The Public Information Campaign State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith reports to the Los Angeles Times that the goal of this campaign – largely centered around the Department’s “Let’s Talk Cannabis” website – is to provide Californians with scientific evidence in order to ensure safe and informed decisions are made about marijuana use. For example: one major focus of the campaign is to highlight the fact that marijuana use is illegal for persons under twenty-one years of age. The campaign supplements this simple legal fact with the scientific reasons for its existence: namely, marijuana use in the late teens and early twenties can lead to physical changes in the brain, which are found less frequently in older users. The campaign also warns that edible cannabis products often have a higher concentration of THC than other forms of cannabis, which can make users more susceptible to poisoning. In fact, California legislators are so concerned about accidental poisoning from edible cannabis products that a bill has been introduced to prohibit sales of edible cannabis products in the shape of a person, animal, insect or fruit. This bill is aimed at preventing children from ingesting cannabis products which look like candy. This proposal comes after scientific evidence from the Journal of the American Medical Association found that cases of a child being accidentally poisoned by edible cannabis products in one Colorado healthcare facility increased more than five times between 2009 (before legalization) and 2015 (after legalization). While these cases were only reported from one hospital facility, the entire state saw a greater increase in unintentional exposure cases than the rest of the country. For these reasons, the Department recommends that users keep marijuana securely out of reach of children or pets. One slightly more controversial aspect of the campaign is its focus on the risks to pregnant women. The Department advises women not to use cannabis for nausea, or if they are even thinking about becoming pregnant. One activist told the Los Angeles Times that the statements of risks to pregnant women “somewhat overstated”. Women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant should research these risks and carefully review the findings with their obstetricians. Seek a second opinion as necessary. Of course, there are other risks to marijuana use as well, and users should not ignore them. Impaired driving is not only highly dangerous, but it can also lead to a costly – and time consuming – DUI charge. California, like other states, has not set a legal blood limit for marijuana at which impairment may be inferred. This is because – unlike alcohol – scientists have not yet been able to determine a set, definite blood level which applies broadly to humans. For marijuana users, this means that a DUI can be prosecuted at the discretion of an officer or district attorney, regardless of the results of a blood test. It is always better to err on the side of caution when deciding whether or not to drive. An experienced Orange County DUI-marijuana defense lawyer can help protect your rights throughout the process of any criminal charges. The Los Angeles Cannabis Law Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734. Additional Resources: California is trying to educate people about marijuana before recreational sales start, September 27, 2017 by Patrick McGreevey, the Los Angeles Times More Blog Entries: Increase in Accidental Marijuana Poisonings Lead California to Propose Bans on Edible Candies, September 25, 2017, by Cannabis Law Group

Federal Tax Moneys Wasted A 2012 case out of Humboldt County shows the shocking waste of resources that occur when law enforcement agents do not respect the boundaries between state and federal laws. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Drug Enforcement Agency raided a remote farm, and seized ample incriminating evidence. Among the take was firearms; $225,000 in cash; more than three hundred marijuana plants; and bars of gold and silver. Both defendants entered guilty pleas to federal charges of conspiracy to manufacture and sell marijuana. And yet, after the case had progressed for five years, a federal judge issued a ruling that put an end to the case just before the men were about to be sentenced to prison. A short amendment to an obscure Congressional budget bill prohibits the Department of Justice from using funds in any way that obstructs a state from implementing its own state laws pertaining to medical marijuana. U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg, sitting in San Francisco, relied upon this provision in order to stop the Humboldt case. It is unknown how much time and money the federal government spent investigating and prosecuting these defendants in the five years it took for their cases to be dismissed. And yet, as seemingly simple as this case may appear, there has been even more confusion about the application of the budget provision to other federal marijuana prosecutions. In one case, a federal judge ruled that a Fresno man had violated California’s medical marijuana law by selling marijuana for profit. The federal prosecution against him was therefore allowed to proceed. This is just one of the many legal technicalities which prevented the budget provision from being applied to any federal case prior to the Humboldt prosecution. These widely-disparate rulings only underscore the confusion that exists – even at the highest levels of the federal judiciary. Other arbitrary technicalities further complicate marijuana law enforcement in California. For example: with the passage of Proposition 64 (The Adult Use of Marijuana Act), recreational marijuana use is now permitted within California. It is, however, prohibited on federal lands within state borders. In another example, cannabis businesses operating lawfully pursuant to state law are prohibited from depositing funds in federal banking institutions. Under federal law, their business profits are considered illegal drug money. These are just two of the seemingly-endless conflicts between state and federal marijuana laws. Existing conflicts between state and federal law can make it difficult for defendants facing cannabis charges to be treated fairly by the criminal justice system. A marijuana defense lawyer will ensure that defendants’ important constitutional rights are protected. The Los Angeles Cannabis Law Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734. Additional Resources: The feds seized guns, gold and 320 pot plants. So why did a judge rule they can’t pursue marijuana charges? August 28, 2017 by Joel Rubin, The Los Angeles Times More Blog Entries: Marijuana Arrests Fall in 2015, Still Higher Than for Violent Crimes, October 29, 2016, by Cannabis Law Group