Cannabis Community, Take Action: Join NORML In Championing Cannabis Freedom And Fairness

• By Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director

Recently, I provided testimony to lawmakers in Maryland in support of legislation to end the discrimination of marijuana consumers in the workplace. Days earlier, I testified for legislators in Hawaii and I called for the automatic expungement of records for those saddled with marijuana convictions.

In South Carolina, members of the Senate recently advanced legislation providing medical cannabis access to qualified patients. In New Hampshire, House members approved a bill legalizing marijuana possession for adults. And in Virginia, NORML is leading the charge for the governor’s approval of legislation to finally allow adult-use retail cannabis sales.

In all, NORML and its affiliates are currently lobbying on behalf of over 60 cannabis-related bills in 20 states, including legal states where responsible cannabis consumers still face various forms of discrimination and penalties. And you are helping us move the ball forward. In the past six weeks, dedicated NORML activists like you have provided over 30,000 communications to state officials supporting pro-reform legislation.

In Florida alone, NORML supporters have generated well over 5,000 communications in the past few weeks. Their outreach helped kill efforts to impose restrictive THC potency caps on certain cannabis products.

Your participation in these statewide legislative debates is crucial! Lawmakers are increasingly hearing from business interests, not from consumers and grassroots advocates. That is why it is more important than ever that NORML maintains a seat at the table to ensure that consumers’ interests are heard and taken seriously. With your continued support and activism, we cannot be ignored.

For those of you who have already taken action this year, thank you. For those who haven’t, please visit NORML’s Take Action Center and send a message to your state elected officials right now. After you have done so, please give to NORML so that we can continue to represent you and advance the cause of cannabis freedom.

This article is from an external unpaid contributor. It does not represent Benzinga's reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.