4/20 Pot Day 2010 and NORML

Special 4/20 message from NORML's Executive Director Allen St. Pierre


Dear NORML supporters and fellow lovers of liberty,

Happy 4/20!

While the ravages and costs of cannabis prohibition are largely defined by one's geography—these days America is a hodge-podge of varying cannabis penalties, ranging from West Hollywood California where a medical cannabis patient can access the herb 24/7 from a vending machine; in Indiana, if caught with just a little cannabis on one's person, they're getting arrested, prosecuted and likely going to jail—this '4/20' celebration in 2010, as is NORML tradition, is a combination of both the serious and silly!

There will be dozens of major 4/20 'protestivals' today from New York City to Seattle, to the expected largest one in the nation I'm speaking at in Denver Colorado. Major newspaper articles and stories on TV will abound by day's end. In fact whole television networks such as G4, Comedy Central, Spike and Current TV will devote some or all of their programming today to celebrating cannabis and, implicitly, the herb's reform.

Also today, NORML launches a new advertisement for 4/20 on Times Square's largest electronic billboard calling out New York City politicians and law enforcement for having one of the highest—and most racially disparate—cannabis arrest rates in the United States. The advertisement will run 18 times a day until late May, and will be seen by an expected 1.5 million Times Square visitors.

These protestivals and public celebrations of cannabis culture in North America is a greatly anticipated and celebratory annual event at NORML since the mid 1990s, but the serious political message of this wonderfully creative day (beyond the obvious one of 're-legalize cannabis now!') for this specific year is to direct as much NORML membership and public attention as possible to donate and support the voter initiative on the ballot in California this very November that will effectively legalize cannabis for adult use, cultivation and sales.

Going into our 40th year, NORML's staff and board of directors have made the passage of California's voter initiative to legalize cannabis the number #1 political priority for the organization.

To this end, the thousands of donations and $4.20 memberships received today by the NORML Foundation (or NORML) will be donated to TaxCannabis2010, the organization behind California's legalization ballot.

I'm personally donating $420 in support of this very important political initiative in California—the state where 1 out of 8 Americans live, the 7th largest economy in the world if it were a country and with by far the largest delegation in the US Congress—in memory of my friend, the recently passed author-activist Jack Herer, the 'Emperor of Hemp'.

TaxCannabis2010 has a goal of raising $42,000 by the end of today, with committed support from stakeholders from NORML like you and I, we can reach this unique dollar amount.

Become a member and send a special 4/20 animated e-card to a friend, family member or sweetie.

Thanks for all of your enduring support for NORML, cannabis law reform and for this important 4/20, TaxCannabis2010!

Please have a safe and hempful 4/20!

Cannabem liberemus,

Allen St. Pierre

Executive Director

Member, Board of Directors

NORML / NORML Foundation

Washington, DC

director@norml.org

Criminal Marijuana Prohibition Is A Failure

By any objective standard, marijuana prohibition is an abject failure.

 

Nationwide, U.S. law enforcement have arrested over 20 million American citizens for marijuana offenses since 1965, yet today marijuana is more prevalent than ever before, adolescents have easier access to marijuana than ever before, the drug is on average more potent than ever before, and there is more violence associated with the illegal marijuana trade than ever before.

Over 100 million Americans nationally have used marijuana despite prohibition, and one in ten – according to current government survey data – use it regularly. The criminal prohibition of marijuana has not dissuaded anyone from using marijuana or reduced its availability; however, the strict enforcement of this policy has adversely impacted the lives and careers of millions of people who simply elected to use a substance to relax that is objectively safer than alcohol.

 

NORML believes that the time has come to amend criminal prohibition and replace it with a system of legalization, taxation, regulation, and education.  http://www.norml.org/

 

The Case For Legalization/Regulation

 

Regulation = Controls

• Controls regarding who can legally produce marijuana  
• Controls regarding who can legally distribute marijuana 
• Controls regarding who can legally consume marijuana 
• Controls regarding where adults can legally use marijuana and under what circumstances is such use legally permitted 

Prohibition = the absence of controls – This absence of control jeopardizes rather than promotes public safety

 

Prohibition abdicates the control of marijuana production and distribution to criminal entrepreneurs, such as drug cartels, street gangs, drug dealers who push additional illegal substances

 

Prohibition provides young people with easier access to marijuana than alcohol (CASA, 2009)

 

Prohibition promotes the use of marijuana in inappropriate settings, such as in automobiles, in public parks, or in public restrooms.

 

Prohibition promotes disrespect for the law, and reinforces ethnic and generation divides between the public and law enforcement. (For example, according to a recent NORML report, an estimated 75 percent of all marijuana arrestees are under age 30; further, African Americans account for only 12 percent of marijuana users but comprise 23 percent of all possession arrests)

Go to the http://www.norml.org/ site to find out more.