Andy Castro, who has engaged Clovis Unified in a First Amendment lawsuit, appears to have learned a valuable legal lesson: Listen to the judge. Heeding the advice of federal judge Dale Drozd, Castro — a former Clovis High School student — hired professional counsel when filing his amended suit against...
Walters: California's Half-a-Loaf Syndrome
Joe Mathews, another guy who makes his living by scribbling about California, penned a very perceptive article recently about the state’s proclivity for not following through on policy pronouncements. “California is stuck in the gray zone,” Mathews wrote, referring to “a military term for the space between peace and war… “In California...
California Considers Calling THC in Pot a Risk to Moms-to-Be
LOS ANGELES — More than three years after California voters broadly legalized marijuana, a state panel is considering if its potent, high-inducing chemical — THC — should be declared a risk to pregnant women and require warnings. Studies have indicated that a rising number of mothers-to-be have turned to marijuana...
City Hall Proposal Would Leave Guns to the Cops
Update, 12/12/19: The city council voted 7-0 to table the introduction of this bill until later. The next meeting is Jan. 16. The final vote to approve would be at the second meeting the item appears on. It would then go into effect 31 days later if passed. Also, City...
California Boosts Pot Taxes, Shocking Unsteady Industry
LOS ANGELES — California is increasing business tax rates on legal marijuana, a move that stunned struggling companies that have been pleading with the state to do just the opposite. Hefty marijuana taxes that can approach 50 percent in some communities have been blamed for pushing shoppers into California’s tax-free...
Divided US House Committee Backs Pot Decriminalization
LOS ANGELES — A divided U.S. House committee approved a proposal Wednesday to decriminalize and tax marijuana at the federal level, a vote that was alternately described as a momentous turning point in national cannabis policy or a hollow political gesture. The House Judiciary Committee approved the proposal 24-10 after...
No Short-Term Fix for Challenges in California Pot Market
LONG BEACH— California’s struggling marijuana market can expect to see a period of continued strain and turbulence for at least a couple of years, as it deals with sustained competition from illegal sales, industry layoffs and fallout from a national vaping crisis, the state’s top cannabis regulator said Friday. “It’s...
Don't Expect Fresno Cannabis Shops Anytime Soon
The Fresno City Council debated changes to its cannabis business ordinance at its Thursday meeting. First approved in December 2018, the main revisions would give the city council the authority to grant or deny licenses, and set standards for social equity and responsibility. Listen to this article: A vote...
Fresno Cannabis: Social Equity and When Stores Might Open
Proposed new guidelines and maps in advance of a Fresno City Council discussion show where cannabis businesses may locate, who may work there, and what the social equity component could look like. The council will discuss a new round of regulations at 11 a.m. Thursday at City Hall. Listen to...
California Schools May Allow Medical Cannabis on Campuses
SACRAMENTO — California schools will get to decide if parents can administer medical marijuana to their children on school campuses. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday he signed the legislation that reverses a current prohibition on cannabis within 1,000 feet of K-12 campuses. School districts will have the final say on...