World’s Largest Drug Policy Reform Conference One Month Away

The Reform Conference is just a month away – have you secured your spot yet?

Click here to register to attend.

If you haven’t, you should soon. Booking your travel a month out will save you money. And you won’t want to miss what former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and current California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom have to say at the Opening Plenary!

The rest of the conference program is packed full with trainings, roundtable discussions addressing controversies within the movement, and panels exploring and sharing innovative approaches to reform challenges. Thursday evening you can stand up for justice at the No More Drug War rally at nearby MacArthur Park, hosted by dozens of local California organizations and emceed by KPFK radio personality Lalo Alcaraz.

And the activities and highlights don’t stop there…

Very soon we’ll be announcing three special Mobile Workshops – learning sessions that will take a select group of conference-goers out of the hotel and into the local community.

You’re also invited to host informal Community Meetings of your own during the conference. These meetings are meant to be your opportunity to organize reformers around action plans. They take place in open session rooms in the mornings, evenings and at lunch.

What do these Mobile Workshops and Community Meetings have in common? They’re only available to registered conference attendees – and they’ll be limited by space availability!

So register now…and I’ll see you in Los Angeles!

Stefanie Jones
Event Manager
Drug Policy Alliance

World’s Largest Pro-Drug Policy Reform Conference: Register Now For Earlybird Discount

Do you believe the drug war is doing more harm than good? Are you outraged that the US government still won’t recognize the medical benefits of marijuana?  Whether you’re an expert on drug policy or a newcomer, your voice should be heard at this year’s International Drug Policy Reform Conference from November 2-6 at the Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles, California.

You’ll join city, state, and federal elected officials, health care professionals, students, grassroots activists, people in recovery as well as active drug users, treatment providers and more — all working to change this country’s drug policies so that they reflect the principles of health, justice, compassion and human rights.

Do you believe an end to marijuana prohibition is possible at a national level, or will it always remain a state-by-state issue? At the ‘State of the Movement: Marijuana Legalization’ spotlight session, results from the most extensive marijuana reform public opinion research ever conducted will be shared. Explore what these results will mean for 2012, and how soon you can expect to see legislative issues like decriminalization and medical marijuana spring up in your state if they haven’t already.

Come learn how to effectively campaign for an end to costly and racist marijuana arrests in the US. In the ‘Marijuana Policing: Targeting Urban Youth’ panel, we’ll dissect the reasons why urban police departments nationwide employ practices such as ‘stop and frisk,’ especially amongst the young and nonwhite population. Permanent drug records, social marginalization, and intense street-level scrutiny will only continue to escalate if we don’t bring an end to the drug war.

Don’t miss your best opportunity to participate in cutting-edge drug policy debates and meet the people who could be your future partners in reform efforts! Register to attend the Reform Conference by September 16^th to receive the Early Bird discount and save $100 off conference rates!

NORMLtv: Marijuana Maverick Dr. Lester Grinspoon at NORMLCON

NORMLtv is proud to present highlights of Dr. Lester Grinspoon’s question and answer session conducted at this year’s NORML Conference. Lester shared very intimate details about his life and efforts in drug law reform. In the segments provided you can hear Dr. Grinspoon discuss how marijuana proved an invaluable aid in helping his son face cancer treatments and about the time he spent with John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

We stand on the precipice of change. Cannabis legalization is becoming an inevitable reality and every one of us has Lester Grinspoon to thank for his hard work in laying the foundation for our movement, and for being an outspoken supporter of drug law reform and NORML for many decades. His insight was greatly appreciated and provided some of the most memorable aspects of this year’s conference.

Easing His Son’s Pain from Cancer Treatments with Marijuana

On Hanging Out with John Lennon and His First High

Previous NORMLCON 2011 Coverage:
Mayoral Debate Feat. Montel Williams – Ziggy Marley: ‘Three Little Birds’
High Times Activist Awards – Day 1 Floor Report – Day 2 Recap – Day 3 Recap

Stay tuned in to NORMLtv by subscribing to our channel or following us on Twitter.

NORMLtv: Remembering Bob Marley

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Bob Marley. On this day, three decades ago, we lost a visionary, musician, activist, and marijuana advocate way before his time. In his honor, NORMLtv is proud to present Ziggy Marley performing his father’s hit “Three Little Birds” live at this year’s NORML Conference.

“Won’t you help me sing, these songs of freedom.”
Bob Marley – (02/06/1945 – 05/11/1981)

Subscribe to NORMLtv or follow us on Twitter for the latest updates. Check out Dr. Lester Grinspoon sharing stories about the time he spent hanging out with John Lennon, posted earlier this week, right here.

NORMLtv: Day 2 & 3 Conference Recaps

Get all the highlights from the last two days of this year’s NORML conference with recaps of Day 2 & Day 3, streaming now on NORMLtv. The agenda this year in Denver was certainly not short on compelling content. The NORML Women’s Alliance discussed how to bridge the “Cannabis Gender Gap,” a sitting United States Congressman endorsed full legalization, and marijuana maverick Lester Grinspoon held an intimate open question and answer session. See clips of these and more in the videos below.

Day 2 – April 22nd

Day 3 – April 23rd

Don’t miss our previous updates including a floor report from Day 1 and coverage from the NORML/HighTimes Activism Awards. Tune in next week for a closer look at the Denver mayoral debate hosted by Montel Williams and Rep. Jared Polis’ keynote address.

In honor of our friend Ben Masel, the great Wisconsin activist who passed away this weekend from lung cancer, NORMLtv will be posting the presentation of his lifetime achievement award from this year’s Activist Awards Ceremony on Monday.

You can get the latest updates from NORMLtv by following us on Twitter.