Get Out The Vote Campaign Seeks To Register Tens Of Thousands Of Marijuana Law Reformers By 2004 Election
Washington, DC: NORML has partnered with the citizen-action group Working Assets to register tens of thousands of marijuana law reformers to vote in the 2004 election. The campaign, known as “Smoke the Vote,” allows citizens to register to vote quickly and easily via NORML’s website at http://www.norml.org. “Smoke the Vote” is the largest “get out the vote” campaign ever undertaken by NORML and seeks to help transform the millions of Americans who smoke marijuana responsibly into a powerful, visible political constituency.
“Currently, millions of marijuana smokers are unregistered to vote and, as such, remain politically inactive in state and federal affairs,” NORML Executive Director Keith Stroup said. “As a result, too many elected officials feel little or no political pressure from their constituents to support marijuana law reform – despite the fact that national polls show that 80 percent of Americans support legalizing medicinal marijuana, and that 72 percent support decriminalizing marijuana for personal use. NORML intends to address this political disconnect by specifically targeting responsible adult marijuana smokers, as well as non-smokers sympathetic to marijuana law reform, to register to vote and become politically involved in the 2004 election – arguably the first national election in recent memory in which marijuana policy promises to be a visible and highly publicized campaign issue.”
Of the nine candidates seeking the Democratic Presidential nomination, five – Retired Army General Wesley Clark, US Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), US Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), former Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun, and the Rev. Al Sharpton – have publicly vowed to end the Bush Administration’s policy of federally targeting and prosecuting medicinal marijuana patients in states that have legalized its use.
In addition, Kucinich and Moseley Braun have also endorsed decriminalizing the personal use of pot by adults. Speaking today at the New Hampshire College Convention, Braun told attendees that she believes marijuana possession should be a fine-only, non-criminal offense, while a recent position paper posted on the “Kucinich for President” website states that he supports the establishment of national guidelines to regulate pot like alcohol.
“The 2004 Presidential election promises to have profound effects on marijuana law reform,” Stroup said. “That is why it’s critical that marijuana law reformers register to vote and make their voices heard this fall.”
Since launching the “Smoke the Vote” campaign in mid-November, several thousand citizens have successfully registered to vote through NORML’s online service.
For more information, please contact NORML’s Chris Mulligan at (202) 483-5500 or visit NORML’s website at:
http://www.norml.org
“Smoke the Vote” merchandise is available online at:
http://www.cafeshops.com/norml/200534