Be an Activist: What you can do to help us legalize cannabis!

With the fight to end cannabis prohibition in New York State at a climactic moment, you may be wondering what you can do to help make your voice heard.

Write a Letter to the editor

Writing a letter to the editor (LTE) is a perfect example of how everyday people can make a big impact. Everyone from everyday people to local, state and even federal officials read the editorial sections of their local newspapers. Elected officials take them into account when trying to figure out where their constituents stand on a controversial, high profile issue like legalization. This is an excellent way to get positive media coverage for ending cannabis prohibition while also engaging the community to think about the issue differently.

Read more about: How to write a Letter to the Editor (Amnesty USA)

Speak with your elected officials

When advocating for a change in New York State law, you need to identify and communicate with your State Senator and Assembly member. These are the men and women who are actually in Albany negotiating and voting on those changes, and their primary job is to represent you and the rest of their constituency.

Look up your elected officials on NORML’s website: https://vote.norml.org/

Become a Member of NY NORML

New York is a busy place, filled with busy people. Besides your time, you can shotgun the cause by joining Empire State NORML. By donating to Empire State NORML, our members give us the resources we need to communicate our vision for legalized cannabis in New York. Empire State NORML is a purely volunteer run 501(c)4 non-profit organization and we’re largely funded by small donations. Large or small, every contribution matters!

Start SMART (Sensible Marijuana Access through Regulated Trade) New York is the campaign dedicated to ending cannabis prohibition in New York. We believe that it’s time to stop the ineffective, racially biased, and unjust enforcement of cannabis prohibition and to create a new, well regulated, and inclusive cannabis industry that’s rooted in racial and economic justice. Empire State NORML is a member and pillar group of the campaign coalition, led by the New York office of the Drug Policy Alliance.

People can join the coalition as an individual: http://smart-ny.com/join/participate-as-individual/
Organizations can join the growing list of campaign supporters: http://smart-ny.com/join/participate-as-organization/