How can I help?

Because the marijuana smoking community remains largely "in the closet" and is all too often invisible politically, our core constituency currently exercises far less political power than our numbers would otherwise suggest. The only way to overcome this handicap is for more of us to take an active role, and routinely contact our elected representatives.

A majority of the New Zealand public opposes sending marijuana smokers to jail, and most support the medical use of marijuana. Yet many elected officials remain fearful that if they support these reform proposals, they will be perceived as "soft" on crime and drugs and defeated at the next election.

Tell your elected officials that you know the difference between marijuana and more dangerous drugs and between marijuana smoking and violent crime, and that you do not support spending millions of dollars per year incarcerating nonviolent marijuana smokers.

Additionally, we encourage you to join NORML and help us with this fight for personal freedom. We depend on contributions from private individuals to fund our educational and lobbying campaign, and our ability to move reform efforts forward is partially a question of resources. Please join with us and let's end marijuana prohibition, once and for all.

There are plenty of other things you can do to help end marijuana prohibition, depending on how your time, interest and skills allow:

• Look around this site and inform yourself. Spread the word to others - send them an email or ask them to check out www.norml.org.nz

• Write to newspapers in response to published articles or letters about cannabis. Don't let them get away with biased or unbalanced reporting, and also congratulate them if they do a good job. The more feedback they get about this issue, they more likely they are to cover it again.

• Call talk-back radio and raise some points about cannabis law reform. Call in if someone else is talking about cannabis. Try and promote common points of interest, and solutions to problems (for example, it is often said that we must "protect the children" - we agree, which is why we want to see cannabis sold in a controlled manner with an age limit of 18 years old)

• Resist cannabis prohibition in any way you can. Declare yourself a "Prohibition-Free Zone" and stop following this law. Smoke wherever you want to (within reason - see our principles for responsible marijuana use).

• Stand up for your rights. Never consent to a search and make your objections known. Never plead guilty in court - be a roaring lion! Stand up for your convictions and make them work for a conviction.

• Send your MP your roaches. Plant seeds in public places. Come to our rallies and events like J Day.

• Get involved with NORML. Become an activist for law reform. Help with the Norml News magazine or with this web site. Donate money or services to help the cause - you may own or work in a business and can donate the kinds of things we need. You can also be a local distribution point for our leaflets, Norml News magazines, postcards, etc. Contact us to be added to our network of activists.

12/02/01 Cannabis Inquiry Sparks Interest - 500 submissions received
Cannabis Inquiry Activist Guide
11/99 NORML election guide - or in PDF format
20/8/98 Health Select Committee Inquiry on mental health effects of cannabis