Citing a worsening economy, high profile support and greater education through the Internet, marijuana advocates say the public is more open to marijuana legalization than ever before.
On the second day of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws 38th annual conference Friday, marijuana activists said America is ready to talk about legalization, largely due to a "sea change" in the way the public sees marijuana smokers, and a growing recognition that marijuana is a cash crop.
"It's certainly connected to California's economy, which is in the toilet," said Assemblyman Tom Ammiano during the day's opening remarks.
Ammiano, who introduced California's first marijuana legalization bill earlier this year, called the current political environment "the perfect storm" for marijuana law reform.
"I got a lot of hallway conversations -- 'This is great'; 'man, I smoked this (stuff) when I was in college'; 'we should tax the hell out of it,'" Ammiano said.
Ammiano said despite the warm private response, elected officials would not be ready to support the bill publicly until they polled their constituents.
Ammiano said he will be holding an informational hearing on the bill within the next month and hopes to have a constructive conversation about marijuana.
"It's not going to be 'marijuana's good, or marijuana's bad,'" he said. "It's going to be about all the intricacies you have when you have a public policy."
NORML members say support from high-profile people like Ammiano is helping to sway public opinion.
In a presentation on the ebbs and flows of public opinion since the 1970s, NORML Outreach Coordinator Russ Belville outlined stereotypes that marijuana smokers have been burdened with, as well as examples of how these stereotypes are inaccurate.
A popular reference throughout the conference, Belville played an audio clip of President Barack Obama admitting to "inhaling," and used the story of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps being caught on camera taking a bong hit, as examples of how the stoner stereotype has been broken.
"You'll be an unmotivated loser, you'll be a slacker, you'll never get anything done," Belville said about the stoner stereotype. "And that all changed this year."
Other NORML leaders agreed.
Keith Stroup, who founded NORML in 1970 and jokingly calls himself "the world's oldest marijuana smoker," said marijuana legalization has reached its tipping point.
"We are literally witnessing the end of marijuana prohibition," he said.
Dale Gieringer, the director of California NORML and a member of NORML's board of directors, said there are still many issues that need to be worked out in terms of legislation.
He said there needs to be more definitive answers to questions about age limits, tax levels and where and how much people can grow, as well as who would be allowed to cultivate.
Gieringer said the public may not be ready to actually legalize.
"I don't think there's enough wisdom anywhere that can win 50 percent of the vote," he said during a panel discussion on legalization. "However, I think we are in the position where we can develop such a proposal in three to five years."
Stroup said he believes the recently proposed initiatives regarding legalization in California will be able to garner enough support to help move the cause forward, and encourage those stoners who are "in the closet" to come out publicly in support of legalization.
"More of them need to come out of the closet," he said. "Put an end to the lie that we're not good citizens."
Advocates recognize that the economy is also a huge factor.
Denver-based public policy analyst and political strategist Jessica Correy said as a pro-life, Republican mother of two, she does not fit the stereotype of a marijuana advocate.
Although not an active marijuana smoker, Correy said she is more concerned with the government wasting law enforcement resources.
"We're talking about a multi-billion dollar war we can't win," she said, adding that it is important to her to be able to raise her two young daughters without the government stepping in.
Correy was scheduled to be a panelist on a discussion about pot and parenting.
"I'll teach my kids to respect themselves and their bodies, but when they go to college, I'd rather have them next to a pot smoker than someone hopped up on vodka shots," she said.
NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said it is a demographic consisting of parents with teenage children where support for legalization is usually lost.
As a parent himself, he said he understands the fears of exposing children to something seen as harmful. He said he is not trying to advocate any kind of drug abuse, but parents have to realize that teenagers will have access to marijuana whether it's legal or not.
Armentano said the key is being able to teach children about the dangers of substance abuse in general.
"I think we've got to be really open and honest with kids," he said.
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: The Times-Standard
Author: Donna Tam
Contact: The Times-Standard
Copyright: 2009 The Times-Standard
Website: Marijuana Advocates Discuss Growing Public Support For Legalization
On the second day of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws 38th annual conference Friday, marijuana activists said America is ready to talk about legalization, largely due to a "sea change" in the way the public sees marijuana smokers, and a growing recognition that marijuana is a cash crop.
"It's certainly connected to California's economy, which is in the toilet," said Assemblyman Tom Ammiano during the day's opening remarks.
Ammiano, who introduced California's first marijuana legalization bill earlier this year, called the current political environment "the perfect storm" for marijuana law reform.
"I got a lot of hallway conversations -- 'This is great'; 'man, I smoked this (stuff) when I was in college'; 'we should tax the hell out of it,'" Ammiano said.
Ammiano said despite the warm private response, elected officials would not be ready to support the bill publicly until they polled their constituents.
Ammiano said he will be holding an informational hearing on the bill within the next month and hopes to have a constructive conversation about marijuana.
"It's not going to be 'marijuana's good, or marijuana's bad,'" he said. "It's going to be about all the intricacies you have when you have a public policy."
NORML members say support from high-profile people like Ammiano is helping to sway public opinion.
In a presentation on the ebbs and flows of public opinion since the 1970s, NORML Outreach Coordinator Russ Belville outlined stereotypes that marijuana smokers have been burdened with, as well as examples of how these stereotypes are inaccurate.
A popular reference throughout the conference, Belville played an audio clip of President Barack Obama admitting to "inhaling," and used the story of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps being caught on camera taking a bong hit, as examples of how the stoner stereotype has been broken.
"You'll be an unmotivated loser, you'll be a slacker, you'll never get anything done," Belville said about the stoner stereotype. "And that all changed this year."
Other NORML leaders agreed.
Keith Stroup, who founded NORML in 1970 and jokingly calls himself "the world's oldest marijuana smoker," said marijuana legalization has reached its tipping point.
"We are literally witnessing the end of marijuana prohibition," he said.
Dale Gieringer, the director of California NORML and a member of NORML's board of directors, said there are still many issues that need to be worked out in terms of legislation.
He said there needs to be more definitive answers to questions about age limits, tax levels and where and how much people can grow, as well as who would be allowed to cultivate.
Gieringer said the public may not be ready to actually legalize.
"I don't think there's enough wisdom anywhere that can win 50 percent of the vote," he said during a panel discussion on legalization. "However, I think we are in the position where we can develop such a proposal in three to five years."
Stroup said he believes the recently proposed initiatives regarding legalization in California will be able to garner enough support to help move the cause forward, and encourage those stoners who are "in the closet" to come out publicly in support of legalization.
"More of them need to come out of the closet," he said. "Put an end to the lie that we're not good citizens."
Advocates recognize that the economy is also a huge factor.
Denver-based public policy analyst and political strategist Jessica Correy said as a pro-life, Republican mother of two, she does not fit the stereotype of a marijuana advocate.
Although not an active marijuana smoker, Correy said she is more concerned with the government wasting law enforcement resources.
"We're talking about a multi-billion dollar war we can't win," she said, adding that it is important to her to be able to raise her two young daughters without the government stepping in.
Correy was scheduled to be a panelist on a discussion about pot and parenting.
"I'll teach my kids to respect themselves and their bodies, but when they go to college, I'd rather have them next to a pot smoker than someone hopped up on vodka shots," she said.
NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said it is a demographic consisting of parents with teenage children where support for legalization is usually lost.
As a parent himself, he said he understands the fears of exposing children to something seen as harmful. He said he is not trying to advocate any kind of drug abuse, but parents have to realize that teenagers will have access to marijuana whether it's legal or not.
Armentano said the key is being able to teach children about the dangers of substance abuse in general.
"I think we've got to be really open and honest with kids," he said.
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: The Times-Standard
Author: Donna Tam
Contact: The Times-Standard
Copyright: 2009 The Times-Standard
Website: Marijuana Advocates Discuss Growing Public Support For Legalization
