As the issue of cannabis legalization heats up so too does the discussion of women and cannabis use. At this week’s national NORML conference in Portland (Oregon) there is a panel ‘Women, Cannabis and Respect’ hosted by the NORML Women’s Alliance.

Via Jerri Merritt’s very popular TalkLeft: A leading Canadian magazine for marijuana reform, Skunk, has devoted its current issue to “lady legalizers.” Among the features: “The Top 100 Women of Weed.”

Thanks to Skunk for including me in the list. The list is pretty impressive with some names that surprised me: Arianna Huffington, Barbra Streisand, actress Kate Hudson and clothing designer Stella McCartney.

The list is heavier on activists, actresses and singers than attorneys, which makes me even more appreciative to be included. Examples: [See More Below....]

Mary Louise Parker, Alanis Morrisette, Bette Midler, Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Melissa Etheridge, and Francis McDormand.

Also making the cut: My good pals Anita Thompson (Owl Farm, where I am headed for Labor Day Weekend, rock star editor Shelby Sadler and conservative activist and Denver attorney, Jessica Correy, who is on the same floor as me and the TL kid in our new office digs.

For women who want to get more involved in legalization efforts, I recommend the NORML Women’s Alliance.

The NORML Women’s Alliance is a nonpartisan coalition of prominent, educated, successful, geographical diverse and high-profile professional women who believe that marijuana prohibition is a self-destructive and hypocritical policy that undermines the American family, sends a mixed and false message to our young people, and destroys the cherished principles of personal liberty and local self-government.

Marijuana prohibition makes the difficult job of parenting even more difficult by the state and federal governments not actually controlling marijuana use, cultivation or distribution–notably by American youth.

These diverse women will bring a contemporary approach to the public policy debate, and will proudly represent the interests of modern, mainstream women who believe that the negative consequences of marijuana prohibition far outweigh any repercussions from marijuana consumption itself.

The NORML Women present a core group of national spokeswomen ready to interact with the public and the media on the important issue of marijuana legalization.

Allen St.Pierre, NORML’s outstanding Executive Director, has this to say about the Women’s Alliance:

“The prominent role of women in the effort to end marijuana prohibition is pivotal, necessary, and long overdue. According to recent national opinion polls by Gallup and others, the dramatic rise in the public’s support of marijuana law reform is being driven primarily by an increase in support among America’s women. The NORML Women’s Alliance will bring a contemporary approach to the public policy debate, and will proudly represent the interests of modern, mainstream women who believe that the negative consequences of marijuana prohibition far outweigh any repercussions from marijuana consumption itself.”

NORML’s Women’s Alliance was founded in January, 2010. I am one of its charter members. It’s goals:

• The NORML Women’s Alliance believes that the fiscal priorities of marijuana prohibition are wasting billions of dollars on a failed policy.
• The NORML Women’s Alliance believes that marijuana prohibition violates states’ rights, and improperly expands the reach of government into the families and personal lives of otherwise law-abiding citizens.
• The NORML Women’s Alliance advocates for an open, honest conversation about marijuana with America’s youth that is void of all propaganda and misleading information.
• The NORML Women’s Alliance endorses the science-based evidence regarding the therapeutic applications of medical marijuana as well as the continuation of research into the subject.
• The NORML Women’s Alliance strongly opposes the sexual exploitation and objectification of women in pot-culture and business marketing.

You can get additional information about the Women’s Alliance here. If this is your issue, come and join us as we contribute our time and ideals to making a long-held dream for many, particularly those suffering from chronic pain, come true.

As Grace Slick would say, “It’s a new dawn.

From Celebstoner’s write up of the 100 Women of Weed:

Canada’s leading pot magazine has devoted its latest issue to lady legalizers, distaff danksters, gorgeous growers and just about everything female, including cannabis of course. According to Skunk, these are the most “influential women of the cannabis world.” (Note that the list skews heavily towards Canadian activists and actually includes 114 women.)

In alphabetical order:

Carolyn “Mountain Girl” Adams – ex-wife of Jerry Garcia
Rebecca Ambrose – Vancouver Seed Bank

Elena Babescu – Romanian President’s daughter*
Drew Barrymore – actress
Lynn Belle-Isle – Canadian AIDS Society
Joan Bello – author of The Benefits of Marijuana
Sarah Bergeron – activist
Hilary Black – BC Compassion Club Society
Natalie Bouchard – activist
Bong Pixie – Toronto Hash Mob
Dr. Susan Boyd – author

Sarah Cannon – activist
Rielle Capler – Canadians for Safe Access
Tamara Cartwright – Southern Alberta Cannabis Club
Danni Cherish – activist
Loretta Clark – activist
Shelby Chong – comedienne, wife of Tommy Chong
Valerie Corral – WAMM
Jessica Corry – attorney
Cathy Couch – activist
Adrienne Curry – model

Joy Davies – City Councilor, Grand Forks, B.C.
Libby Davies – member of Canadian Parliament
Dragonfly de la Luz – writer
Dora Dempster – Vancouver Medicinal Cannabis
Cameron Diaz – actress
Sarah Diesel – Oaksterdam University
Barbara Douglas – federal medical-cannabis patient
Melanie Dreher – editor
Ann Druyan – NORML board member, wife of Carl Sagan

Barabara Ehrenreich – NORML advisory board member, author
Jodi Emery – Cannabis Culture, wife of Marc Emery
Eva Ends – SAFER
Melissa Etheridge – musician

Anna Faris – actress
Debbie Fagin – Calgary 420
Vycki Fleming – activist
Megan Fox – actress
Toni Fox – activist
Dr. Esther Fride – scientist (RIP)

Ann Genovy – activist
Debby Goldsberry – Berkeley Patients Group
Crystal Guess – activist

Shirley Halperin – author of Pot Culture
Deb Harper – DrugSense
Hemptress December – activist
Jeannie Herer – wife of Jack Herer
Kate Hudson – actress
Ariana Huffington – Huffington Post, DPA honorary board member

Mila Jansen – Ice-o-later
Jasmin – breeder
Debbie Jeffries – activist
Dr. Claudia Jensen – researcher (RIP)

Mari Kane – publisher
Jane Klein – Quick Trading Co., wife of Ed Rosenthal
Lisa Mamakind Kirkland – Skunk

Stephanie Landa – Landa Prison Outreach
Kay Lee – activist
Kathy Lewis – Oregon NORML
Sarah Lovering – MPP
Tara Lyons – Canadian SSDP

Kristen Mann – activist
Alison Margolin – L.A.’s Dopest Attorney
Rita Marley – singer, wife of Bob Marley
Jean Marlowe – WONPR
Madeline Martinez – NORML board member
Mary Lynn Mathre – Patients Out of Time
Stella McCartney – fashion designer, daughter of Paul McCartney
Cher Ford McCollough – WONPR
Francis McDormand – actress
Jeralyn Merritt – attorney
Bette Midler – singer, actress, activist
Cheryl Miller – patient activist (RIP)
Corinne Millet – federal medical-cannabis patient
Alanis Morissette – musician, actress on Weeds
Elvy Musikka – federal medical-cannabis patient
MzJill – breeder

Loretta Nall – Alabama Compassionate Care
Mikki Norris – West Coast Leaf

Mary Louise-Parker - actress, star of Weeds

Puff Mama – medibles baker

Gayle Quin – CBCC

Angel McClarey Raich – medical-cannabis patient
Michelle Rainey – Treating Yourself
Mary Jane “Brownie Mary” Rathbun – medibles baker (RIP)
Judith Renaud – EFSDP
Stephanie Ritch – activist
Vanessa Rivers – model
Danna Rosek – activist
Marjorie Russell – attorney

Pauline Saban – WONPR (RIP)
Shelby Sadler – NORML Women’s Alliance
Sarah Saiger – Bambu
Tian Scherer – model
Nicole Seguin – WhyProhibition
Steph Sherer – ASA
Cheryl Shuman – Beverly Hills Cannabis Club
Sarah Silverman -comedienne, actress
McKenna Stephens – Marijuana Radio
Kristen Stewart – actress
Barbara Streisand – singer, actress
Sarah Strongarm – writer
Nadine Strossen – ACLU
Debbie Stultz-Giffin – MUMM

The WeedGeezs – breeders
Anita Thompson – wife of Hunter S. Thompson
Alice B. Toklas – brownie baker (RIP)
Pebble Tribbett – activist

Jennifer Valley – Stoney Girl Gardens

Watermelon – model, medibles baker
Karen Watson – entrepreneur
Sita Von Windheim – Green Harvest

April Yaroslausky – Edmonton 420

Dr. Lynn Zimmer – sociologist, author of Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts (RIP)

* have no idea why she’s on the list

These “women of weed” were omitted from the list:

Mischa Barton – stoner starlet
Ani DiFranco – musician, MPP advisory board member
Dr. Jocelyn Elders – former Surgeon General, MPP advisory board member, DPA honorary board member
Sabrina Fendrick – NORML
Paris Hilton – stoner starlet
Dr. Julie Holland – editor of The Pot Book
Ellen Komp – California NORML
Natasha “Vaporella” Lewin – High Times
Mishka – French activist
Mae “Grandma Marijuana” Nutt – activist (RIP)
Michelle Phillips – singer, MPP advisory board member
Amy Poehler – comedienne, actress
Marsha Rosenbaum – DPA
Susan Sarandon – actress, MPP advisory board member
Deborah Small – Break the Chains