This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to collect information about how you interact with our website and allow us to remember you.
We use this information in order to improve and customize your browsing experience and for analytics and metrics about our visitors both on this website and other media.
To find out more about the cookies we use, see our Privacy Policy.
California attorneys must complete a minimum of 25 credit hours of approved continuing legal education activities every 3 years including at least 4 hours of Ethics, 1 hour of Substance Abuse Prevention and 2 hours of Elimination of Bias. Additionally, at least one of the hours in Elimination of Bias must be an approved Implicit Bias program.
At least 12.5 of the credit hours must be in a "Participatory" format. The remaining hours can be in a self-study format.
**The State Bar of California is implementing changes to the MCLE course requirements effective October 1, 2023. Beginning with the compliance period ending March 29, 2025, licensees will be required to also complete and report compliance on the following new subfields:
Technology in the Practice of Law (one credit)
Civility in the Legal Profession (one credit)
Competence (Increased from one credit to two)
California attorneys may earn all 25 hours with the National Academy of Continuing Legal Education. Our Online and iOS/Android App platforms are automatically deemed participatory and our Audio CDs, DVDs, USB Stick, and MP3/MP4 downloaded courses may also be taken in participatory form as well.
California MCLE rules do not allow carryover. Credit for participating in a CLE activity may not be earned forward from one compliance period to another.
Members are required to comply online under “My State Bar Profile” www.calbar.ca.gov by attesting under penalty of perjury that the member has complied with the education requirement or is exempt and the nature of the exemption. Attorneys who are unable to comply online must contact the State Bar’s Member Services Center 888-800-3400.
State Bar of California
180 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1639
(t) 415-538-2100
(f) 415-538-2180 mcle.calbar.ca.gov
Marijuana and Synthetic Cannabinoids: Highlights of the Science for Attorneys
As marijuana sources expand to medical-use and legal recreational-use, attorneys encounter more cases involving these substances and their role in impairment.
Questions arise concerning the differences between marijuana metabolites; how drug testing results can be interpreted; how the various sources of marijuana (edibles, "joints", oils) differ in potency and effects on the body; what is the science behind the marijuana breath testing device; what are
synthetic cannabinoids and how do they compare with marijuana?
Our expert speaker, Allison A. Muller, will address these and other topics during the presentation, including:
1. The scientific name of the parent marijuana compound and 2 major metabolites
2.The differences between marijuana and synthetic cannabinoids
3. The similarity between marijuana and synthetic cannabinoids
4. The reason why determining impairment based on marijuana levels (or its metabolites) is challenging
