by Omar Figueroa March 3, 2023 On March 3, 2023, the United States Department of Justice announced that those pardoned under the October 6, 2022 proclamation by President Biden could now apply to receive a certificate of proof of pardon: Today, the Justice Department is launching an application for […]
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By Lauren Mendelsohn December 29, 2022 2022 was a significant year for cannabis, hemp, and psychedelics policy in California. We’ve summarized some of the key events below. CANNABIS Legislative Victories in Sacramento A number of cannabis-related bills were adopted in 2022 by the State legislature, which will bring about […]
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by Omar Figueroa December 17, 2022 California State Senator Scott Wiener has reintroduced a bill for the 2023-2024 Legislative Session to decriminalize certain psychedelics under California law. Senate Bill 58 has significant legislative support, and is co-authored by Assemblymembers Ash Kalra (D-San Jose), Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley), Matt Haney (D-San […]
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On December 6, 2022, the Sebastopol City Council unanimously approved and adopted the Surveillance Technology and Community Safety ordinance proposed by the Sonoma County Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California in collaboration with Chief Ron Nelson of the Sebastopol Police Department. Sebastopol is the […]
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by Omar Figueroa October 6, 2022 United States President Joe Biden announced today a Statement on Marijuana Reform which included the mass pardon of thousands of persons convicted of the federal offense of simple possession of cannabis. President Biden also urged state Governors to follow his lead by issuing mass […]
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By Lauren Mendelsohn August 15, 2022 Last week, Senate Bill 519 — which would have removed criminal penalties from certain activities associated with LSD, psilocybin, psilocyn, DMT, mescaline, ibogaine, and MDMA — was amended and gutted of all meaningful parts in a hearing before the Assembly Appropriations Committee last week. […]
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by Omar Figueroa April 2, 2022 On April 1, 2022, the United States House of Representatives passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act with a bipartisan majority and a decisive margin of 220-204. This is the second time that the MORE Act has made it through the House. […]
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By Lauren Mendelsohn and Omar Figueroa July 20, 2021 There are at least two efforts underway in California to decriminalize psilocybin, the active compound in “magic mushrooms,” and at least one to decriminalize various other psychedelic substances. This post will provide a quick update as to the current status […]
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by Omar Figueroa July 14, 2021 United States Senators Cory Booker, Ron Wyden, and Chuck Schumer have released their long-awaited federal legalization bill, the Cannabis Administration & Opportunity Act. The text of the discussion draft can be found here, and a summary can be found here. The Senate’s 163-page Cannabis […]
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By Transactional Attorney Daniel Dellafosse June 18, 2021 On May 28, 2021, the “Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2021” (the “MORE Act of 2021”) was introduced in the United States Congress. Senior Associate Attorney Lauren Mendelsohn wrote a brief blog post describing a few key details […]
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