HdL Companies report, they didn’t - that is if they were expecting a scheme to produce the same $30 to $40 million a year in revenue that a traditional regulate and tax system would produce.

Why is this? It’s the nature of the beast of what a Developer’s Agreement is and is supposed to do. The ordinance is exceedingly complex but I will endeavor to make the following explanation easy to understand. If you take the time to methodically explore it with me, I believe you will come away with an understanding of why this is a prime example of our county government not knowing its ass from a hole in the ground.

In explaining what a public benefit fee does the HdL report noted “The public benefit contribution presents an anticipated range of additional benefits that cannabis business applicants may offer and commit to as a competitive part of the development agreement process.”

The report then offers an example of a typical public benefit fee.

“For example, a cannabis business applicant may offer to pay an additional contribution per square foot (on top of the baseline fee), or they may offer to fund a specific service, such as the full or partial cost of an additional Sheriff’s Deputy, or a public works project that improves the neighborhood where the business intends to locate.”

Here is where it really gets cagey as the report notes:

“These public benefit contributions are presented as a range, from high to low.  These ranges are based upon common cannabis tax rates among 25 local government ballot measures on this past November’s ballot.  It is common to base cannabis cultivation taxes on square footage, but it is uncommon to do so for retailers, manufacturers or other types of cannabis businesses.”

The report tries to pull its punches by saying “it is uncommon to do so for retailers . . .” – the fact is it is beyond uncommon – it is non-existent.

Now the HdL report shows just how goofy a Developer’s Agreement is when applied to cannabis businesses  when it states:

In this case, the public benefit contribution is not intended to be proportional to earnings in any way, but is rather intended to be proportional to the amount of impact that the business may have broadly on the community.

This is followed up with this zinger:

“The rates are generally tiered so that smaller operations (by square footage) pay a lower rate than larger operations.”

For a retailer, that means a dispensary with 1,000 square feet and $100,000 a month in sales will pay a lower Community Benefit Fee then a dispensary with 2,000 square feet but only $60,000 a month in sales.

The HdL report then list four scenarios for how much money Riverside County will generate using the Developer’s Agreement. Depending on the scenario the amount of money generated from retail sales will range from $2,870,000 to $4,300,000 – a far cry from the $30 to $40 million the county could have earned from conventional regulate and tax programs.

To explain how they arrived at the figures in these hypothetical scenarios, HdL presents a truly off-the-wall and disingenuous justification:

“The range of public benefit contributions is intended to approximate the amount of contributions that cannabis businesses around the State are able to reasonably provide, based upon typical profit margins and operational costs converted to a reasonable square-foot apportionment.”

The HdL report is totally silent on how to actually in a real-world sense determine a benefit fee “based upon typical profit margins and operational costs converted to a reasonable square-foot apportionment.”  I guess they are dumping that on the County, but since HdL couldn’t figure it out I doubt if the County’s Planning staff can either.  

The HdL report is a rip-off and Riverside County should ask for their money back. Then again they were asking HdL to do the impossible so they shouldn’t be surprised when HdL can’t do the impossible but writes a report in order to justify the amount of money the County paid them to write a report.

Now it may be argued that the lower fees under the Developer Agreement model will mean lower costs for cannabis consumers. Now that would be worth celebrating but I really doubt if cannabis consumers will see much in cannabis price reductions. They certainly haven't seen much in retail price reductions even though wholesale prices of cannabis have plummeted from an average $2,500/pound pre-Prop. 64 to about $1,250/pound post-Prop. 64.

I have no idea what Riverside County is going to do with the HdL report and the ordinance under consideration at the Tuesday, Jan. 29 meeting of the BOS. If you are looking to get into the cannabis business in Riverside County then you need to be at this meeting if you are ever going to understand what is  happening in Riverside County and what you will have to do if you want to have a cannabis business whether it is a farm, an edible’s manufacturer, a dispensary or a mom-and-pop microbusiness.

It is possible that the BOS may just put this off for another year or two, so if you are a cannabis consumer, you should be there too and let the County know that you expect to have safe, reliable and local access sooner rather than later.

For political junkies who live to see elected officials tie themselves up in knots made under the influence of reefer-madness, this will be a most entertaining government meeting.

The Riverside County BOS meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 29. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. but it is anybody’s guess when it will come up for consideration. I have been told by a reliable source that it is unlikely to be discussed before 10 a.m. BUT if you want to testify it might be best to get there earlier just in case the BOS limits public testimony to just one hour.

The Riverside County BOS meeting is held in the first floor council chambers in the Riverside Co. Administration Building at 4080 Lemon St., in downtown Riverside 92501.

I will be making contact with Riverside County staff and officials on Monday and I may learn a few things – like I got everything wrong and I don’t know what I am talking about or I may get my worst fears confirmed. For those who are interested in learning about what I learn on Monday, I will be holding an open-to-all teleconference on Monday, Jan. 26 at 9 p.m. If you would like to participate in the teleconference, call 605-475-3235 and use access code 275905# to join the conversation.

February MAPP Meetings

Learn about what happened in Riverside, get the latest news, join in the discussions, network, make new friends, stay in touch with old friends, enjoy cookies with milk and win a genuine silicon pipe.

Coachella Valley/Palm Springs MAPP meeting – Saturday, Feb. 2 at 12 noon at the exotic Crystal Fantasy, 268 N. Palm Canyon in downtown Palm Springs 92262.

Morongo Basin/Joshua Tree MAPP meeting – Saturday, Feb. 2 at 3 p.m. at the legendary Beatnik Lounge, 61597 Twenty-Nine Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree CA 92252.

Western IE/Riverside MAPP meeting – Our meeting place has closed so the Feb. meeting is canceled until a new place to meet is located..

Celebrate Valentine's Day and show your LOVE for cannabis by joining MAPP’s 420 Club and donating $4.20 every month to help us keep you informed and solidify your right to safe, reliable, local and affordable access.

From working with Riverside County to establish reasonable and workable regulations for cannabis businesses to protecting cannabis consumers from losing their jobs for using legal cannabis, MAPP is there. Please help us be there for you.

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