East Bay Express, 19 Jun 2013 – The Medical Cannabis Cup is coming to Richmond this weekend and will feature a concert, industry expo, a county fair-like weed competition, and a giant medication area. A concert by GZA, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah of the Wu-Tang Clan, plus the presence of a huge Ferris wheel are just two indications that the Bay Area’s premier cannabis event will reach new heights this weekend. Somewhere between 7,000 and 10,000 people are expected to attend the fourth annual High Times Medical Cannabis Cup San Francisco at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond on June 22 and 23, and organizers say that despite the ongoing federal crackdown, ticket sales are very strong and the event is bigger and better than ever.

East Bay Express, 05 Jun 2013 – Unfortunately, Cannabis Regulations Went Down in Defeat, but Thankfully, So Did a Bill That Would Have Made It Illegal to Drive Days or Weeks After Getting Stoned. California medical marijuana regulations failed in the state legislature last week, but advocacy groups helped advance a bill to better protect collectives, and helped defeat a bill that would have criminalized driving while sober.

East Bay Express, 22 May 2013 – New research suggests that the main ingredient in marijuana may help alleviate the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. It is believed that some 7.7 million Americans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Yet current treatments for the sometimes devastating anxiety disorder have limited efficacy. Now, a Yale University professor, who recently made a presentation of his research at a conference in Oakland, contends that there is strong evidence that the main ingredient in marijuana, THC, not only helps alleviate symptoms of PTSD, but also may ultimately help cure it.

East Bay Express, 08 May 2013 – The high court’s decision to uphold pot club bans could result in an extended period in which it will be impossible to buy medical cannabis in some cities but not in others – unless the legislature intervenes. The California Supreme Court upheld on Monday the right of cities and counties to ban medical cannabis dispensaries in a unanimous decision that promises to have major ramifications in the state. The ruling means that cities like Walnut Creek and counties like Riverside can continue to ban medical cannabis dispensaries in their areas – even though medical cannabis remains legal statewide. It also lets cities like Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco to continue to allow regulated medical marijuana collectives operating in storefronts – i.e., dispensaries.

East Bay Express, 07 Feb 2013 – LEAP Speaker and Former Beat Cop Nate Bradley Works to Convince Police Officers to Support the Legalization Movement. Former prosecutors and cops led the effort to legalize marijuana in Washington last fall. And some current law enforcement officials are now openly endorsing pot legalization in the Midwest. In fact, no matter where you look, it’s fair to say that cops across the country are talking a lot about pot these days and questioning whether it should remain illegal, said retired California police officer and marijuana activist Nate Bradley, who specializes in changing cops’ minds about ending the weed war.

East Bay Express, 23 Jan 2013 – The movers and shakers of the cannabis legalization movement are gathering in San Francisco to plot a plan for the future. About three hundred activists – the people who likely will operate and staff the next legalization effort in California in 2016 – will gather with their allies at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center this weekend for a pivotal meeting on the future of freeing the herb. "Cannabis in California: Ending the 100-Year War," sponsored by the California chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, will pack eleven strategy sessions over two days with the rock stars of the reform community, including Colorado Amendment 64 campaign co-director Mason Tvert; Washington Initiative 502 director Alison Holcomb; the leaders of Marijuana Policy Project, Drug Policy Alliance, and NORML – as well as major dispensary operators, union organizers, and pioneers in the movement.

The Chico News & Review, 17 Jan 2013 – in November Colorado and Washington Became the First States to Legalize Marijuana. Is California Next? When news broke on election night that Colorado was the first state to legalize marijuana, patrons at the trendy Casselman’s Bar & Venue in Denver erupted in cheers, then hugged each other and cried. Organizers and friends of the state’s Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol thanked everyone-elderly black women, young hipsters, business execs-and there were far more people in suits than in tie-dye that night. And nary a hint of ganja smoke inside the hip establishment.

Sacramento News & Review, 03 Jan 2013 – Colorado and Washington residents pushed marijuana out of the closet in 2012. Will California be the next state to legalize marijuana? When news broke on election night that Colorado was the first state to legalize marijuana, patrons at the trendy Casselman’s Bar & Venue in Denver erupted in cheers, then hugged each other and cried. Organizers and friends of the state’s Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol thanked everyone-elderly black ladies, young hipsters, business execs-and there were far more people in suits than in tie-dye that night. And nary a hint of ganja smoke inside the hip establishment.

East Bay Express, 03 Oct 2012 – Newly Released Police Records Prove That the Medical Pot Institutions Are Not Menaces to Society. Newly released records from the Oakland Police Department provide conclusive evidence that the world’s largest medical pot dispensary, Harborside Health Center, and the famed cannabis college, Oaksterdam University, do not attract crime – thereby refuting allegations that such places are menaces to society. According to records of OPD calls, incidents, and arrests, Harborside, which sees 700 to 1,000 patients a day, was the site of just one arrest in almost four years – – and that involved a non-patient who tried to get into the club.

Sacramento News & Review, 30 Aug 2012 – A Refresher on How Cannabis Can Remedy Symptoms SN&R’s covered this story before, but it’s worth repeating: Different tokes for different folks. Here’s a look at what cannabis can accomplish. Pain: Patients commonly report that pot doesn’t actually eliminate pain, rather, weed dethrones it. As Americans for Safe Access San Francisco patient advocate David Goldman pointed out, the pain is still there, but it’s not as insistent or overwhelming. "The person is no longer obsessed with it," Goldman explained. "Part of the misery of pain and suffering is the obsessing about it. You can’t think about anything else besides how much misery and pain you’re in. Cannabis can distract you."