steve_d

Hello all-- I'm thinking about contributing $20-$25 per month to marijuana advocacy organizations. Are there any good ones to contribute to in addition to these?

• Marijuana Policy Project: MPP Homepage
• NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws): Marijuana Law Reform - NORML
• LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition): LEAP - Cops Say
• Drug Policy Alliance Network: Drug Policy Alliance Network: Alternatives to Marijuana Prohibition and the Drug War

Thanks--
Steve, New Mexico US

runamukk

Steve,
I donate to NORML as they are the most tenured and have some highly intelligent advocates supporting our cause. (imo)

Buzzby

You might consider contributing to WAMM, a medical marijuana patients group. They're about to go under because the DEA raided their growing facility and made off with a year's worth of medicine. Buying weed on the black market to supply their members has driven them into bankruptcy.

I personally support NORML, MPP, and WAMM. If I could afford more, I'd send money to LEAP and DPA.

__________________

Freedom_User

Agreed. I normally do these 3. NORML every month. And shared between MPP and WAMM.

__________________
The feds continually use and twist this simple clause as an excuse to expand their own power - at the expense of our liberty.

"If you shot a ton of pot to the Sun, will it burn up and get everyone high?"

jpbc99

This year some of my tax returns are going to mpp and norml. I may also donate to the crc of umass, they do wonders to get people registered to vote in mass and at least get people involved.

I will probably not donate to anything else...im limited on funds. Anyway, one last point...its been said before:

The NRA has a lotta lobbying power for gun laws. Why? Because gun enthusiests donate! There are more pot smokers that gun enthusiasts...way more. All we gotta do is donate just a little bit in large numbers...more the better!

steve_d

I agree. It's important to be a little more socially and politically aware and active, putting your two cents into the process both figuratively and literally.

I'm a gay man and have lived long enough to remember what it was like to feel isolated and alone and relatively powerless to change society's general condemnation of homosexuality or homosexual behavior. But one thing I've learned from the gay community that has grown so tremendously in size and power over the years is that a sense of community can be very energizing and motivating and powerful, and can be very effective at shaking things up and changing society as everyone who identifies with the community pitches in their energy, time and support.

If marijuana advocates can develop a similar sense of community and act as a group instead of merely using Internet forums to commiserate with each other as isolated individuals, a lot can be accomplished.

The Internet can help tremendously because news and information is shared almost instantaneously and organizing, planning and action can easily be accomplished and coordinated between thousands of people at the same time all across the country.

medivape

I agree and think the lobbying groups should launch YouTube campaigns educating the public and actually showing responsible marijuana smokers. A three-minute video can't cost that much to make and it's free distribution.

Buzzby

You'd be better off sending your returns to the IRS and your refunds to MPP and NORML.

While I'm all in favor of people contributing more to marijuana legalization organizations, there are a lot more gun owners in this country than cannabis consumers. Cannabis consumers constitute around 8% of the population. There are firearms in half the homes in America.

OTOH, out of all of those gun owners, only 3,000,000 are in the NRA. If one-eighth of the pot smokers in this country signed up with a pro-legalization group, we'd have a lobby of equal size.

hippie557

I think the medicinal lobbiers need more support indeed but as for the recreational aspect, I truly believe that is far from possible right now, maybe forever. The image of marijuana portrayed in the media over the past years is really damaging and hard to fix IMO. I'd say go for NORML.

TheMeatball

Good point. The thing that I keep thinking about is that it's (mostly) legal to own to a gun, and this lobby is fighting to keep it legal, and enhance related freedoms.

I think it's a bigger challenge to get people to register their support for something that's currently illegal. When our state governments can't even guarantee that the federal government won't use their records to go after marijuana users, it makes it seem a little riskier to sign up with a private lobby group.

If I was an American you can bet I'd be signed up with these groups. I honestly can't afford any donations right now (I have $45 to my name!), but I've written to my MP in response to an anti-marijuana pamphlet they mailed me.