We get a lot of emails at NORML with very enthusiastic suggestions about what we oughtta be doing. As we sit and count the gold bars at our secret island fortress, we read these suggestions and admire the creative thinking and dedicated activism of the cannabis community. Unfortunately, most of the ideas require the kind of logistics and money that are way beyond our capabilities.
One popular idea is the “Million Man March on Washington DC”. Now, I love the idea of a million stoners descending on our nation’s capital to demand an end to prohibition, but I also know that a million butts mean a few hundred thousand porta-potties, thousands of hotel rooms, hundreds of staff, permits, insurance, media, stagecraft, and so on. It’s fun to get an email around April 1st thinking we can just whip up such a march.
The other point would be the idea of picking your battles. Even if we could raise the funds to pull something like this off, would it be a wise use of money and effort? How would a million dollars be best spent? I’d rather give $10,000 to 100 highly motivated local NORML chapters; that distributed type of grassroots support would have a much bigger impact.
But here’s an idea from a certain Hippy from Missippi (that’s how it’s pronounced, I believe) that I think could be fun, cheap, and easy. Who knows if we would ever get to 1,000,000 postcards, but it only costs a 27¢ stamp and a postcard to try:
Imagine … just for a minute … you are President Obama and you are sitting in the Oval Office going over some things for the people and the mail arrives. The date is April 20th and millions of postcards start arriving. All with a similar message. Each postcard is a scene from a different place in America, not the post office variety, but the tourist type, from folks like me and you and millions of others with just one message:
Legalize Marijuana.
Some suggestions for messages on these cards could be as follows:
- “Yes we can … legalize, regulate and tax marijuana.”
- “This is no laughing matter. Please legalize marijuana.”
- “I support the end of prohibition for adult use of marijuana.”
This list could go on and on, but you get the idea.
If only 100,000 cards reached the president and another 100,000 reached our legislators, it would be a lot more effective, I believe, than the questions that Mr. Obama scoffed at.
This could be repeated each year, with the mailing date timed so that the cards could be arriving in DC on the 20th of April. For instance, this year the postcards could be mailed on Friday, April 17th and a great majority will arrive on the 20th.
How about April 15th? You’re already sending in your federal taxes, you already have to go to the post office. What do you think, Stashers?
Contact your elected representatives and urge them to 'Stop Arresting Marijuana Smokers'. 
You can use this link to get addresses and email addresses.
http://capwiz.com/norml2/home/
Letters and postcards are better than emails because letters and postcards can be held in the hand. Emails are too often ignored.
Is there any way normal could set up something on their website , so we flood them with emails too?
Best time to mail those post cards is tomorrow, 4/17 for arrival 4/20.
My postcards are ready for delivery on Friday.
One of the biggest problems that I have getting folks motivated with this campaign is that a lot of people think they can be arrested for sending a postcard like this. I thought I lived in the U.S.A. and had the right to petition government, but I guess the USA became another country and the US Constitution was abolished. My cards go into the mail along with the others I have collected no matter what.
I’ve collected 15 cards from my neighbors so far.
Some don’t even smoke it.
SOUND GOOD TO ME AND WHY NOT MAKE IT OUR MISSION TO SEND AT LEAST 420,000 if not 420,000,000 POSTCARDS! DROWN WASHINGTON D.C. IN POSTCARDS AND START SENDING THEM TO THE STATES INDIVIDUAL CAPITALS AND THEIR RESPECTFULL GOVERNORS TOO!!!!!
There is no reason why they can’t legalize marijuana. You can’t even overdose on it, but alcohol is legal and you can overdose on it. This just doesn’t make sense to me.
Dugg and shouted!
The government is supposed to serve the people. Make sure Obama realises that.
I’m in for the postcard thing.
There is a global marijuana march coming up the first Saturday of May.
http://www.globalmarijuanamarch.org/
I’m going to put this on Digg. FIGHT THE POWER
These are exactly my thoughts. Our voices are being ignored as if they are protecting us from ourselves because we don’t know what’s best for us. What we need to do is have ONGOING nation wide rallies. Not only rallies though we should be at the court house for every hearing where someone is arrested for marijuana to protest. If we are extremely active on the local level they will have to take notice and maybe we can foster legalization on state level across the country and then the fed will have no choice but to follow suit.
I think we can do this with a website that helps us to organize and find local smoke-ins and protests. You could start a smoke-in in your area and others could find it and confirm their attendance. Also if you are arrested you could list your court date so that people could show up to protest. These would be powerful statements that we are serious and we are not going to take this anymore!
Anyone a good with web page design? I have the skills to build the database and write the code to access it and display information, I just do not have a good design sense. I’m up for this so let me know.. copleykj@gmail.com
I think its a great idea.. now one has to decide between the scenic beach / ocean “Greetings from San Diego” or the one covered with pot leaves that say “Legalize It” found at my corner glass store. Decisions decisions…
Access to the mailing addresses for all the legislators and, of course, the president should be made easily accessable to anyone who needs it.
Might I suggest that on the afternoon of April 20th, that a call be made to get some feedback on the afternoon that the bulk of the postcards are supposed to arrive, and then a call the next morning. A “no comment” is a good thing that means a gag order had been issued and our point has been taken … “Shock and Awe” in a peaceful, legal manner.
I am disabled and since i have chronic panreatitus with only half a pancreas and half my stomach left i can only eat small amounts of food or i will be sick and vomiting.With the high cost of prohibited weed keeping me broke just so i can eat most days my suggestion is to e-mail our local representatives as well as to Mr “i inhaled frequently” every single day beginning today,maybe SOMEONE will start listening when it keeps happening every single day,btw i cant WAIT for the next internet town hall meeting,we must be heard and heard we shall be until marijuana is legal not just for the sick but for all,maybe something good will come from weed legalization like maybe a few less people will partake in the real demon….demon alcohol,EVERYONE knows someone who alcohol has killed or a family it has destroyed,can any ONE of us say they know someone who has ever had the same kind of issues with weed? I think not!
I am in favor of the postcard strategy targeted directly to the president and scheduled to arrive on 4/20.
Seriously, this is a great idea!
I also think it best to vary your personal message while keeping the theme clear.
One postcard per person is best. If a few folk send many, it will lose effectiveness.
That just means one postcard each to the prez. Send one each to your senators and representative in Congress also scheduled for a 4/20 arrival.
Spread this idea as best you can and encourage those fence sitters to get to it.
Our time is now. We CAN make it happen.
I look forward to observing the ruling zeitgeist try and spin their way around an overwhelming voice from the people on 4/21.
I know that A Mass March on Washington is a big step, but I have been thinking about a large scale, but local mass protest in every town, city, and county. I hope this makes some sence. I mean that if people were rallied to just step up at their local town or city hall on one specified day, or a multitude of days, then our point would be spread out across the entire nation to show a good number of us that support legalization or even decrimilization, that even on the local level, would get national, or even global attention.
I guess the reason I keep thinking the marching on D.C. would help is they would see us. You can’t pull any ‘gaming the voting system’ of online polls/questions bullshit when you can SEE the people. You have to remember, I’m new to activism and have that ‘wild eyed revolutionary’ air to me.
OTOH, I certainly see your point regarding cashish and logistics. I reluctantly agree with your thought of dispersing the $$$ to chapters.
I will be doing this and emailing and contacting all my friends to do this for O’bama and all my congress critters. Hell, i’ll even provide cardss and postage for some of my lazier buds. This is something ALL of us should be able to do for 420!
Peace & Activism,
Doc
We are not laughing Big ‘O’…..