NORML Blog, Marijuana Law Reform » psa http://blog.norml.org Working to reform marijuana laws Tue, 21 May 2013 21:55:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Smoke the Vote: Final Week Election Update http://blog.norml.org/2012/10/30/smoke-the-vote-final-week-election-update/ http://blog.norml.org/2012/10/30/smoke-the-vote-final-week-election-update/#comments Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:52:11 +0000 Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Director http://blog.norml.org/?p=10580

With just one week left until the election, there have been some recent news to report on, including two new campaign ads and several new polls.

WASHINGTON

New Approach Washington, the campaign behind the state’s I-502 to regulate marijuana, has released a new television ad focusing on the ways regulation will help control youth use. In the ad, a Washington mother discusses the issues of the black market and how cannabis legalization can help protect our children. “Young people have easy access to marijuana, and of course drug dealers don’t check IDs,” she states of the current system of prohibition. Regulating marijuana would help solve these problems, she says, it is “just common sense.”

You can view this new advertisement below:

Click here to view the embedded video.




Polling data released last week by Strategies 360 had I-502 at 54% support with opposition trailing at 38%.



COLORADO

The campaign in Colorado supporting Amendment 64 has also released a new television ad, this one focusing on the issues facing our veterans suffering from PTSD. The commercial features a father and returning veteran who is unable to procure the cannabis he needs for his condition under Colorado’s medical marijuana laws. Under the current law, patients suffering with PTSD do not qualify for access, but Amendment 64 would remove criminal penalties for possession and would provide them places of safe retail venues at which to procure their medicine.

“Please vote YES on Amendment 64 so that other vets don’t have to suffer.”

Click here to view the embedded video.



In other news from Colorado, the latest polling from PPP had Amendment 64 leading by ten points, 53% support to 43% opposition. Help us take Colorado to victory by utilizing our online phone banking programs and begin calling Colorado voters from the comfort of your home today! Each dial results in a person that is more likely to vote, and more likely to vote YES. You can use SSDP and NORML’s phonebank to dial voters under 30, or the JustSayNow phonebank for voters over 30.



OREGON

New polling data out of Oregon shows the number of undecided voters is diminishing. Data just released by The Oregonian has support for Measure 80, which would end the state’s marijuana prohibition, at 42% with 49% opposed and 8% still undecided. Previous polling had Measure 80 with 37% support and 41% opposition with 22% undecided. You can help push Measure 80 to success by using JustSayNow’s online phone bank to call voters in Oregon by clicking here.

MASSACHUSETTS

The latest polling out of Massachusetts still has their medical marijuana initiative, Question 3, with a strong lead over its opposition. In data released this week by Suffolk University/7NEWS, Massachusetts voters support Question 3 by a margin of 55% to 36%. This is a slight drop in support from polls earlier in the year, but still very much on the track for passage.

ARKANSAS
The latest polling data coming out of Arkansas shows a rough fight ahead for their ballot initiative to legalize the medical use of marijuana. In a poll conducted Thursday, October 18th, by TalkBusiness and Hendrix College had support for Issue 5 at just 38%, with opposition at 54% and 8% are undecided.

For more information on the initiative and on how you can help legalize medical use of cannabis in Arkansas this November, please visit the campaign’s website at www.arcompassion.com

MICHIGAN
Learn more about the local initiatives up for vote in Michigan here.

Don’t forget to get out and vote! Find your polling place, check your registration status, and read about all the state and local initiatives by using NORML’s 2012 voter guide, Smoke the Vote.

]]> http://blog.norml.org/2012/10/30/smoke-the-vote-final-week-election-update/feed/ 12 Marijuana Legalization Proponents in Washington Unveil First TV Ad http://blog.norml.org/2012/08/06/legalization-proponents-in-washington-unveil-first-tv-ad/ http://blog.norml.org/2012/08/06/legalization-proponents-in-washington-unveil-first-tv-ad/#comments Mon, 06 Aug 2012 18:34:02 +0000 Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Director http://blog.norml.org/?p=9752 The campaign behind I-502, a ballot measure that would end cannabis prohibition in Washington State this fall, unveiled their first TV advertisement in support of the initiative. This commercial kicks off a recently announced million dollar ad campaign, which aims to keep marijuana legalization at the forefront of Washington voters’ minds as we approach November. You can view the ad below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Polling data taken in July by SurveyUSA shows an upward swing in support for the initiative, with 55 percent of likely voters approving of the measure, 32 percent opposing, and 13 percent undecided.

Get all the latest information on cannabis law reform in the 2012 Election by viewing NORML’s voter guide, Smoke the Vote, here.

]]> http://blog.norml.org/2012/08/06/legalization-proponents-in-washington-unveil-first-tv-ad/feed/ 73 This Week in Weed: May 27th – June 2nd (and a new PSA) http://blog.norml.org/2012/06/01/this-week-in-weed-may-27th-june-2nd-and-a-new-psa/ http://blog.norml.org/2012/06/01/this-week-in-weed-may-27th-june-2nd-and-a-new-psa/#comments Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:44:58 +0000 Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Director http://blog.norml.org/?p=9086 This Week in Weed

Click here to subscribe to NORMLtv and receive alerts whenever new content is added.

The latest installment of “This Week in Weed” is now streaming on NORMLtv.

This week: A new study shows cannabis use decreases mortality rate in patients with schizophrenia and related ailments and Rhode Island’s Governor signs a bill allowing for “Compassion Centers.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Also, check out this latest NORML PSA, featuring some great rhyming on the problems of prohibition, submitted to us from artist Will Brennan:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Be sure to tune in to NORMLtv every week to catch up on the latest marijuana news. Subscribe to NORMLtv or follow us on Twitter to be notified as soon as new content is added.

]]> http://blog.norml.org/2012/06/01/this-week-in-weed-may-27th-june-2nd-and-a-new-psa/feed/ 8 Willie Nelson: “I Smoke Pot and it is None of the Government’s Business” http://blog.norml.org/2012/05/15/willie-nelson-i-smoke-pot-and-it-is-none-of-the-governments-business/ http://blog.norml.org/2012/05/15/willie-nelson-i-smoke-pot-and-it-is-none-of-the-governments-business/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 15:31:27 +0000 Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Director http://blog.norml.org/?p=8936 This Week in Weed

Click here to subscribe to NORMLtv and receive alerts whenever new content is added.

NORML Advisory board member, and long time cannabis law reform advocate, Willie Nelson recently filmed a new PSA for NORML. Check it out below or on NORMLtv.

“Let’s get the government out of our private lives, once and for all, and stop arresting smokers. Let’s take a stand for personal freedom.” – Willie Nelson

Click here to view the embedded video.

Be sure to tune in to NORMLtv every week to catch up on the latest marijuana news. Subscribe to NORMLtv or follow us on Twitter to be notified as soon as new content is added.

]]> http://blog.norml.org/2012/05/15/willie-nelson-i-smoke-pot-and-it-is-none-of-the-governments-business/feed/ 87 NORML PSA: Together We Will Win http://blog.norml.org/2012/04/04/norml-psa-together-we-will-win/ http://blog.norml.org/2012/04/04/norml-psa-together-we-will-win/#comments Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:51:24 +0000 Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Director http://blog.norml.org/?p=8556 NORMLtv is now streaming a brand new PSA, entitled “Together We Will Win.”

All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as self evident. Join NORML in our fight to legalize marijuana today and put an end to the War on Drugs. Together we will win.

Watch and Share!

Click here to view the embedded video.

You can receive the latest updates direct from NORMLtv by following us on Twitter or subscribing to our Youtube channel.

]]> http://blog.norml.org/2012/04/04/norml-psa-together-we-will-win/feed/ 19 NORML PSA: Who Would You Rather Your Kids Talk to About Drugs? http://blog.norml.org/2012/02/28/norml-psa-who-would-you-rather-your-kids-talk-to-about-drugs/ http://blog.norml.org/2012/02/28/norml-psa-who-would-you-rather-your-kids-talk-to-about-drugs/#comments Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:37:36 +0000 Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Director http://blog.norml.org/?p=8320 This Week in Weed

Now Streaming on NORMLtv:

New PSA – Who Would You Rather Your Kids Talk to About Drugs?

Misinformation about marijuana, from programs such as DARE, distort our children’s understanding of the real world ramifications of marijuana use. It is up to the parents to have a rational conversation with their kids, educate them, and help them to make the right decisions. Legalizing marijuana demystifies the substance, moves it from the street corner to behind the counter, and creates safer communities free of uncontrolled drug violence and circulation. Please watch and share our latest public service announcement.

Click here to view the embedded video.

You can subscribe to NORMLtv by clicking here and receive alerts when new content is posted. We also post updates through our Twitter account.

Watch. Share. Educate. Legalize.

]]> http://blog.norml.org/2012/02/28/norml-psa-who-would-you-rather-your-kids-talk-to-about-drugs/feed/ 44 NORML PSA: Do You Know Where Your Police Are? http://blog.norml.org/2011/08/04/norml-psa-do-you-know-where-your-police-are/ http://blog.norml.org/2011/08/04/norml-psa-do-you-know-where-your-police-are/#comments Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:21:04 +0000 Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Director http://blog.norml.org/?p=6571 NORMLtv is now streaming a new public service announcement highlighting the unfortunate consequences that arise when precious law enforcement resources are misappropriated due to enforcement of marijuana prohibition.

If states were allowed to experiment with models of decriminalization and legalization they would be able to re-prioritize law enforcement to more effectively combat violent crime. Every 12 seconds a house is burglarized in the United States, with only an estimated 13 percent of these criminals ever being brought to justice. Meanwhile, a marijuana smoker is arrested every 35 seconds in this country. The process of which can take a police officer off of the street for hours. With 1.3 million violent crimes and 9.3 million property crimes being committed annually, you have to ask yourself:

Do you know where your police are?

Subscribe to NORMLtv for the latest updates or follow us on Twitter.

]]> http://blog.norml.org/2011/08/04/norml-psa-do-you-know-where-your-police-are/feed/ 28 Reefer Madness: Alive And Well In The Federal Government! http://blog.norml.org/2011/06/24/reefer-madness-alive-and-well-in-the-federal-government/ http://blog.norml.org/2011/06/24/reefer-madness-alive-and-well-in-the-federal-government/#comments Fri, 24 Jun 2011 20:45:48 +0000 Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Director http://blog.norml.org/?p=6300 Almost as if on cue from a movie director, the head of the Judiciary Committee in the US House of Representatives, ‘conservative’ Republican from Texas Lamar Smith, has provided both cannabis law reformers and the general public a typical up-close view of why the US Congress—the creator of Cannabis Prohibition laws in 1937 and later the Controlled Substances Act of 1970—rarely seems to work the way it was intended. One person, either ignorant or uninformed, can block consideration of a controversial political issue if he or she wishes to do so. And the ability to do this only increases with time, as the legislator gains seniority and become a committee or subcommittee chairperson.

Rep. Smith, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, responded to press inquiries yesterday about the new federal legalization bill, that will be referred to his committee, saying he had no intention of considering the bill, or even giving it a public hearing. Unfortunately, under current Congressional rules, a committee chairman is given great discretion regarding what bills to consider, and which to ignore, and it is only when another member or members of that committee, or the general public, make a big deal out of it that sometimes one can overcome the stiff opposition of a committee chair.

One promising fact is that the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. John Conyers, JR, is a co-sponsor of HB 2306, and should serve as a counter-balance to the opposition of the chairman.

Smith’s anti-cannabis salvo against the new legalization bill should inspire cannabis consumers and activists to redouble their efforts this year to get as many co-sponsors as possible for HR 2306, and to recruit and elect political candidates to Congress who no longer embrace reefer madness or favor continuing—possibly for another 74 years—the status quo of arresting another cannabis consumer every 35 seconds in America.

NORML and our supporters decided to reach out to Representative Smith today, to let him know we considered HR 2306 sound public policy that deserved a hearing. Instead of addressing the concerns of the general public, Smith removed his page from Facebook and wiped it clean of any and all comments posted in support of the bill. Further commenting was also disabled on the page. Once one too many calls began coming into his congressional offices and the extension for the House Judiciary Committee, a prerecorded message was posted stating that his office was closed (it wasn’t, their operating hours on Friday are posted as until 6pm EST).

Even President Barack Obama has stated he considers legalization a legitimate topic for debate, so why is Rep. Lamar Smith stonewalling the legislation?

NORMLtv is now streaming a new PSA targeting Smith and his refusal to engage this issue in a productive and rational way, which you can view above. We encourage you to continue contacting the chairman through his contact information listed below.

Rep. Lamar Smith
DC Office: 202-225-4236 (8:30 am- 6:00 pm EST)
TX Office: 210-821-5024 (8:00 am- 5:00 pm CT)
Web: http://lamarsmith.house.gov/

You can also use NORML’s Take Action Center by clicking here and easily message your elected officials to encourage their support of this important legislation. Over 3,000 of you already have, let’s keep the pressure on!

We appreciate your support and especially want to thank those who have been helping us push this issue today with Chairman Smith. We will be back in touch soon to ask for your further help as we find new ways to push this new legislation forward.

Subscribe to NORMLtv or follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on the latest marijuana news and further updates on HR2306.

]]> http://blog.norml.org/2011/06/24/reefer-madness-alive-and-well-in-the-federal-government/feed/ 201 NORML PSA: Willie Nelson Urges You to Support the End of Federal Marijuana Prohibition http://blog.norml.org/2011/06/23/norml-psa-willie-nelson-urges-you-to-support-the-end-of-federal-marijuana-prohibition/ http://blog.norml.org/2011/06/23/norml-psa-willie-nelson-urges-you-to-support-the-end-of-federal-marijuana-prohibition/#comments Thu, 23 Jun 2011 21:45:43 +0000 Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Director http://blog.norml.org/?p=6269 Today, a bi-partisan group of representatives introduced the first federal bill since 1937 aimed at ending marijuana prohibition. To coincide with the bill’s introduction NORML is launching a new public service announcement featuring NORML Advisory Board member, country music icon, and cannabis enthusiast Willie Nelson. In the video below, Willie calls on you to support this important legislation and to contact your elected officials and encourage them to do the same.

NORML has launched a bill specific Facebook page, where you can keep up to date on all the latest information. It can be accessed here. You can also utilize our Take Action Center to contact your elected officials and urge them to support HR 2306, the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011, here.

Subscribe to NORMLtv or follow us on Twitter to stay posted on all the latest video content coming from NORML, including much more on this important legislation.

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