NORML-NJ Meetings Yield New Activities, Board Members and Director

NORML-NJ lit sign

Toms River 6/27/09 – Chris Goldstein

The Garden State is growing a bumper crop of reform and recent NORML-NJ meetings have yielded a Green Dream Team of motivated marijuana advocates.

On June 27, 2009 the Jersey locals gathered for an official meeting of the NORML-NJ Board of Trustees followed by a well-attended Open Meeting. The non-profit group filled its governing Board, created new committees and initiated new campaigns to increase cannabis reform activity in New Jersey.

Here’s the team:

Frederic DiMaria, Jr., Esq. - Chairman of the NORML-NJ Board, is a Lodi based criminal defense attorney. Mr. DiMaria has handled hundreds of marijuana violation cases and plans to begin blogging about marijuana legal issues on the NORML-NJ website.

Anne Davis, Esq., Chair of the NORML-NJ Development Committee, is an attorney specializing in Family Law. Ms. Davis has instructed at Farleigh-Dickinson University in New Jersey and has been active on the National NORML Legal Committee.

Allan Marain, Esq. is a New Brunswick based criminal defense attorney who is an expert in defending cannabis consumers against prohibition laws.

William Buckman, Esq. – Mr. Buckman is a criminal defense attorney based in Moorestown who also specializes in civil rights litigation. Mr. Buckman won a landmark case involving racial profiling of drivers by the NJ State Police.

Rick Cusick – Mr. Cusick is the Associate Publisher of High Times Magazine; his writing on the topic of cannabis is known around the world. He plans to be very active on the NORML-NJ Board.

Ken Wolski, R.N. and Jim Miller: Mr. Wolski is a Registered Nurse who, with fellow NORML-NJ Board Member Jim Miller, co-founded the Coalition for Medical Marijuana – New Jersey. Both Mr. Wolski and Mr. Miller have been instrumental to NJ medical marijuana legislative efforts.

Nicole DiMaria, Esq. is a corporate attorney specializing in Health Law.

Georgine DiMaria is a patients’ rights and health advocate and former Miss New Jersey.

Paul Schroeder, M.P.T. is a licensed physical therapist who takes a keen interest in the medical aspect of cannabis reform.

Jeffrey Glock brings his marketing and web design skills to the organization to assist with web-based advocacy.

Delia Pratico is a paralegal and future attorney who has participated in National NORML Conferences and Legal seminars.

Chris Goldstein - A longtime marijuana advocate and founder of NORML’s Daily AudioStash podcast, he has been very active with the medical cannabis effort in NJ and PA. Mr. Goldstein was selected to serve as Executive Director of NORML-NJ. 

During the June 27 meetings, NORML-NJ also solidified several new activism campaigns, including initiatives to pursue Lowest Law Enforcement Priority ordinances in targeted cities and towns. The organization is planning several NORML-NJ Open Meetings and awareness events in locations around the state to recruit residents into the cannabis reform effort.

Activists were invited into a beautiful Tom’s River, NJ home to convene the meetings. After the business was addressed, attendees we able to network and socialize with Rick’s fireside chat a definite highlight of the evening!

Elected officials and the public are not only realizing the benefits of cannabis reform in place around the country but want these concepts integrated into their local communities soon. As the new Executive Director of NORML-NJ, I promise we will help make that happen here in the Garden State.

www.normlnj.org