Election Day dealt another body blow to our nation’s costly, failed, and discriminatory policy of marijuana prohibition. If anyone thought our victories in 2012 and 2014 were a passing fad, it is now clear that they were mistaken. With adult use measures being approved in four states (CA, MA, ME, NV) and medical marijuana initiatives passing in another four (AR, FL, MT, ND), the era of marijuana legalization is upon us. By standing together and fighting for our shared beliefs, we spread the seeds of the cannabis revolution far and wide.
But now is not the time to become complacent. As we celebrate our recent successes, we must remind ourselves that legalization is not inevitable. It is dependent upon maintaining the fight. Our opponents are not going away. They remain well funded and ready for battle. So should we.
DONATE TODAY TO CONTINUE THE REVOLUTION
From day one, NORML’s mission has been to shape public and political opinion so that the responsible use of cannabis by adults is no longer criminalized and stigmatized. NORML does so by standing up for the rights of the responsible cannabis consumer, and by presenting credible, evidence-based information about marijuana and marijuana policy reform to the general public, the mainstream media, pundits, and policymakers. And I firmly believe that nobody does it better.
That is why I’m honored to be named NORML’s new Executive Director.
I’m no stranger to this cause or to NORML itself. From 2007 to 2015 I served as NORML’s Communications Director, PAC Manager, and chief lobbyist. Following a brief sabbatical, during which I fought to decrease the influence of big money in our political system, I am honored and excited to return to lead NORML during one of the most exciting and critical times in the group’s forty year history.
I urge you to stand with me, NORML’s staff, and with our nationwide network of chapters. We must capitalize on our newly minted successes and seize upon our growing public support. No one person or organization can win this fight alone. We must come together as advocates in a unified force so that we can make our desired policy reforms a reality.
Even with these victories, most Americans are still living under the specter of marijuana prohibition. Obviously, there is much more work that needs to be done. We need your help to finish the job.
NORML only exists and succeeds because of the support of passionate and dedicated individuals like you. With you standing shoulder to shoulder with us, we will continue to take our fight to city councils, state legislatures, and to Congress. Together, we are unstoppable. Together, we WILL legalize marijuana nationwide.
The revolution continues,
Erik Altieri
NORML Executive Director
E, your Mom just emailed me that you a back at NORML, Congrats and give me a shout (JA has my #)
Thanks,
kjm
Yes, congratulations Erik, I know you worked hard under Allen for years, and drawing from the revenue streams he added and the federal challenges were about to face against state legalization, campaign finance and consumer protections I cant think of anyone better for the job to lead the way.
As Im driving through Deleware from DC to NY I cant help but feel our movement can still grow under the radar. And when Trump’s AG goes after legalization? Screw it, just let Trump slap his name on it like hes already doing to Obamacare. “Trump Legalized” …as long as he sees people love him for it he’ll ignore his own advisors… or perhaps even the courts or Congress… or himself… (sigh… were doomed…)
So happy for all the states that voted to end prohibition. Not sure what happened in AZ. I thought sure they would have passed theirs but they didn’t. They are a very red Republican state so I guess it shouldn’t be too surprising. Anyway way to go to all the other states that voted for freedom.
Cassie the reason why the AZ one did not pass was due to the language of the bill of drivers under the influence and that sort of stuff. Much like Ohio the voters rejected it due to how some thought it would create a monopoly and it did not have enough protections for the consumer.
I believe though because AZ it was close vote wise( 929,518 to 1,011,836) it does not mean anyone should give up here. A lot of people i talked to are slowly coming around to the idea of legalization. Maybe one day we can have our legislature legalize it for us thanks to California leading the way.
It’s unfortunate about the bad wording. Best news is east coast legalization and quality medical marijuana in the SOUTH!! That geographic diversity plus California will truly advance our cause. I hope the moderator allows my posts this time.
The states that did not legalize. Lets help them out. Please donate shoes and large copper vats and copper tubing.
You will never have marijuana legal in all the states until each state allows a form of direct democracy, such as ballot initiative. Therefore, if you want to help states legalize marijuana and truly end marijuana Prohibition in the next 10 years we have to discover a way 2 put pressure on state legislatures to provide for ballot initiatives. That is the only way I think you can end marijuana Prohibition in each state. Unfortunately, I don’t think this is something that this NORML organization has the capacity to help with. But I’m sure there are others out there that can.
This is a historic step towards Americans getting to experience the freedom that has been so wrongly taken from us. I hope with all my heart that the rest of the states follow suit ASAP; especially Virginia which is where I am stuck for now.
It sure would be nice if Maryland would get on board. Of course I’m still waiting for our medical cannabis to get “up & running. Hey, it’s only been, what, three years, and counting, to open “a dispensary.”
I live in Nevada and was looking to begin personal cultivation on Jan 1, but I’m curious about one of the details of the new reform. I realize I’ll need to be outside a 25 mile radius of a dispensary. Currently I fall outside that limit within my state, but there is a dispensary within 25 miles on the other side of the California border. I’m not 100% sure how this could affect me, especially if it still can’t be transported over state lines. Would you know where I could find the answer to this question?
[Paul Armentano responds: The state-imposed halo rule applies to those facilities operating in your state, not neighboring states.]
Makes sense since according to the federal guidelines for legal use its not supposed to cross or be diverted I to other states
Thank you for addressing that, Paul.
Again – EXCELLENT WORK, Team NORML!
WOOOHOOOO
I hope Trump doesn’t send in the DEA and undo ALL of this. I would have preferred Bernie Sanders but stupid millenials have WASTED their vote on Gary Johnson or didn’t vote and black people just couldn’t get out of the house cause Clinton wasn’t black. How annoying. It happens once every two years. Not that hard.
I agree with everything you said.
We’ve had plenty of libertarians and republicans on this site tell us that Donald will be better than Hillary on legalization–I guess we’ll see. I hope as hell they’re right.
This is a time when we should be celebrating–having doubled the number of recreationally legal states, and adding on to the states with MMJ. But somehow I’m afraid of this “thing” we’ve allowed into the Oval Office.
How will the dictator wannabe act on the marijuana issue? If he makes Cristie, possibly the most corrupt politician in America, his attorney general, I guess we’ll find out pretty quickly.
Don’t blame others for HRC’s loss. Votes are earned. The Democrat Party needs to be held accountable.
The Dems never fought hard enough for us. They pandered to other groups while denigrating us.
Trump’s all for medical mj so on with taking cannabis out of scheduling.
It appears to me that you are already in possession of a very good supply because your talking wack stuff…what does the legalization of Marijuana have to do with a person’s ethic identity and/or voting ???
May I suggest you stay away from all drugs because you already sound ignorant enuff~go take a seat in s corner somewhere and shut up!!!
Were all “sick and tired” but we cant expect black people to rescue us every time a fascist runs for office without being burdened by voter fatigue or blame all the millinials because too many think “facebook live” is news.
Trump won, apparently even to his own suprise because after all, he was only running to wash his tax debt; He didnt actually believe there would be that many people foolish enough to VOTE for him, evident by his nervous and uncharacteristically subdued visit with Obama to the oval office.
But he won because white working class citizens from the rustbelt and throughout rural America took the racist bait of blaming Mexicans for everything from taking manufacturing jobs to “bringing taco trucks on every corner” because “we have very dominant culture.” (Still dont know how that last one is a bad thing…) Forget about research using that broadband internet access we all pay for… THATS for researching where to get the best taco, not the best president. We lost to people who think news is some racist right wing poison they hear off of AM radio. We lost our Democracy because vulnerable, disenfranchised blue collar workers truly believe that if we follow the rich, racist bully, somehow they will reap the spoils of mass deportations and finally belong to the “rich boys’ club.”
I warned everyone I knew tirelessly from the begining of Trump’s campaign when he said the words “Mexicans are bringing their rapists” that he was playing right out of the book of the racist drug war beurocrat Harry Anslinger that started marijuana prohibition in the first place. But all I got was “who is Barry Anne Slinger?” Followed by “Mexicans took my manufacturing job and still get medicaid. You wanna taco?”
I felt like I was talking to racist parrots that couldnt realize they werent even eating crackers anymore! And some of them were my own brothers!
So now another fake “leader” is going to appoint every prohibitionist quack that woke up from a coma since the Reefer Madness era because a bunch of no-researching white people cant figure out tax evasion and automation took their jobs, not underpaid Mexican labor. Mexicans havn’t even been immigrating more than theyve been leaving this country since a Bush administration and a runaway Wall Street caused the last recession. Remember? Or did cable “news” suck everyone’s brains out?
Now, when California finally has a chance to drop the price of weed and destroy the black market cartels every Jack@$$ who voted Trump gave the main drug cartel, our DOJ, to prohibitionist Guliani or Christi taking all we worked so hard for to legalize marijuana in one court case because some backwoods, hate-filled @$$#oles cant figure out that prohibiting whole-plant medicine and supporting insurance-controlled Republican demagogues is driving up their cost of health care, not the citizen children they want to tear away from their immigrant parents.
But go ahead; lets make America White Again. Because its clear now that blaming Mexicans while the Trump Chumps tank our economy on false pretense, false idols and false wars is the only way Americans will realize the Republican party and America got hijacked…. AGAIN. Wait… but this already happened with Bush in 2000 and we didnt learn jack $#!+… and we call them “smart” phones?! (Sigh) …All hail Trump University…
@St. sick-and-tired-of-this Dime
I am black, and my family members are black, and we all voted in the recent election and most of us in the primaries for the major parties.
I understand you’re worried, and possibly upset by the results of this election, but discounting the contribution of large swathes of the electorate to the democratic process isn’t a productive way to express your negative emotions.
I vote every two years, without fail! The young, plain and simple, do not vote, presidential or midterms.
Will the Bellagio let you smoke in your room now?!? Or will you have to take the elevator down to a dedicated smoking lounge?!? I use to hate to have to leave the room for an hour just to jazz up for hotel TV…But at least now Iwon`t be hot boxing a joint to hurry up and not get caught…
Edibles are the best thing about legalization.
I am now willing to predict that when the Federal Govt finally re/declassifies marijuana a Republican will be in the Oval office. Who’d a thunk it?
Yeah, thats crazy. Trump is a populist who ran on the Republican party. Luckily he’s said he believe marijuana iis a state issue.
Bullshit. I’ll believe it when I see it.
What will happen to state regulated recreational marijuana under Trump?
Trump said he will undon every thing Obma put in place. Well come to the 50
In terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state-by-state,” Trump told The Washington Post. “… Marijuana is such a big thing. I think medical should happen – right? Don’t we agree? I think so. And then I really believe we should leave it up to the states.”
We will have to see what really happens, that is what he said in the past.
http://www.businessinsider.com/where-donald-trump-stands-on-weed-legalization-2016-11
In terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state-by-state,” Trump told The Washington Post. “… Marijuana is such a big thing. I think medical should happen – right? Don’t we agree? I think so. And then I really believe we should leave it up to the states.”
I think it would be political suicide for him to interfere with or override the ballot initiatives.
Trump has said he would leave marijuana up to the states, on business insider i believe. He may even see it as much needed tax revenue. We are 20 trillion in debt thanks to Obama.
I dont know why I feel compelled to educate you, but Congress pulls the purse strings of our nation’s budget, not the President. The President controls some monetary policy through trade deals… if Congress allows it. President Obama could have been as obstructive as the Republican Congress and vetoed every budget, or allowed us to default on our debt like a Republican Congress did, or waste money enforcing prohibition on state marijuana legalization like a Republican controlled Congress did, but President Obama did not. And Im one of your greatest defenders of reasonable Republicans that will work across the aisles to end the drug war and cut our defecit, such as my state Rep. Jason Isaac.
Truth is we all own our national debt; anyone with a mortgage, a credit card or a student loan is responsible for our national debt. And the bank of China… yknow the one Trump kept attacking throughout his campaign? They own most of our mortgage debt. So when Trump pulls the same crap Bush did and uses the money the bank of China loans us penny for penny to pay off our unregulated mortgage debt and we fall into another recession, dont cry too hard because youre going to miss President Obama.
though legalization or decriminalization are up to congress, there are some things the president can do. The DEA is part of the Executive branch and is undrer the control of the president. This means that it would be possible for President Trump, excuse me that felt weird, could reclassify MJ if he were inclined to do so. That being said, no one really knows what he will do
Ed, Ive been posting on this NORML blog for nearly a decade straight and the idea that the President could deschedule marijuana with a prohibitionist Congress is the greatest myth of legalization I have ever encountered. I know, because until I started posting here long ago, I used to believe it too.
NORML, we need to figure out how to get the message out that Congress, not the President, has to deschedule or even decriminalize marijuana or an executive decision by any new present could either end up shooting down the memos to the DOJ that are providing state legalization or worse, end up in federal court where state legalization will surely be phased out by AG Jeff Sessions.
This fatal lack of basic civics knowledge is a major reason why Trump and not Hillary Clinton are president, and why so many will have to suffer in the resistance.
How can you continue to be So Obtuse?
All of you who cast your votes for Donald Trump, also voted to undo the recent advances to legalization made at State level.
Did you bother to review Trump’s policies on cannabis decriminalization/legalization? Obviously not. If you believe a Giuliani-controlled DoJ and Christie-controlled State Department (or vice versa) will do anything other than redouble their attacks on cannabis users and growers, you’ve been drinking too much tequila.
Here’s hoping the fascism about to be unleashed on the USA doesn’t do too, too much harm to the cannabis elite, but I’m not holding my breath for you. Every white cannabis-user who voted for Trump, voted for continued persecution of large numbers of people, and it’s ironically fitting you’ll also have targets on your backs.
Thanks for speaking out, I hope they can’t undo the passed laws, but you can forget any other state moving forward for four more years or who knows with the supreme court etc, hope I am wrong, happy for the winning states.
Christie – like Trump – used to say Prohibition was a failure. What (or who) made them change their minds?
In terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state-by-state,” Trump told The Washington Post. “… Marijuana is such a big thing. I think medical should happen – right? Don’t we agree? I think so. And then I really believe we should leave it up to the states.”
We are going to need at least some of those Trump voters to get legalization passed.
Going to war with them is stupid. Changing their minds (difficult I admit) will have better long term results.
Make it a right/wrong issue not a left/right issue.
@MSimon,
Before you admonish us for going to war with Trump voters, you should remember the vitriol that was directed at Hillary on these boards before this election. Wounds don’t always heal quickly.
A recent High Times online articles explains how it was Hillary voters foremost who assured legalization in all of those states in these recent votes. If we need you, you REALLY need us.
I will cut Trump (and his supporters) slack only so long as he does not do anything to hurt our cause. If he does, you can expect full salvos from me.
Yup yup and yup. There’s no telling what may happen since republicans control EVERYthing including the Supreme Court.
I think it’s naive for us to separate politics from cannabis reforms passed. All it takes is a few pen strokes and the DEA being unleashed against mj , even medical mj, like they did for a while in California.
Don’t be scared, be SMART as you people move to capitalize on reforms. Remember Michigan and how they’re seizing mmj providers stuff there.
Find legal ways to lease assets and place profits where police state fascists can’t come take them and sell them. There are lots of decent fair Lawmen in America, but many like those in Michigan and others who just HATE mj and would love any excuse to persecute us.
Trump said marijuana should be settled by the states. He’s really iin favor of medical marijuana, and it would be political suicide to reverse the ballot initiatives which is why Congress allowed d.c. to change their marijuana laws. Don’t worry, as Aaron Rogers says, “Relax”.
John P,
First allow me to welcome you to this blog and inform you that it takes at least 24 hours before “moderators” edit and post, and between all the hard work NORML gets whipsawed between helping people get disproprtionately and unjustly arrested for possession, families getting torn apart for self medicating, advising our leguslators for cannabis reform and suing corrupt election supervisors for ommitting legalization from state ballots, I think they do a damn good job letting us speak… vent… or hopefully research and educate ourselves on policy and taking action to citizen lobby.
With that said, I can see you place a lot of stock in Trump’s contradictory comments about state’s rights, and before you get sorely disapointed, I would like to invite you to conduct some more research on what Trump is already doing to federal marijuana policy. Don’t take one comment, one source and drill it until you feel youve made your point. Look at who Trump is appointing to his cabinet.
Then I invite you to work with EVERY legislator that represents your state legislature, Republican, Independent or Democrat. My state Representative is a Republican with no Democrat that ran against him. But rather than throw my hands up, being a Progressive Democrat, I used my vote for him to persuade him to legalization. And between Rep. Isaac, and Democratic Rep. Moody’s recently introduced legislation we have a real chance to decriminalize in Texas.
We will do everything we can to stop, prevent or delay a Federal law suit against state legalization. But meanwhile enforcement among these many states is not tenable.
Please focus on Congress, not rhetoric.
The big Question is will the Republican regime interfere with the will of the states. I just keep thinking of that Chris Christie and the threats he made towards all cannabis users. He and others like him are still very much prominent figures.
Whoever gets the responsibility may not be very sympathetic to what now seems so necessary – re-scheduling. I think there will be so many campaign promises broken that things will be in utter chaos in no time at all. So at the very least it is an issue that may well be ignored.
A big hurrah to all the states that legalized this election. Medical marijuana at least should be legal in all 50 states.There is no sane reason why it shouldn’t. I used to live in Colorado and went through a severe alcohol withdrawal there in April 2015 and I credit marijuana with keeping me off the booze and not relapsing, it would have killed me. I live in North Carolina now and I am glad to see the rising tide of legalization but it will probably be awhile for this state. Personally I would like to remain alcohol and drug free but I fully support full national legalization. The war on drugs has been a dismal,stupid and costly failure and an infringement on our rights of life,liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Let’s hope Trump doesn’t Chris Christie the next Attorney General. That guy is a hypocritical nightmare. Who wants to be a dictator. He doesn’t seem to believe in the will of the people. We need to close the BRIDGE on him
Apparently, despite whatever favors Christi gave Trump in tax breaks for casinos, Christi once had Trump’s son-in-law arrested. In classic mafioso style vendettas cone first and Christi and everyone supporting him are systemstically being purged from the Trump administration. While this intrauterine cannibalism, like unborn baby sharks, may be encouraging in the fall of Christi, there are plenty of sharks teeth waiting to replace the broken ones.
Erik,
Thank you for stepping up and taking the lead on this important cause. You are right, there is much work left to be done. Many of us are celebrating; but as we do, let us acknowledge those of us who are still in prison, or had their children confiscated like so much property forfeiture, or who are still living with the everyday threat of imprisonment and violence.
Looking ahead, the view is troubling. Who does Trump (and Pence) think would make a good Attorney General? This should worry us all. As we all know, Trump won’t tolerate Tolerance. Why should their AG?
Time to stoner-up, people!
And to the Trump supporters on this blog: If Trump goes all medieval and fascist on us, and fucks things up across the board for all the legal cannabis states, then I say we should ship all you Trump Deplorables on this blog off to Mexico, and let them “handle bitches!” Toss you right over the fucking wall. Tell the Mexicans to just “grab ’em by their pussies!” Or, prove me wrong, and I’ll take it back!
Mark,
I’m with you on your fourth paragraph.
Mark, while I agree with your sentiment, please dont encourage fascist Trump supporters to go to Mexico. Ive been counting on their racist inhibitions to keep them OFF my favorite beaches. 😉
What will happen to cannabis legalization under Trump? If he gets Christie or Giuliani to be the head of his law and order baby it could be really bad for all of us. Still can’t believe he pulled in off.
“He pulled it off”?
.
“The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy.”– Donald J. Trump, 6 Nov. 2012
.
Late totals:
Clinton 59,796,265
Trump 59,796,265
Trump mandate: MINUS 206,439
.
Calif. Prop. 64– legalize, regulate, tax marijuana:
Yes 4,966,665 56%
No 3,929,757 44%
Voter choice mandate: PLUS 1,036,908
.
Food for optimism? If appointees Giuliani, Christie, Sessions try any orangutan bizness, are you ready to post a few billion reminders on the innanet about THE NUMBERS?
Something happened– my fault?– to make me look like a phoull. The vote totals should read:
Hillary 59,796,265
Donald 59,589,806
Yes you are right the electoral college vote is horrible and unfair. Surely our new president can see how much money the legal states are making. In Pueblo they are even using some of the tax revenue for scholarships. Now that’s a good use for the money right?
I sincerely hope President Elect Trump will keep the feds from interfering with the legalization momentum. First there were 2 states in 2012. Second there were 2 states in 2014 (and Washington, D.C.). That’s 4. Third there were 4 states in 2016. That’s 8 states with legal adult recreational. In the 2 years from 2012 to 2014 the number doubled from 2 to 4. In the 2 years from 2014 to 2016 the number doubled again from 4 to 8. Prohibitionists, give it up! You prohibitionists haven’t been able to stop medical marijuana, and even if you get more resources you’re up against exponential momentum. It is only a matter of time, let’s say 2 years, before adult recreational cannabis is legalized by a state legislature, such as Vermont or New Hampshire that will be sandwiched between legal weed in Canada and legal weed in Maine and Massachusetts. Far too many people no longer are buying prohibitionist propaganda that cannabis has no medical value, and word is getting out more and more that cannabis, while not 100% safe, is a safer choice than tobacco and/or alcohol for ever growing numbers of voters. There’s no going back. The cost of a federal crackdown is a waste of money that is better spent elsewhere.
I certainly like the idea of when a state’s cannabis revenues exceed a certain amount that every adult resident of that state gets a tax rebate check. Snippet from Wikipedia, link below: Recreational legalization begins 2012: Colorado and Washington legalized recreational marijuana for adults 21 years of age or older. 2014: Alaska and Oregon legalized recreational cannabis. Alaska’s law took effect on February 25, 2015. Oregon’s initiative began on July 1, 2015. The District of Columbia legalized in 2014. 2016: California, Nevada, Maine and Massachusetts legalize recreational cannabis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_cannabis_laws_in_the_United_States Please update the link below. http://norml.org/about/item/marijuana-law-reform-timeline
Come on, Pennsylvania! You got a YUGE state budget crisis going on. Go for the cash grab and be the first legislature to legalize it Oregon style, for example! No need to reinvent the wheel. Stop wasting time! The longer you wait the worse your pension crisis and underfunded public education and social services for the mentally ill and medically indigent all become.
There has been talk that Trump will appoint Giuliani as AG, he is notoriously anti-cannabis. What are the thoughts about all of our progress being reversed by a more aggressive DEA when a new AG is appointed.
The election of Trump should make it obvious that turning Prohibition into a left/right issue is a mistake. It should be a right/wrong issue.
I’m doing my part:
https://www.hotgas.net/2016/11/yahoo-featured-story-marijuana-opponents/
Traveling through Orlando today to arrive in New York City, then later Massachusetts, Ive been listening to the conversations in the airport or on the plane: hearing concerns and watching the protests. No one is talking about legalization so much as the Trump upset that overshadowed the celebration of such a sweet victory. Every state but Arizona; better than I thought! At least I got to celebrate early victories in the southern states of Arkansas and Florida, which means great things for non-voter initiative southern Republican states like Texas, where the legislative session begins in two months.
But the ghost of Harry Anslinger strikes again. If we dont filabuster a Chris Christi nomination to AG, all he has to do to reverse everything weve achieved is take state legalization to a Supreme Court where racist prohibitionist Jeff Sessions gets nominated and say “federal law [CSAct] Trumps state law.” And thats it. Were back in jail.
I get it; there are people in the rust belt who took the bait, listen to poison talk radio, and sadly believe that Trump is going to cut them a better deal and bring manufacturing jobs back while he cuts taxes for himself. But the last time we had a Republican President with an all red Congress 911 happened; taxes were cut for the wealthiest Americans, Chinese mortgage debt loan money was used to secretly pay for the illegal war Donald endorsed and we had the biggest recession since the Great Depression. Trump has always served himself. He pledged to hire the “best prosecutors” and will take us further back than the Nixon era on drug policy, echoing Anslinger’s blame of Mexicans on failed drug war bureocracy.
Trump says he’ll respect states rights. But he won’t govern; His band of villains out of a Batman movie will.
Bill Maher was right; we’ve been hit with a right wing coup. Not only can we not take our marijuana legalization for granted; we are at imminent threat to lose the very foundations of our Democracy.
You’re right about Christie Pence Giuliani Sessions threat, but on optimistic side, check out these numbers:
Hillary 59,589,806
Donald 59,796,265
Trump mandate: MINUS 206,439
(“The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy.”– Donald J. Trump, 6 Nov. 2012)
Prop. 64: Legalize, regulate, tax:
Yes 4,966,665 (56%)
No 3,929,757 (44%)
diff: PLUS 1,036,908 — in just one state!
To make those numbers Triumpf over Royal(ty) Decree, admittedly, we’ll going to have to GET BUSY hyperpropagandizing them — including in the form of comments on any news article about any actions by those likely neoprohib cabinet officers or any attempted legislative perfidy defying voter choice.
Don’t understand how, but I got the numbers reversed, as you doubtless know– should read:
Hillary 59,796,265
Donald 59,589,806
And I believe her lead has grown to between one and two million now.
Christi arrested Trump’s son-in-law years ago, taking him out of the nomination for AG, but there will be more prohibitionists to replace him.
Julian,
I concur. Furthermore, I now say Civil Disobedience should now be our weapon of choice, held at the ready.
Civil Disobedience is necessary; but it is not sufficient — activists make these legalization initiatives possible, and citizens make them a reality. We wouldn’t be where we are today without all these peoples’ efforts. Full credit where credit is due.
But remember: if we hadn’t broken the rules as teenagers when we took our first toke, we’d still be sitting here today quietly waiting for permission from The Man to use our medicine. We’re never going to be given permission: we have to assume responsibility for our own lives.
DPA and MPP have slightly different takes on this, according to Phillip Smith at stopthedrugwar.org. DPA is worried, as am I. But MPP is more optimistic, saying that Trump and Hillary are not that far apart on their marijuana statements. I’m with you — look at who he’s in bed with, all drug warriors. I suppose time will tell.
But I say, “GET READY FOR CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE!”
There are those who will always wish to divide us as a nation and there will always be those willing to swallow propaganda, hate their neighbor and fail to research or educate themselves in a time and age when, albeit with great filtering effort, the truth is literally in the palm of our hands.
True, we are all researching into our own bubbles of reality, when we should be focused on sharing the one bubble we all live on; our planet.
But what do we do? As John Oliver eloquently put it on Last Week Tonight, subscribe to investigative jounalism (TheGuardian, the NYTimes, the Washington Post); find a non for profit like NORML and donate! Find the links and take action! Contact our Congressman state and federal and citizen lobby respectfully. Civil and consumer rights advocacies are under more threat than ever in the history of the United States, and they need our support. Before we become reduced to having to go GreenPeace on the White House lawn, we need to exhaust every civil option to connect our advocacies to our representatives. Civil disobedience is a last recourse, not the first line of defense. There are still those within our city councils and state legislatures who represent a silent resistence to prohibition, some of them very vocally. We cannot allow our anger or our fear to impede our clinical judgement, or we have lost the war before the next battle has begun.
“There are still those within our city councils and state legislatures who represent a silent resistence to prohibition, some of them very vocally.”
.
At first I was a little nonplussed at that– but now I think I understand. You have got it right– we can and should work with those who speak for others who fear to speak.
Trump said he will remove any and all doings of Obama. Have That been he going to let the feds stop the cannabs movement. In anothe word no more legal smoke. And i am sure they will shut down all head shops. Back to the 50.
Then we go to large-scale CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE!
Trump said he will revers any law that Obama put in. So the feds have to end legal cannas sail. Back to the 50.
Instead of smoking we should be drinking our cannabis in tasty little cocktails.
Smoking is so antagonistic!
http://hightimes.com/edibles/marijuana-mixology-3-classy-cannabis-cocktails-from-warren-bobrow/
This was all good news until we realize that Trump will most likely appoint Christie or Giuliani as the new Attorney General and they have both said even medical marijuana is a BS front to do illegal drugs and they will shut down all legal and medical marijuana states. The poops about to hit the fan boys and girls.
Some of us older folks never entirely got rid of the paranoia. But the good thing is, we still know how to survive underground. If it comes to that. But I say “no — time to stick it to them!” I’m calling for large scale CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE, when that shit hits the fan.
We now have a Republican President, House, Senate, and Supreme Court. Don’t buy a new bong just yet.
I am very excited by the results of the this election. I would like to do my part but I have no idea how to get a measure put on the ballot in Indiana. Can anyone help me?
[Paul Armentano responds: Indiana does not have a voter initiative process. All changes in law must be made legislatively.]
Time to update your map.
Please add five more doobies to California, Nevada, Massachusetts, and Maine! 🙂
Yes, dear editors, I would love to see your updated map!
Those roaches look so beautiful.
How would this proposed holistic reform of the current federal definition of marijuana interfere with or augment the reforms passed by the States? It would bring the text of the definition into compliance with the Necessary and Proper clause while removing cannabis from the Schedules:
The term “marijuana” means all parts of the smoke produced by the combustion of the plant Cannabis sativa L. which is prohibited to be grown by or sold by any publicly traded corporation or subsidiary company.
Wouldn’t it be revolutionary if this reform was the one that got enacted then rescheduled?
Still on vacation, I rather unwittingly drove past Trump Tower this evening and saw hundreds of people out in the cold, protesting the President elect. So I did what any self-respecting American would do in this divisive era and honked my horn repeatedly in approval making the crowd roar and cheer. My 94 year old grandmother, suffering from mild dimentia turned to me and said, “He should just LEAVE.” I kind of chuckled, thinking my 94 year old granma with dimentia was making more sense than Trump, and I said “Yeah, grandma; all we can do is filabuster until the Americans that voted realize how bad they messed up… which wont take long…”
As we drove down Times Square I saw a man in a batman suit checking his cell phone while a guy in the Joker outifit was hussling people for money and I thought of Rudy Guliani and how he hobbled like Igor on stage with the kind of pretentious, poisonous laughter from winning a high stakes bluff by cheating and lying and how it all seemed like a personification of the way unlimited political laundering and mind controling entertainment has purchased investigative journalism and subdued the integrity of our Democracy. I watched people filming people filming people with their cell phone cameras like some poetic voyeurism from Jim Morrison’s The Lords and the New Creatures, and as the Doors song “This is the End” played in my head, it dawned on me; we gotta play our way out of the reality nightmare we have created for ourselves; like facing the matrix of cameras Trump loves so much and reflect Trump’s own ephemeral praise of legalization… distract him with praise over his positive handling and support of legalization until we find the power cord and cut it.
Its sort of a reverse psychology; Trump loves attention and praise so much we can literally thank and praise him into legalizing all drugs.
Meanwhile, filabuster his nominees. Read War & Peace. Read the NORML library. Just keep the filabuster going and Read something! (Lord knows Trump wont; I wonder if he CAN read!)
Does anyone realize how easy it is to bait Donald with his own past actions and statements? Sure, he’ll deny and justify but if his pride is on the line we can stir $#!+ up. When either Guiliani or Christi get nominated all we have to do is bring up when Guliani told Trump to “prove Muslims were celebrating in the 911 attacks.” And keep pressing under Trump’s thin skin. Don’t even have to dig hard for Christie;
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/christie-past-comments-trump
Just look at all the fodder from the primaries. Christi calls Trump “unfit to lead,” “ridiculous,” and “like a 3-year-old.” Keep bringing this up during a Congressional nomination until Trump cant pretend it doesnt bother him anymore. Even if it doesnt work at least it will be entertaining to watch CSPAN.
And isnt that what Trump wants? To turn the Universe into some X-Men villain I remember from when I was collecting comics at 13… Mojo… this fat yellow alien creature with wires from his brain that were connected to monitors where power was determined by fighting his own citizens to death. The X-men never really defeated him either… Mojo would eventually become the victim of his own game and bloodthirst and defeat himself…
We should bring up Trump’s past quotes on drug policy: y’know, the ones we like, where he says to the Miami Herald back in 1990 to legalize ALL drugs and spend the revenue on drug education…
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/03/donald-trump-legalize-all-the-drugs.html
The greatest weapon we have against Trump is himself.
Everyone needs to stop thinking Republicans are the enemy and Democrats are our friend on this issue. There are plenty of us Republicans that donate, educate and vote for this cause. Trump is a believer in State’s rights. Cannabis should have never been a federal issue in the first place. As it is not explicitly defined in the Constitution, it is a State issue, as defined by the Constitution. Remember, Obama only pulled his DEA troops out of Colorado after huge public pressure. His DEA never rescheduled it though in his 8 years as President. Also, stop attacking Christians as many of us support this issue. We are quietly educating one person at a time that the Bible explicitly mentions Cannabis in Exodus 25 and that it is alluded to in a positive light throughout the Bible. Let us do our work without through grenades into our progress. Also remember that red states are slowly voting for this as well. We have a real chance here with Trump. His election was not purchased by special interest groups that are in our way. So lets all stay the course, keep from calling friends enemies and calmly educate how this is about liberty and love versus tyranny. There will be politicians that try to monopolize the sales in their states. We can deal with that later. Legal weed sold by politician cronies is better than police kicking in doors. While Cheech and Chong and other movies are funny, we need the country to not see us this way. Be the poster child of pot smoking hard working community leaders. We will win this issue.
My friend, it’s all on you now. Bring your people! Don’t ever tell us on the left what we can say and what we can’t say.
Don’t lecture us. Just bring your people.
While I share your desire to work across the aisles, if you believe Trump appointing the fascist owner of Britebart as Chief Strategist or any of the Washington Insiders from Priebus on down dont represent “special interests” than its time to get out of that bubble youre in and join the rest of the atmosphere we have left.
Trump loaned money to his campaign because he never used his own money and never intended to win, just wash his dirty tax debts.
Unfortunately prohibitionists like Guliani and Christi loaned their time and money to him, and this goes back to before the campaign when Christi pulled strings to save Trump millions in taxes on those casinos Trump foolishly invested in. Trump, in true insider political fashion, is paying them back by letting them attack legalization.
Even scarier, Russian oil tycoons loaned Trump money. Now he’s paying THEM back. We all know how Putin feels about prohibition.
Well said ????
I posted a couple of comments, but somehow they weren’t posted–maybe I didn’t hit the “submit comment” button.
But I echo the sentiments of several other posters here. I’m am deeply worried about the fallout of Drumpf’s victory. We were assured by libertarians and republicans many times on these boards that Drumpf would be better than Hillary on the pot front. I guess we’ll see. I hope to hell they’re right.
If not, those posters have forfeited their credibility as far as I’m concerned.
Well it’s been 3 days since the election and we haven’t heard anything about cannabis legalization yet. No news is good news…hopefully?
“But the ghost of Harry Anslinger strikes again. If we dont filabuster a Chris Christi nomination to AG, all he has to do to reverse everything weve achieved is take state legalization to a Supreme Court where racist prohibitionist Jeff Sessions gets nominated and say “federal law [CSAct] Trumps state law.” And thats it. Were back in jail.”
Really, it is quite simple, if they push us this hard after we already fixed the laws; understand they will be pushing for a revolt. It doesn’t even have anything to do with marijuana at this point, but simple respect. If they want to act like Queens (not Kings, not these bitches), they will get what they are looking for.
The staunch prohibitionist crowd that Trump is keeping (Pence, Christie, Giuliani, et al.) is a serious concern but I’m slightly more optimistic now in seeing Thiel join the cadre. I don’t know what this all means yet, and Trump isn’t very forthcoming yet.
But those guys are going to have epic voter revolt If they try rolling back the gains made in this civil rights movement so they better be ready for a 60% US population backlash. Canada’s movement will further pressure them along with California’s passage.
Arizona: I realize your proposition wasn’t perfect but shame on the sheeple for falling for the opposition’s lies and propaganda sponsored by of all people, a gambling goon, opioid mfr, a freaking tire company, classless governor, and a prison meal vendor. Exposing the profiteering of a DA’s office should have been enough but hope there’s buyer’s remorse building over the next few years.
Meanwhile, they’ll continue to lock up 10,000’s of our friends and family over simple possession.
Dont forget all the construction companies, builders and real estate developers (hint hint) that threw in $10k donations to stop Arizona. In Mexico they call it “poniendo todos los manos en la maza,” that is everybody gets their hands in the dough so no one stops the evil. Education is the key.
I would like to congratulate all the people in the states that managed to vote in favor of marijuana.
I would also like to inform everyone what happened in Arizona. The pharmaceutical industry has yet again purchased a victory “marijuana failure” here. Almost every county voted against reasonable regulation and taxation. Which was accomplished by constant tv & radio commercials depicting Colorados recreational marijuana as a sham that lied, saying No Colorado schools has NOT seen $1.00 in tax revenue. And like leading sheep to the slaughter Arizona and the American public bought it hook, line and sinker!!!
Arizona is a prime example of a completly out of touch RED/Trump state. Racism, sexism, and direct pharmaceutical & Arian intrest/privilege prevailed yet again. It’s a sad fucking day/week/month/year/ 4years/ &possibly 8 years to be an American. The entire world is laughing at the utter joke that is usa! Except Russia & North Korea of course.
I now believe his campaign slogan “Let’s make America Great Again” I’m embarrassed to admit it took Donald Trump, Every one of his supporters and voters, electing this/his America view for me to realize this country is rapidly becoming complete dogshit Starting 11/9/2016.
News flash to anyone who’s head is not firmly lodged up your ass…
Global warming is real.
Racism is a bad thing.
Sexual assualt is a bad thing.
Sexism is a bad thing.
Religious wars CANNOT BE WON!
Privet prison systems are bad.
Pharmaceutical intrest ARE NOT IN YOUR BEST INTEREST.
Last but certainly not least THE WAR ON DRUGS IS AN EPIC FAILURE!!!
Some one pass me a joint! Let’s all light one up before TRUMP redacts all recreational and medical marijuana nation wide.
This country starting going to shit when Nixon decided to start emulating the Chinese; which lead to the neoliberals taking over both parties via corruption of our capitalist system. The Oligarchy has everyone convinced that in order to be a good capitalist, you have to cheat, scam, destroy the Earth, cheat your workers, and purchase success from Democrats and Republicans. I.e., remove everything about the Capitalism and makes it Function. These assholes even claim gambling is an “industry” just because money exchanges hands.
remove everything about the Capitalism *that* makes it Function.
Well said, Dave.
im paralyzd frm horrse wrek24yrs ismkd at home great4pain@mscle sppacticty now lve jin nrsnghome no smoke lots of pills…..hope texass pss mdcal mj law!!!
Can someone at NORML reach out to Trump and ask him what he will do about Cannabis law reform now that he is in office?
Congratulations on so many victories, and thank you so much for your continued dedication to this movement. In fact, thank you for essentially starting this movement. I’ve been a huge fan of NORML for almost a decade now, and I’m extremely grateful for all you’ve done and continue to do.
That being said, I really wish that you had given more support to Michigan this year. We’re a bit of a purple state that unfortunately supports Republican and conservative politicians at a fairly high rate, but we’re also remarkably progressive when it comes to individual measures and policies; including cannabis policy. The average Michiginian is pretty accepting of cannabis use, and we passed our rather broad and inclusive medical law with 63 percent back in 2008. We also have the tenth largest population in the U.S. with almost 10 million citizens, and we’re in a pretty untapped region (the midwest) which could have been a great starting ground for legalization.
If we’d had even a little support from one of the large organizations for the signature gathering phase, I firmly believe that our initiative would have EASILY passed this year. When you consider the extremely conservative nature of Arizona, and the fact that their medical law barely passed in 2010, it seems very strange to me that more resources and attention were given to them than to the much more accommodating population of Michigan.
Again, I’m a huge supporter of NORML, but I hope that you might decide to give Michigan more support in the future. We easily could have had five recreational victories this year rather than four.
I just read that a research company or something says mj use causes weak heart muscles. Funny how that comes out now instead of before the election. Prohibitionists are surely dancing with glee.
{Paul Armentano responds: You can read my comments RE this paper here: https://consumer.healthday.com/public-health-information-30/marijuana-news-759/pot-smoking-may-up-risk-of-rare-temporary-heart-malfunction-716629.html.%5D
The title cited in Paul’s link says it all: “pot smoking…”. Again and again headlines announce a survey where cannabis gets blamed for alleged effects of cannabis $moking. Oten such stories are headed by a photo of a H-ot B-urning O-verdose M-onoxide P-uffjoint, and contain no mention whatever of Vaporization.
since no one else has mentioned this;
it falls to me…
just before the election,
on fox news,
the text ‘crawler’ on the bottom of the screen said;
“the arizona state supreme court has DISQUALIFIED the mj innitiative,
due to a lack of valid signatures…
while it is on the ballot…
the votes for it, WILL NOT COUNT !!! ”
did this affect the outcome ????
i bet it did.
WAS THIS A LIE ????
WERE THERE ENOUGH SIGNATURES ???
HOW CAN WE EVER KNOW ???
This is the same network that routinely changes the “R” to a “D” when some congressperson is busted for sex crimes, then later says oops, our mistake. (Tho I doubt they even bother to do that anymore.)
I force myself to watch Fox now and then just to see the latest propaganda they’re spouting, but can rarely watch for more than ten minutes. I can stand CNN and MSNBC for maybe 20-30 minutes these days, before turning off the TV in disgust.
Gee, wouldn’t it be nice to have a free press in this country?
No such thing, Bud. Subscribe and donate. Independent news, investigative reporting and real journalism has to be supported.
Hey Julian,
I agree wholeheartedly.
I have wanted very badly to be able to donate, not just to NORML, but to others. My financial situation hasn’t permitted me to do so as yet, alas.
But the good news is that my financial situation should be brightening some time after the new year (three or four months thereafter, I’m calculating). I look happily forward to donating when that happens. Best wishes.
Glad to hear it brother. I will remember to ask to donate what we can when we can. Most American income is always rising and falling. Its hard not to sound arrogant asking for donations without using words like “reasonable” but we should include the word “planned,” because a donation to NORML is so special and vital to our freedom and a healthy Democracy that planning a donation should be a celebration. Its time to solicit some celebrity calander events…
Update the map with 4 more doobies please!
So Christi is out now that Trump reveals a purging vendetta since Christi apparently arrested Trump’s son-in-law years back. Its like were still operating under the blood-revenge rules of killing who killed your friend before the Haudenousenee founded the Iroquoi Confederacy. Before our Indian ancestors invented the Democracy that inspired Ben Franklin to help write our Declaration of Independence, there existed the supersticious belief that the most evil warchiefs should be elected to power to take out all the lesser evil chiefs. And so with an electoral college selecting Trump, that is what our government has reverted to.
But there do exist sensible Republicans. This is why I urge every one of us to work with ANY legislator in their voting district to legalize marijuana;
https://www.texastribune.org/2016/11/14/texas-legislators-file-marijuana-bills/?utm_source=Texas+Tribune+Master&utm_campaign=1defd41cec-trib-newsletters-the-brief&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d9a68d8efc-1defd41cec-101235045&mc_cid=1defd41cec&mc_eid=b54ed21e31
I could not be more proud of my Republican state Representative Jason Isaac. He declared this week that he will work together with Democratic Rep. Joe Moody to get newly introduced legislation HB81 to decriminalize marijuana in the state of Texas. He is quoted on Texas Monthly with Evan Williams as saying “now is the time.” If you are from Texas, please take action here;
http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/51609/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=18513
And urge Rep. Isaac to CO-SPONSOR HB81!!
Believe me, there are sensible Republicans we can work with on marijuana policy. And I will be the first to criticize hidden agendas from Koch brother think tanks that are aimed more at decriminalizing “overcriminalization” of white collar crimes. But that is why we RESEARCH. That is why the line that defines Trump Chumps from REAL conservatives is our ability to READ.
How cool is that? According to this MPP blog, state Rep. Isaac, R-TX has already co-sponsored HB-81;
https://blog.mpp.org/prohibition/bills-reduce-marijuana-penalties-introduced-texas/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogmpp+%28MPP+Blog%29
It feels so good that despite the mayhem surrounding our federal elections that we can make such good progress at the state level. Arkansas and Florida are already moving the south Forward, but I know this took years of calls and meetings and citizen lobbying Isaac because I was there, and he is listening. Never give up. Donate to NORML and citizen lobby your state legislators. It really works!
Julian,
Good luck with that! Decriminalization in Texas would be great!
Thanks for inventing that word, should be word of the year:
.
supersticious
.
(unless “prohibiciousness” trumps it, we’ll see soon enuf))
Correction: Christi is out because he once arrested Trump’s son-in-law’s FATHER… does THAT make more sense? No? Me neither. Second correction; Even the blood-revenge of Indian nations in the New York area before the Revolution or before a confederacy was established relied on more principals and rules that were witnessing only one week after a Trump election. Can someone please explain to Trump the definition of a blind trust? (No Trump, its not a cheap reference to the people who voted for you…)
How about the fed pulls cannabis from the controlled substances schedule and hand regulation to the ATF alongside alcohol and tobacco.
Makes sense I think.. tobacco and cannabis are both crops, why reinvent the wheel
And it’s used like alcohol so they would already know how to regulate it
In the spirit of Incrementalism (or incremental environmentalism, which mentalism do you prefer?) I could accept TEMPORARILY bracketing my herb (NOT DRUG) with alcohol, tobacco, firearms which each kill tens and hundreds of thousands of Americans each year.
.
Keep your eyes on the long-run prize: legalize and normalize.
While the ATF operates under the Department of Treasury, not the DOJ, Trump’s nominees are all staunch prohibitionists. And if you recall the Fast and Furious scandal where the ATF was caught selling weapons under a “tracer program” to the Sinaloa cartel and El Chape Guzman himself which resulted in the death of tens of thousands of innocent people and a DEA agent, let’s just say the ATF don’t exactly have the best track record to regulate marijuana.
Due to a little known law written in the 80’s, the ATF have exclusive rights of disclosure for all the weapons sold in the United States, effectively making them the world’s arms cartel. They get a big piece of their budget from asset forfeitures, and they lead the battle in courts to unconstitutionally rob marijuana consumers of their right to bear arms by pressing down on gun bans for anyone in possession of a schedule 1 drug in the CSAct.
Regulating marijuana does NOT belong in any executive branch whether it’s criminal justice in the DOJ or some rogue gangsters selling guns and drugs out of the Department of the Treasury. Marijuana needs to be descheduled.
…marijuana needs to be descheduled by Congress.
…which means by us, and every registered voter in America. So click on the “Legalization” tab at the top right hand corner of this webpage. Write, call and visit with your state and Federal representatives. They really are human. Even Ted Cruz. Isn’t that amazing?
RE; mexweed and Julian;
1. ALCOHOL IS NOT A DRUG !
alcohol is a POISON !!
you can DIE from ALCOHOL POISIONING !!
it can STOP YOUR HEART,
and it can STOP YOUR BREATHING.
you can even DROWN to death,
in your own puke.
if ANYTHING is a schedule 1 substance,
IT IS ALCOHOL !!
DO NOT put pot, in that category !!
2. POT IS NOT A ‘DRUG’, IT IS AN HERB !!
(unless by ‘DRUG’, you mean a MEDICINE, there are many diseases it either cures, treats the symptons of, or prevents)
but, ALL of the commonly available, well known, HERBS and SPICES, were known to have beneficial, MEDICINAL effects, many years ago.
ex; rosemary, oregano, paprica, turmeric, black pepper, garlic, nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, ect.
and just like pot, no known deaths, from their use.
AND,
YES,
some of them,
CAN give you a buzz.
(is that what is meant by ‘drug’ ??
it gives a buzz ??)
coffee, tea, energy drinks, give you a buzz.
some people even get a buzz, from; mangoes, salami, or chocolate, or even gambling, and skydiving.
SO; regulate marijuana LESS HARSHLY than alcohol is regulated, because it is less harmfull.
regulate marijuana LESS HARSHLY than
tobacco is regulated, because it is less harmfull.
regulate marijuana LESS HARSHLY than prescription pills are regulated, because it is less harmfull.
mj is an ALL NATURAL, HERBAL MEDICINE,
and it should be regulated just like ginsing, goldenseal, echinacea, ginko biloba, and other MEDICINAL HERBS are regulated.
(for PURITY from contamination ONLY)
Internet is written with the capital letter in a sentence, by the way. And huedhndtrs are written not with a point but with a comma. This is according to the standard. And actually everything is very good..!