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OFFICIAL
N O R M L
National Organization For The Reform Of Marijuana Laws
POLICY
DISCRIMINALIZATION
NORML supports the removal of all criminal and civil penalties for the private
possession of marijuana for personal use. The right of possession should
include other acts incidental to such possession, including cultivating and
transportation for personal use, and the casual, non-profit transfers of small
amounts of marijuana.
REGULATION
NORML advocates a system of marijuana regulation which would include age
restrictions, public health and agricultural controls, and a taxation of
marijuana sold for profit. A well-planned system of marijuana regulation would
discourage abuse, protect public health and safety, reduce crime associated
with marijuana's illicit distribution and raise large amounts of new tax
revenues. Regulation is the inevitable replacement of prohibition.
PERSONAL USE AND POSSESSION
Removal of criminal penalties for the individual who uses marijuana in
private is consistent with traditional American values of personal choice,
individual freedom and the right to privacy. Marijuana reform is not based on
the premise that marijuana use is harmless or that it should be encouraged,
but rather that such use should ambit of individual choice permitted in a free
society. It is a social policy aimed at reducing the harm caused by defining
marijuana users as criminals.
Marijuana reform reduces the immense human, financial, and social
costs of marijuana prohibition by allowing law enforcement efforts to be
concentrated on serious crimes.
NORML is opposed to arbitrary quantity limitations as the standard for
defining what constitutes possession for personal use. Marijuana smokers like
wine drinkers and tobacco smokers, often have more marijuana in their
possession than can be immediately consumed. Similarly, individual usage and
consumption patterns vary greatly. While quantity limitations appear to be a
necessary interim statutory approach to marijuana reform, this law should
reflect the reality of differences in usage patterns and behavior and should
recognize the inherent shortcomings of arbitrary ounce limitations. The right
to possess marijuana for personal use includes the right to grow small amounts
for personal consumption. Removal of criminal penalties for the private
cultivation of marijuana for personal use provides a legal source of supply
for marijuana without the establishment of a legal distribution system.
NON-PROFIT TRANSFERS
The right to possess marijuana should include the right to transfer small
amounts of marijuana between adults for insignificant consideration.
Most smokers share their marijuana with friends, and often the
courtesy is returned. Thus they may purchase more marijuana then they may
personally consume, selling some to friends at cost. Such transfers, involving
little or no profit, should be treated as incidental to personal use, rather
than commercial sale.
DISCOURAGING ABUSE
NORML fully supports a discouragement policy towards the abuse of all drugs,
including alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. NORML particularly discourages the
recreational use of all drugs by children. This policy should be implemented
by a public education campaign aimed at warning users and potential users of
the risks involved with the use of all drugs. Such warnings should reflect an
honest scientific and medical concern.
Most importantly, criminal penalties should not apply to those who use
such drugs, despite warnings to the contrary. The limits of the criminal
sanction must be recognized and not diluted through application to private
social conduct which constitutes no direct threat of harm to others. Society
should have confidence in the ability of informed individuals to make
decisions as to whether they choose to assume whatever personal risks
accompany recreational drug use.
ADOLESCENT USE
NORML is strongly committed to the concept that growing up should be
drug-free. NORML desires to help establish meaningful communication within the
family based on honest health and social consequences related to all drugs.
NORML believes it is popper to restrict the distribution of marijuana to
adults only. NORML strongly discourages the driving of automobiles or other
vehicles while under the influence of marijuana or any other drug, and
recognizes the legitimate public interest in prohibiting such conduct.
MEDICAL RESEARCH
Fuller coordination of the marijuana research conducted by governmental and
private agencies is needed to reduce the narrowness or duplication of effort,
assure diversity of new approaches and new objectives, and to provide
efficient integration of findings into the available body of knowledge.
NORML urges the revision of federal and state laws to make marijuana
legally available for those who would benefit from its medical use, and to
encourage further research of its medical utility.
NORML also urges that a more appropriate federal agency than the
National Institute on Drug Abuse be selected to direct efforts on these ends/
MARIJUANA ERADICATION
NORML is opposed to the use of paraquat and all other chemical or biological
agents intended to destroy or identify marijuana under cultivation in any
country. NORML supports the prohibition of the use of herbicides to spray
marijuana as consistent with the protection of public health and the
environment.
ROLE OF MILITARY LAW ENFORCEMENT
NORML opposes any use of military in civilian domestic law enforcement. NORML
further opposes the use of any military equipment or personnel in the direct
or indirect enforcement of marijuana laws in the United States or on the High
seas.
PUBLIC VERSUS NON-PUBLIC USE
NORML recognizes the individual right of non-smokers not to be subjected to
discomfort, or whatever health risks may arise from the smoking of any
substance in designated non-smoking areas in confined public places. NORML
opposes, however, the use of criminal law to regulate such activities.
DESTRUCTION OF CRIMINAL RECORDS
NORML urges the enactment of legislation to provide for the destruction of the
criminal records of persons arrested or convicted of marijuana offenses prior
to the enactment of legislation repealing criminal penalties for such
offenses. NORML supports the full restoration of all rights and privileges
denied or diminished as the result of prior marijuana arrests or convictions.
NORML believes that statutory distinctions based on potency are neither
desirable nor feasible at the present times. Because of the current usage
patterns and the practical problems inherent in controlling potency in an
unregulated market, distractions between less potent and more potent varieties
are unwarranted, impractical and unfair.
UNLAWFUL SALE
It must be recognized that where personal use and possession of marijuana are
no longer serious crimes, it is both inconsistent and irrational to provide
lengthy prison terms for those who distribute marijuana for profit.
NORML strongly opposes any increase in the current federal and state penalties
pertaining to cultivating, importing or distributing of marijuana.
MARIJUANA RESEARCH AND WOMEN
NORML urges revision of current FDA policies regarding marijuana research and
women. Current regulations severely limit research on women of child-bearing
age, despite the fact that most women who do use marijuana are of that age
group and the use of marijuana by young women is rapidly approaching parity
with males. NORML urges repeal of regulations prohibiting marijuana research
on on consenting and fully informed women, reguardless of age. Further, NORML
urges the National Institute on Drug Abuse and other appropriate agencies to
establish studies on the effects of marijana on woment as a priority issue
and to develop contracts to encourage such research.
SINGLE CONVENTION THEORY
NORML urges the United States government to take appropriate action to remove
marijuana from The Single Convention Treaty on Narcotic Drugs of 1961.
AMERICANS IMPRISONED ABROAD
NORML urges the U.S. Government to work for the protection and the return of
it's citizens imprisoned abroad for drug-related offenses. Expansion and
improvement of consular services and establishment of prisoner exchange
treaties must be considered top priorities in government efforts to safeguard
the human rights and welfare of these prisoners.
NORML also urges the U.S. Government to curtail the illegal activities
of Drug Enforcement Administration agents and other agencies stationed
overseas, and to thoroughly re-evaluate its total international narcotics
control efforts.
Help Fight Back - Support Your Local NORML Chapter!
Northcoast Ohio NORML Chapter
Contact: John Hartman
Phone: +[1]-216-521-WEED