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

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!

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.

“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.

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.

For now, here is wishing you all a high, happy and safe 4/20.

Well, all right…

Looks like a lot of folks want to convene and talk up cannabis law reform in Denver!

With no further ado…

Please check out the current schedule, which features three confirmed and prominent speakers:

• NORML founder Keith Stroup commenting on NORML at 40-years-old
• Marijuana maverick and Harvard Medical School’s Lester Grinspoon, MD
• Congressman and supporter of legalization Jared Polis (D-CO)

Some equally notable and popular speakers will be announced soon! Check out the conference agenda here.

Register online for the conference here (there are discount rates for senior citizens and students).

Want to stay at the Grand Hyatt, the conference’s host hotel? You’ll have to move fast to snap up the last of these steeply discounted hotel rooms here.

Conference sponsorship packages and vending table opportunities for cannabis-related businesses, services or organizations are still available, though, these too have nearly sold out this year as well. Contact Kim for more information!

Socials and NORML fundraiser: A La Carte
Lastly, this year’s conference planning committee is still working on procuring top-notch musical acts and performers for some of the event’s awesome socials and fundraisers. At this time, the online registration does not have options to sign up for these events, but, the information will be posted online ASAP and directly marketed via email to all conference attendees.

This year’s national conference convenes in the wake of the most important political effort to date to legalize cannabis in the narrow defeat of Prop. 19 in California this past November and in advance of 2012—a year that by all accounts will be the busiest ever regarding legalization initiatives and legislation in a number of states and in the United States Congress.

If you’re concerned with reforming cannabis laws in your lifetime, please make the necessary arrangements to join the cannabis legalization movement’s most important conference—the annual NORML national conference—this April 21-23 in the beautiful and amazingly cannabis-friendly city of Denver, Colorado.

Cannabem liberemus,

Allen St. Pierre
Executive Director
NORML

2010 turned the steady momentum we had built in previous years and amplified it to a near unstoppable force. Nowhere was the enthusiastic spirit more prevalent than at this years annual NORML Conference in Portland, OR. The theme, “Just Say Now!”, was perfectly encapsulated in both the mood and tone of speakers and attendees. With the addition of states such as New Jersey and the District of Columbia to the list of localities legalizing some form of medical use and Proposition 19 only five weeks from the polling booth, there is much to be optimistic about.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The conference’s content reflected this immense progress, but also illuminated the turning point at which we have arrived. It is time for coalition building and outreach, the war on cannabis can only be ended by reaching out to formally overlooked and marginalized groups. These groups, while not necessarily consumers themselves, still suffer from the negative consequences of prohibition and would benefit greatly from its repeal.

Those privileged to attend the conference were treated to some very poignant speeches and discussions. It was hard not to come away impressed by speaking notables such as Alice Huffman of the CA-NAACP, travel guide Rick Steves, musician Greta Gaines, Congressman Earl Blumenauer and Governor Gary Johnson. Fortunately, for those who were unable to attend, we are beginning to populate our YouTube page with new video content captured in Portland. We invite to you visit our site at www.youtube.com/natlnorml and experience some of the conference’s best moments. For now, treat yourself to speeches from show stealers Alice Huffman and Greta Gaines, as well as a recap of the first day of the conference. More will continue to be posted in the coming days.

NORML would like to extend our unending gratitude to all those who contributed to making this event possible. Enjoy the thought provoking speeches and educate others with what you learn. The time has come to liberate cannabis, all we have to do is “Just Say Now!”

There are three important components in this 2010 NORML conference alert:

-Key Speakers

-Early-bird Pricing For Registration Is About To Expire

-Conference Agenda and Speakers Announced

-Key Speakers-

NORML is honored and proud to have the former two-term Governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson (R) address the 39^th annual national NORML conference on Friday, September 10 at the Governor Hotel in Portland, Oregon.

Gary Johnson became the first sitting governor in 2002 to speak at a NORML national conference in Washington. To date, few elected policymakers—and no governor in American history—have been more politically supportive of ending cannabis prohibition than Governor Johnson. As New Mexico’s term-limited governor from 1994-2002, Governor Johnson championed numerous drug policy reforms, including legalizing medical cannabis.

Governor Johnson, a man of both big political ideas and financial means, is an early and declared candidate to be the next U.S. president in 2012 (running a decidedly libertarian-leaning campaign as a Republican) who favors substantial changes to America’s longest and most expensive war—the war on some drugs.

Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D) is a long-serving member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon, who is a co-signer of current federal legislation that would reschedule cannabis to allow its medical use by qualified patients.

Rick Steves, a best-selling travel author and NORML Advisory board member is a longtime supporter of cannabis law reform based on his travel experiences and personal observations, who, in 2008 hosted an ACLU television program called ‘Marijuana: It’s Time for a Conversation’.

-Early-bird Pricing for Registration Is About To Expire; Register Now, Save Money-

After a one month-long period promoting early-bird discount pricing to pre-register for the conference, prices are about to take a turn upwards. Register now to save, especially if you’ve already reserved a room at the sold-out Governor Hotel, overflow hotel Red Lion or live in the greater Portland area. Discount pre-registration pricing ends at midnight (Pacific) Sunday, August 29.

-Conference Agenda and Speakers Announced-

The 39^th annual NORML conference, ‘Just Say Now!’, continues the tradition of inclusiveness, expertise, passion, devotion, experience and celebration of all things cannabis-related—where over fifty speakers from across America will speak on matters ranging from legalization, medicalization, hemp, history, politics, science, law, business and culture.

Don’t delay if you want to be assured a seat at America’s oldest and largest pro-marijuana conference, as it will likely sell out soon (the host hotel and overflow hotels already have…).

Sponsorships and vending tables are still available. Deadline for sponsorships is Aug. 30 and vendors Sept. 7. Check out more conference details or pre-register at www.norml.org/conference

I hope to see you this September in Portland!

At the busiest and most productive time in the cannabis law reform movement’s history, there has never been a better time to attend a national NORML conference!

The 39th annual national NORML conference will be held September 9-11, 2010 at the historic landmark Governor Hotel in downtown Portland, Oregon.

This year’s annual conference is expected to be a quick sell-out because there are a limited number of rooms at the host hotel and conference registrations available than previous national conferences in San Francisco, Berkeley and Los Angeles.

The conference registration, list of speakers and agenda will not be released for a few weeks, but if you really want to attend this year’s conference in Portland I suggest doing the two following items ASAP:

• Save the dates on your calendar
• Reserve your room(s) at the beautiful and centrally located Governor Hotel (all rooms have balconies or windows, and allow medical marijuana smoking)

NORML has negotiated excellent room rates at this historic registry hotel:

• Superior Room ($147/night)
• Deluxe Double or King Size bed ($157/night)
• Junior Parlor Suite ($166/night)

Reserve your room right now for NORML 2010 in Portland by calling 503-802-5802, and please indicate ‘NORML 2010 Annual Conference’ to receive the discount.

Procrastination will not pay! If you snooze, you lose! First come, first served!

Thanks again for all your help and support reforming America’s antiquated cannabis laws, and NORML’s staff and I look forward to seeing longtime supporters, along with new ones, at the organization’s 39th annual national conference in beautiful, progressive and cannabis-friendly Portland, Oregon this September.*

Kind regards!

-Allen St. Pierre

Executive Director

NORML/NORML Foundation

Washington, D.C.

director@norml.org

*Double Bonus: Hempstalk, the largest pro-cannabis rally in Oregon, which is held at a beautiful state park at the confluence of the mighty Columbia and Willamette Rivers, is the same weekend as NORML’s national conference!