September 30, 2018
Everyday NORML Chapters from around the country invest countless hours in advocating for meaningful marijuana law reforms on the local, state and federal level! Below is a brief rundown of some of their most recent accomplishments.
NORML Chapters Focus on Voter Registration and Education for Midterm Elections
“To help educate our members and supporters about candidates who are supportive of marijuana law reform efforts, NORML is working with “Smoke the Vote” to create state-level and congressional scorecards, similar to our Governor Scorecard, that outlines each candidate’s marijuana policy positions. Furthermore, several NORML chapters, like Arizona NORML and Texas NORML, have created their own regional voter guides for the 2018 midterm elections!”
Read more from NORML.org!
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Members of Arizona NORML Rate Lawmakers Before Midterm Elections
“Earlier in August, Mikel Weisser, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws of Arizona, published a lengthy report card on the many candidates vying for a public office in 2018. Now that the votes are being counted and most of the races have clear winners, Weisser said he likes what he sees.”
Read more from the Phoenix New Times!
Follow Arizona NORML on Instagram and Twitter and become a member today!
Members of El Paso NORML Focus on Education in Advance of Midterm Elections
“Right now, we’re working with local politicians and our state representatives, and also our state senator José Rodríguez, to advance during our legislative sessions,” DeMorris said. “Other than working with our representatives we’re out, educating the public. We have monthly meetings trying to reach out to the public, trying to educate them about policy reform here in Texas, how it works and stuff like that.”
Read more from The Prospector!
Follow El Paso NORML on Facebook and Twitter and become a member today!
Members of Lancaster NORML Advocate for Marijuana Decriminalization Ordinance
“Rubi Nicholas, executive director of Lancaster chapter of the pro-legalization group NORML, said City Council did the right thing in passing the ordinance, though she said the “ultimate” right thing would be legalization.”
Read more from Lancaster Online!
Follow Lancaster NORML on Facebook and Twitter and become a member today!
Members of Mass/Cann NORML Host Committee Meeting to Discuss Medical Marijuana
“The Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition/National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (Mass Cann/NORML) held a committee meeting on the fifteenth floor in the One Beacon Street building. Open to the public, the meeting had around 25 people in attendance.”
Read more from UMass Media!
Follow Mass/Cann NORML on Facebook and Twitter and become a member today!
NORML Chapters in Pennsylvania Rally in Support of Marijuana Law Reforms
“Marijuana activists in Pennsylvania are poised to introduce an aggressive agenda for reform in 2019 when they fill the Capitol Rotunda at 10am on Monday, September 24,” said Jeff Riedy, Executive Director of Lehigh Valley NORML. “With cannabis arrest counts rising across the state and neighboring states threatening legalization, the time is right for this discussion in Pennsylvania.”
Read more from NORML.org!
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Southeastern Wisconsin NORML Releases Candidate Questionnaire
“The Southeastern Wisconsin chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, released results this week of a legislative candidate questionnaire which shows more than 50 candidates for the Legislature support either medical or recreational marijuana legalization or both.”
Read more from Urban Milwaukee!
Follow Southeastern Wisconsin NORML on Facebook and Twitter and become a member today!
Members of Virginia NORML Team up with Local Brewery for Legalize Virginia Festival
“The polls overwhelmingly indicate that the citizens of Virginia are ready for faster progress,” said Jenn Michelle Pedini, executive director of Virginia NORML. “We are grateful to the O’Connor family for providing this megaphone for reform. In states across the nation, we are seeing business owners like them step up and lend their voices to help lead the way.”
Read more from AltDaily!
Follow Virginia NORML on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and become a member today!
Ashley Weber, Executive Director, Colorado NORML
“Access for medical patients will become more of a problem because medical patients need a higher quality.”
Read more from Michigan Public Radio!
Follow Colorado NORML on Facebook and Twitter and become a member today!
Bailey Hirschburg, Lobbyist, Washington NORML
“With homegrow, we were regularly told, “Why should we vote for it if the other chamber won’t take action?” Hence two bills both trying to move simultaneously.”
Read more from Weed News!
Follow Washington NORML on Facebook and Twitter and become a member today!
Bill Downing, Board Member, Mass/Cann NORML
“Some of the wealthiest people in the entire world live on Beacon Hill and they treat the Boston Common as though it were their backyard,” Downing said. “The people who decided to buy or rent near the Common should know that the Common is going to have events on it. For them to complain is just ridiculous.”
Read more from the Boston Herald!
Follow Mass/Cann NORML on Facebook and Twitter and become a member today!
Dale Geringer, Executive Director, California NORML
“Illegal water diversions to marijuana gardens have been an issue in the past,” Gieringer said. “It will be an interesting experiment to see what actually happens. I have friends in the growing community who said there will be a huge outdoor marijuana drought this year, but that was when the state was bleached white before the last round of rain.”
Read more from Fort Bragg Advocate-News!
Follow California NORML on Facebook and Twitter and become a member today!
Doug Greene, Legislative Director, Empire State NORML
“Doug Greene, legislative director of the Empire State National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), suggested sealing records of those who have been convicted.”
Read more from AMNewYork!
Follow Empire State NORML on Facebook and Twitter and become a member today!
Eric Marsch, Executive Director, Southeastern Wisconsin NORML
“Eric Marsch, executive director of Southeastern Wisconsin NORML, said the expected public approval of the November referendums should convince legislators there is no need to wait on approving the legalization of marijuana, along with taxing its sales and regulating its production and distribution.”
Read more from the Journal Sentinel!
Follow Southeastern Wisconsin NORML on Facebook and Twitter and become a member today!
Frank Latta, Executive Director, Wyoming NORML
“Latta served several years on the Gillette council and was mayor of Gillette for eight years. He served four years in the Wyoming legislature. Now, he’s director of the Wyoming chapter of NORML. He said he resents the implication that a support for a change in law makes you a pothead. For him, it’s about what’s the best policy for the citizens of Wyoming.”
Read more from County 17!
Follow Wyoming NORML on Facebook and become a member today!
Jenn Michelle Pedini, Executive Director, Virginia NORML
“It is in the best interests of patients, of consumers, for there to be transparency throughout this process,” Pedini said. “Patients deserve to know who is making their medicine, if that company has been operational in other states, if they have been compliant, if they have had to stop production or have been cited for other issues.”
Read more from the Richmond Times-Dispatch!
Follow Virginia NORML on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and become a member today!
Jenn Michelle Pedini, Executive Director, Virginia NORML
“The marijuana midterms, so they’re called, are coming up this November, and it’s time for voters to be heard and to put folks in office who want to take action once they’re there,”
Read more from Virginia Public Radio!
Follow Virginia NORML on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and become a member today!
Matthew Abel, Executive Director, Michigan NORML
“I understand the concerns about dangerous occupations, but short of that, I think employers should take a more tolerant view,” he said. “It’s shortsighted to eliminate those people because you’re eliminating a lot of creative, motivated people from your candidate pool.”
Read more from the Detroit Free Press!
Follow Michigan NORML on Facebook and Twitter and become a member today!
Michael Chazukow, Board Member, New Jersey NORML
“Michael Chazukow, a member of the New Jersey division of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said bans on cultivation centers and retail businesses will not keep marijuana out of communities but will prohibit the traffic, jobs and revenue they generate.”
Read more from NorthJersey.com!
Follow New Jersey NORML on Facebook and Twitter and become a member today!
Patrick Nightengale, Executive Director, Pittsburgh NORML
“Right here in the City of Pittsburgh, people of color are five times as likely to be charged with a minor possession offense than their white counterparts despite similar rates of usage. This is absolutely ridiculous.”
Read more from CBS Pittsburgh!
Follow Pittsburgh NORML on Facebook and Twitter and become a member today!
Patrick Nightengale, Executive Director, Pittsburgh NORML
“A new industry here in PA that could easily generate recurring revenue of $600 million annually without having to add one single penny of new tax revenue.”
Watch the video from WPXI.com!
Follow Pittsburgh NORML on Facebook and Twitter and become a member today!
Tom McCain, Executive Director, Peachtree NORML
“I’m glad to see the Kingsland City Council unanimously approve this ordinance. They join Clarkston, Atlanta, Savannah, Forest Park, South Fulton and Fulton County in enacting sensible marijuana ordinances here in Georgia,”
Read more from NORML.org!
Follow Peachtree NORML on Facebook and Twitter and become a member today!
For more than 45 years NORML chapters have been the driving force behind policy decisions on the local and state level. Have you connected with your local NORML chapter? If there isn’t one in your community, please email NORML Outreach Director Kevin Mahmalji at KevinM@NORML.org for help with starting your own!
Ready to start a NORML chapter in your hometown? Click here to find out how!
