NC NORML would like to wish you and your loved ones a very, very Happy New Year!
There’s a lot coming up this year, including a whole month of 4/20! As you reflect on 2019 and look forward to making positive changes in 2020, remember to think about the influence of cannabis on your world, both in your personal life and the world around you... whether it's the choice of a potentially helpful substance for medical issues or the criminal justice system impacts.
As we continue to advocate for the reform of marijuana laws, it’s important to remember that cannabis is not harmless. While it is relatively safe compared to other substances, both legal and illegal, THC is known to have psychoactive effects that may present a risk for vulnerable populations such as adolescents, pregnant or nursing mothers, or patients with particular conditions.1 NORML advocates that prohibition laws be repealed to the extent that they criminalize responsible cannabis use, and have established "Principles of Responsible Cannabis Use." As you look forward to the new year, we hope you’ll follow the five principles, linked here: https://norml.org/principles . Of course, these risks do not justify the senseless prohibition we’ve all been subjected to. And wouldn’t it be nice if your doctor actually could help you decide what’s best for you?
Let us not forget about all the potential medical uses for cannabis, a list that continues to grow while our lawmakers fail to act. Cannabis is known to provide some degree of relief for chronic pain, epilepsy, HIV, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and so many more! Certainly all that we stand to gain from access to safe, legal cannabis outweighs the perceived risks; how could it be that with all we know, cannabis is still illegal in North Carolina?
That’s where you come in.
Let’s make 2020 our year and join the other 11 states (and D.C.!) that have put their foot down and called for an end to cannabis prohibition. We can make it happen for NC, but it’s going to take us working together across the state for these changes to get through the General Assembly. Check out the actions below to find out how you can take the first steps toward making a difference!
To take immediate action after you finish reading (Footnotes follow this):
- Get your 2020 NC NORML Membership, new options here: https://tinyurl.com/NCNORMLMember
- Check out our “Help Wanted” blog and learn how you can get involved: https://www.ncnorml.org/help-wanted/
- Review NORML’s "Principles of Responsible Cannabis Use." https://norml.org/principles
- Our next Board Chat is scheduled for Thursday, January 16, 8:00 PM! Follow our YouTube channel to make sure you’re notified when we begin. http://youtube.com/ncnorml?
As always:
- If you aren’t on our email list or have friends, family, and neighbors who aren’t, sign up at ncnorml.org/get-involved/ (NOTE: If you already completed the form and didn’t know who your reps were or their positions, you can re-submit it. We will take care of cleaning up duplicates.)
- You can also stay up-to-date by following NC NORML on Facebook facebook.com/NCNORML, Instagram www.instagram.com/ncnorml, YouTube youtube.com/c/NCNORML, or Twitter twitter.com/NC_NORML and check in on our website at www.ncnorml.org. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/c/NCNORML and check out our monthly Board Chats. We also have regional Facebook pages that you can join to have conversations with your NORML neighbors.
#NCNORML
#TakeAction
#5MinuteActions
#LegalizeIt
1 https://norml.org/library/cannabis-mental-health-and-context-the-case-for-regulation
2 https://norml.org/library/recent-research-on-medical-marijuana