The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) was founded in 1970 by Keith Stroup. Stroup was working with Ralph Nader when the politician was focused on guaranteeing consumer protection. In this work, Stroup realized that he wasn’t protected by the government as a cannabis consumer — there was no entity ensuring cannabis was safe for consumption. He tracked this lack of oversight back to prohibition and in response, he founded the Marijuana Consumers Lobby, a grassroots organization that evolved into NORML. The national NORML branch is now led by Executive Director Erik Altieri, who spoke with us about how he got involved with cannabis policy, the structure of the organization, and what he’s looking forward to in cannabis policy this year.
Erik stepped into activism after moving to Washington D.C. to attend American University. He enjoyed cannabis socially and in his free time went to anti-Iraq war rallies. In the early 00s, he heard about a NORML rally in Philadelphia from an old friend and was interested in their goal of ending cannabis prohibition. As a young activist, Altieri opposed the unjust war on drugs, which has targeted primarily Black and Brown communities, so he reached out to NORML. The organization’s HQ was in DC and soon after that contact, he started an internship. Fifteen years later, Erik had served as a full-time staffer in communications and federal lobbying before stepping up to Executive Director. In this role, he continues his work on the Hill to end the unjust persecution of cannabis consumers through advocacy.
“We focus heavily on the core goal that we want to end prohibition so no marijuana consumer is treated as a criminal or a second class citizen in society,” Erik told Ganjapreneur. “They want access to a product that is safe, reliable, and convenient to purchase. And they want to see not only prohibition end, but us grapple with rectifying the negative impacts that prohibition has had on society, and also making sure that it’s not just once you legalize, it’s over. Still in legal states now, we have to deal with issues of employment and child protective services and things like that. That’s where we go as legalization spreads to more states and that I think makes NORML unique and NORML valuable.”
There are over 150 local chapters underneath the national branch. Headquarters educates chapter leaders about how to advocate for their own communities even if they don’t have experience in lobbying or policy work. They spend a lot of time with these volunteers to equip them with the science, studies, and polling data that is essential when advocating at a local level. The national branch hosts a weekly call with all chapters covering topics like how to organize a lobby day, run a non-profit, host fundraisers, and inspire people to get involved. “It was always primarily focused at advocating for a consumer and doing it through a grassroots movement that empowers everyday Americans to engage in the political process,” said Erik.
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- By: Cara Wietstock
- 2/07/2022
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- Ganjapreneur
Source : Ganjapreneur
Link to original : NORML: Influencing Federal Reforms Through Local Advocacy
