NORML Update….

Zogby Poll: Three Out Of Four Voters Oppose DEA’s Medical Marijuana Raids — Agency Continues To Bust State-Authorized Pot Dispensaries Despite President’s Promise To End Federal Raids
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DEA Seizes Cannabis, Cash At Four California Facilities This Week

Los Angeles, CA: Nearly three out of four American voters say that President Barack Obama should uphold his campaign pledge to halt federal intervention in states that allow for the use and distribution of medical marijuana by authorized patients, according to a national poll of 1,053 likely voters by Zogby International and commissioned by the NORML Foundation.

Seventy-two percent of respondents said that President Obama should “stop federal raids against medical marijuana providers in the 13 states where medical marijuana has become legal.” Only 21 percent of respondents said that he should continue the raids.

While campaigning for the presidency, Obama pledged not to use Justice Department resources to try and circumvent state (medical marijuana) laws.”

Since President Obama took office two weeks ago, the US Drug Enforcement Administration has undertaken at least seven separate raids of state-authorized medical marijuana providers in California and Colorado. On Wednesday, DEA officials, acting without the cooperation of state or local law enforcement agencies, served federal search warrants on at least four Los Angeles based medical marijuana collectives. Agents seized medicine, cash, financial records, and computers, but did not make any arrests.

California NORML Coordinator Dale Gieringer called the DEA’s most recent raids legalized piracy.”

Several national news outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, denounced the DEA’s actions.

Commenting on the results of the Zogby poll, NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said, Seventy-two percent of the American public has said ‘enough is enough.’ They want to see an end to the DEA’s callous and unscrupulous conduct in California and in the other twelve states that have legalized the medicinal use of cannabis. President Obama, it is time for you to keep your word and to bring and end to DEA’s morally bankrupt behavior.”

This may well be happening, because in today’s Washington Times White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said, The president believes that federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws, and as he continues to appoint senior leadership to fill out the ranks of the federal government, he expects them to review their policies with that in mind.”

Zogby conducted the poll on January 29-31, 2009. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.

For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500, or Dale Gieringer, California NORML Coordinator, at (415) 563-5858. Additional information is available online at: http://www.canorml.org or http://www.canorml.org/news/obamaraids.html.

NORML Responds To Phelp’s Pot-Smoking Controversy
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Washington, DC: Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps and tens of millions of other successful Americans have smoked marijuana; America’s laws should reflect this fact not deny it, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano wrote on The Hill.com’s influential Congress blog this week.

The Hill is a popular Washington, DC publication that is widely read by members of Congress and their staff.

Armentano writes: Sure, there will be some who will say that this latest chapter in Phelp’s life is deserving of criticism because the 14-time gold medalist is sending a poor message to young children. And what message would that be? That you can occasionally smoke marijuana and still be successful in life. Well sorry if the truth hurts.”

Earlier this week, Phelps acknowledged that he used marijuana while attending a college party in November. A photograph of Phelps smoking cannabis at the party appeared in a British tabloid on Sunday.

To date, more than 200 readers have posted feedback to NORML‘s commentary, making it one of the most commented on essays in Hill.com history.

Full text of Armentano’s editorial, Why condemn Phelps when we ought to condemn the laws that brand him a criminal,” is available online at: http://tinyurl.com/b2aqg3.

Vote Online For The Winner Of NORML‘s $10,000 Ad Contest
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Washington, DC: Online voting is now open for the third annual NORML ad challenge.

NORML‘s staff and members of its Board of Directors have selected 25 finalists in this year’s NORML ad contest: What Should Obama Do About Pot?”

The grand prize winner, as selected by the public, will receive a $3,500 award, and will have their ad featured on local cable television. Runners up will receive cash prize rewards.

Commenting on the contest, NORML Executive Director said: This year’s NORML ad challenge has been a smashing success. NORML received more entries, and a greater variety of entries, than ever before. To date, over 100,000 people have viewed NORML‘s videos on websites like youtube.com – enabling us to make our message available to tens of thousands of viewers who might not otherwise be aware of the growing movement to reform America’s archaic and punitive marijuana laws.”

Online voting ends at midnight (PST) on Sunday, February 8, 2009.

To vote in this year’s contest, please visit: http://www.norml.org.

• http://tinyurl.com/kmv9eu