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  A Founder Looks at 50: Attorney Gerry Goldstein and the Early Years of NORML

  by Keith Stroup, NORML Legal Counsel
  

  Few people contributed more to NORML and our efforts to assist the victims of marijuana prohibition during our early years than Gerry Goldstein.

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  New York NORML Chapters: In Memory of George Floyd

  by Justin Strekal, NORML Political Director
  

  On the anniversary of the loss of our former colleague, activist and friend, Doug Greene - NYC NORML, Empire State NORML, Long Island NORML, & Roc NORML feels it is important to address the recent events and Developments following the death of George Floyd. 

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  DEA Assisting “to the Maximum Extent Possible” in the Federal Law Enforcement Response to Nationwide Protests — NORML Responds

  by Justin Strekal, NORML Political Director
  

  As first reported by Buzzfeed News, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is expanding its law enforcement powers so that it can better assist “to the maximum extent possible in the federal law enforcement response” to the wave of ongoing, nationwide protests that have followed the killing of George Floyd by a member of the Minneapolis police.

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  Marijuana Legalization and the Fight for Racial Justice

  by Erik Altieri, NORML Executive Director
  

  As the events of the past few days have unfolded, it is clear that America is in the midst of a long overdue reckoning with itself. Since 1619, when the first ships arrived on the coast of Virginia with enslaved Africans in chains, our country has long had to struggle to address the inequality and structural racism embedded within our public institutions -- particularly within the criminal justice system.

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  Louisiana: Bills Facilitating Expanded Cannabis Access Sent to Governor’s Desk

  by NORML
  

  "Just as doctors are entrusted to make decisions with regard to the supervised use of opioids and other medicines – many of which pose far greater risks to patients than cannabis – the law should provide doctors with similar flexibility when it comes to recommending cannabis therapy to a bona fide patient.”

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  Virginia: Marijuana Arrests Decline Year-Over-Year

  by NORML
  

  “It is a positive sign that after years of heightened enforcement, we’re now seeing a downward trend in marijuana-related arrests in Virginia. Following the enactment of decriminalization on July 1, we expect to see an even more drastic reduction in these arrests -- arrests that, historically, have disproportionately impacted the poor, the young, and people of color."

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  A Founder Looks at 50: Tom Forcade, Michael J. Kennedy and High Times Magazine

  by Keith Stroup, NORML Legal Counsel
  

  High Times founder Tom Forcade and Legal Counsel Michael J. Kennedy assured the magazine remained a major NORML financial supporter, until it was recently sold to corporate greedheads!

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  Scientific Review Concludes That Cannabis Consumers Are at No Greater Risk of Occupational Injuries

  by NORML
  

  “Suspicionless marijuana testing never has been an evidence-based policy. Rather, these discriminatory practices are a holdover from the zeitgeist of the 1980s ‘war on drugs.’ But times have changed; attitudes have changed, and in many places, the marijuana laws have changed. It is time for workplace policies to adapt to this new reality.”