Assembly Bill 684
An act to enact statewide regulations on the cultivation of industrial hemp as an agricultural commodity, has been introduced in the state legislature by Assemblymen Mark Leno (S.F.) and Chuck DeVore (Irvine).
If approved, this measure will allow state-licensed farmers to cultivate hemp as an economic product. (Read the full text of the bill HERE!)
According to a 2005 Congressional Resource Service (CRS) report, the United States is the only developed nation that fails to cultivate industrial hemp as an economic crop. Hemp is a distinct variety of the plant species cannabis sativa that contains only minute (less than 1%) amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Farmers worldwide grow hemp commercially for fiber, seed, and oil for use in a variety of industrial and consumer products, including food and clothing.
Gov. Terminates Hemp Bill
SACRAMENTO, Sep. 30th, 2006. A bill to legalize cultivation of industrial hemp was vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger. The bill, AB 1147 by Assemblyman Mark Leno (D � SF), would have authorized farmers to grow hemp on condition they submit it to a licensed lab for potency testing. In his veto message, the Governor objected that the bill would give legitimate growers a "false sense of security" that hemp was legal under federal law. The hemp industry, aware of this problem, had planned to initiate a lawsuit against the federal government in the event the bill passed. The Governor also objected that law enforcement had expressed concerns that AB 1147 could drain resources and impede eradication efforts. Advocates had been hopeful that the Governor would sign the bill, given that it was co-sponsored by a Republican, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (Irvine). "This is a case of politics sadly trumping science," said Leno, "There was no downside to taking this step forward."
Legislture Rejects Changes in Pot Penalties
SACRAMENTO, Aug 30, 2006 - The California Assembly killed a bill that would have raised the fine for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana from $100 to $250 while downgrading its status from a misdemeanor to an infraction. The bill, SB 797 by Sen. Gloria Romero, failed 31-40. Ironically, although California NORML and other drug reform groups opposed SB 797 on account of the increased fine, the bill was perceived as a decriminalization measure by the legislature. NORML had supported an earlier version of the bill, introduced in 2001 by Sen. Bruce McPherson and Judge Quentin Kopp, which would have simply downgraded possession to an infraction. This would have spared minor pot offenders the necessity of a court appearance and the stain of a criminal record. That bill and a successor by Sen. Sher in 2004 were defeated in the Assembly due to opposition from law enforcement and legislators afraid of appearing soft on crime. In order to attract support from law enforcement, this year�s bill was modified to increase the fine from $100 to $250. This caused drug reformers to turn against it. Nonetheless, the bill continued to enjoy support from reform-leaning legislators. In the end, the 31 votes for the bill came from the the pro-reform wing of the Assembly - all Democrats - while the 40 nays came from opponents. "Defeating SB 797 was like winning the game when your opponent mistakenly scores the ball in your own goal," says California NORML coordinator Dale Gieringer, "Unfortunately, the struggle over this bill shows how difficult it is to overcome Sacramento�s resistance to softening pot penalties." This is not the first time when drug reformers have been at odds with their friends in the legislature on marijuana legislation. Most activists opposed Sen. Vasconcellos� medical marijuana bill SB 420 after it was modified to include the six-plant limit. Still, the bill was viewed as a pro-reform measure in the legislature and was opposed only by enemies of Prop. 215. California NORML plans to lobby for stronger reformmeasures, such as decriminalization of personal cultivation, in upcoming sessions of the legislature.