Dallas / Ft. Worth NORML

NJ 14th Medical Marijuana State; MD Has Medical Cannabis Bill; DC Takes Up Implementation; CA Supreme Court Nixes Limits; Dispensary Bans in Appeals Court; L.A. Passes Dispensary Regulations; ASA Affiliate Packs Candidate Forum; National Action Alert

Officials here will be the latest on the Peninsula to take on the issue of medical marijuana and whether its providers can operate in their city.

Bill receives mixed reaction from advocates, citing several concerns

Democratic state Sen. Ron Calderon said Wednesday he plans to introduce a bill requiring all legal and illegal marijuana businesses to register with the Board of Equalization, the state agency that collects sales tax.

Medical marijuana advocates aren't happy with President Barack Obama's announcement yesterday that he's nominating Michelle Leonhart, the Drug Enforcement Administration's acting administrator since 2007, to keep the job permanently.

L.A. prosecutors believe it is the first legal ruling to conclude that state law does not allow collectives to sell pot. If upheld, it would have a dramatic impact on how the drug is distributed.

The Los Angeles City Council voted 9-3 Tuesday to approve a medical marijuana dispensary ordinance that, if enforced, will shut down more than 80% of the city's estimated nearly one thousand dispensaries. The ordinance also bars dispensaries from operating within a thousand feet of schools, parks, day care centers, religious institutions, drug treatment centers, or other dispensaries.

San Jose officials groped for direction in the legal haze surrounding medical marijuana dispensaries Wednesday as dozens of advocates rallied at City Hall to urge an ordinance permitting them to provide the drug to patients -- while others urged a moratorium.

A medical marijuana bill that would provide treatment to eligible Marylanders was met with both appreciation and criticism by local activist groups.

Buffer zones & other provisions threaten the closure of nearly all existing facilities

After years of wrangling, the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday approved a medical marijuana ordinance that slaps tougher restrictions on pot clinics and will likely shut down hundreds of dispensaries across the city.

The Los Angeles City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday capping the number of medical marijuana dispensaries and placing restrictions on where they could be located.

The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday approved a sweeping new law that will force hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries to close.

The Los Angeles City Council gave final approval today to a medical marijuana ordinance aimed at ending the proliferation of illegal dispensaries while giving qualified patients access to the drug.

The Los Angeles City Council expects this week to give final approval to a new law that's (sic) shut down hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries. Some people wonder how city officials will enforce the new law.