POLITICIANS

Policy-makers and advocates

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AIDS and medical marijuana physician, got approval and executed the first modern clinical study showing that cannabis is a safe and effective medication. Advocate of integrative medical treatments, he authored numerous scholarly works over the span of decades.

Brown, Assy. Willie

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Mendo sheriff who stood up for medical marijuana and reduced marijuana arrests in the county

Allman, Sheriff Tom

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Comedian who was elected San Francisco Supervisor and State Assembly member. Champion of gay rights and cannabis reform.

Ammiano, Assy. Tom

  • marijuana as state Attorney General and, in his return as governor signed MMRSA (2015) that taxed medical marijuana and ended cannabis collectives, then rewrote swathes of Prop 64 into SB 94 (2017), which opened the gates to large operations instead of protecting small producers for the first five years, as voters had approved.

Brown, Gov. Jerry

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Defense attorney later elected Mendocino DA. Brought down cannabis arrests and prosecutions, offered reasonable plea bargains but also known for his vendettas against anyone who decided to fight in court.

Eyster, DA David

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Co-founder of Civil Liberties Monitoring Project, which tracked law enforcement raids in Northern California in the 1980s-90s.

Gallegos, DA Paul

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Boxer turned defense attorney turned DA, he was the only DA in the state to support Prop 215, signed the ballot argument and reduced marijuana arrests in San Francisco, despite police opposition.

Hallinan, DA Terrence

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Mendocino environmentalist and civil rights attorney, elected to US Congress, introduced numerous bills to legalize cannabis amid the Drug War.

Hamburg, Rep. Dan

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  • against patients, reduced arrests before leaving office. Enforced state laws against collectives as CA Attorney General; a Democrat, she was the first Black / Asian American woman VP and candidate for US President and first to include marijuana legalization in her campaign platform.

Harris, VP Kamala

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Oakland’s Congressional Rep, she was a champion of medical marijuana and endorsed state legalization efforts.

Lee, Rep. Barbara

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SF Supervisor, co-sponsored SB 420 collective bill in state Assembly (2003) and introduced hemp and other cannabis reforms as state Senator.

Leno, Sen. Mark

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Introduced medical marijuana bills and resolutions in early 1990s before Prop 215 legalized medical use statewide.

Mello, Sen. John

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Introduced the Moscone Decriminalization Act (1975), was elected Mayor of San Francisco and famously assassinated along with Harvey Milk.


Moscone, Sen. George

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Sonoma County DA who fought hard against Prop 215 and prosecuted numerous cases before joining forces with SAMM patients to adopt SAN guidelines allowing 3 pounds / 100 square feet garden per patient.

Mullins, DA Michael

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As SF mayor, first government official to allow gay marriage, he was a critic of the drug war, supported medical use and endorsed and campaigned for Prop 64 cannabis legalization (2016).

Newsom, Gov Gavin

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Republican Congressional Rep from Orange County, he sponsored the first federal medical use exemption for patients qualified under state law, passed and signed by Obama in 2014.

Rohrbacher, Rep. Dana

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Legalization advocate who was the driving force behind SB 420 (2003) that allowed patient collectives and set a state prosecution guideline of up to 8 ounces of bud and 6 mature / 12 immature plants per patient that became the standard allowance at dispensaries.

Vasconcellos, Sen. John

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Campaign director for Prop 215 (1996) the first successful medical marijuana legalization effort in the USA.

Zimmerman, Bill