Salon invites you to “meet the marijuana moms”

(Salon) Who do you imagine spoke at September’s 38th Annual NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) conference in San Francisco? Perhaps some comedians? Some aging hippie drug-policy wonks? A “High Times” staffer or two? Well, yes. All of those people took their turn at the mic.

Well, yes, and more than few prominent defense attorneys, medical doctors, research scientists, professional athletes, and journalists.  Go on…

But so did Jessica Corry, who describes herself as a “Republican mom.” According to The Washington Post’s Kathleen Parker, Corry stepped up to the podium “wearing an American flag lapel pin, a triple strand of pearls and a gold marijuana leaf pin.”

“If we believe that smaller government is better government, we must trust people to choose what to put into their bodies. If we support legalized access to alcohol, cigarettes, and 700-calorie cheeseburgers, we should legalize marijuana — a far less harmful substance.”

But, honestly, Parker and Corry don’t entirely sell me on the idea that marijuana is becoming a women’s issue. Sure, the connections between responsible parenting and attitudes toward criminalization of the drugs — in both its recreational and medical capacities — are growing clearer. Yet, for me, the “toking point” Parker is talking about doesn’t seem particularly gender-based. That a self-described “Republican mom” advocates legalization is, more than anything, a sign that the issue is gaining mainstream support. Across the political spectrum, NORML is finally becoming more, well, normal.

No, actually, NORML has always been very normal, it is just that our mainstream supporters could not openly admit their support.  We’ve always had doctors, lawyers, teachers, students, police, soldiers, Republicans, Democrats, moms, dads, grandmas, and grandpas on our side, but only the “hippies” were brave enough and/or had nothing to lose by openly supporting cannabis re-legalization.