You should join DFW NORML

I went to my first DFW NORML meeting last night and came away very impressed. Really good speakers and a lot of very friendly and enthusiastic supporters. Over 120 people showed up on a holiday weekend, which is something I wouldn’t have thought possible 10 years ago.

When I first started blogging legalization and reform of marijuana laws was still not a mainstream topic. Locally in Kaufman County I know at least a few people thought it was a strange issue for me to champion. Back then we had a few medical marijuana states, but no where near the momentum we have now.  It’s rare now that I discuss marijuana prohibition with anyone under 40 who thinks it’s a successful program that should be continued. The game has changed folks, and momentum is on the side of freedom and growing every day. Much more media attention on the issue, polls are showing that political majorities across the country support reform, and the scientific evidence for marijuana’s medicinal qualities is too strong to question at this point (unless you’re the DEA).

That’s the good news. The bad news, we still live in Texas and authoritarian social conservatives still exert too much influence on the political process. We can fix things in the Lone Star State, but like any political movement more people need to get involved. The best way to do that is to join your local NORML chapter.

Problem number 1 is that younger Texas don’t vote. Younger Texans, you are the cannon fodder for the war on drugs in Texas. We arrest a lof of Texans under 25 for simple pot possession.  Why? Because the criminal justice system needs fresh victims to keep all the bureaucrats busy, and politically powerless victims are preferred because they don’t have influence. If you want to change this you need to make your voice heard in the process. One person can’t do much, but groups like DFW NORML can exponentially expand your voice and have some effect on the system.

It’s always weird going to a new group meeting for the first time. I get it, it’s like the high school cafeteria and you don’t know who to sit with on the first day. The group has an active facebook page, and they are very welcoming. If you can’t make a meeting, just start commenting. It’s a good time to be involved in reform because this is the generation that will see cannabis prohibition end.

The next meeting is December 28th at Club Dada. You should go.