IT'S NORML TO SMOKE POT Campaign Launched in NYC Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit NORMAL LAUNCHES NYC CAMPAIGN: "IT'S NORML TO SMOKE POT" Posters, billboards feature Michael Bloomberg Quote [see NORML's website, or NY Transfer's NYC Metro Newsfeed for photo] source - National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) http://www.norml.org Join the campaign: "It's NORML to Smoke Pot" The NORML Foundation has launched a multi-media broadcasting campaign featuring New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg saying, "You bet I did. And I enjoyed it," when asked by a journalist if he'd smoked marijuana. The tagline for the campaign, launched at an April 9 news conference in New York, is "It's NORML to smoke pot." The NORML Foundation is a nonprofit educational foundation that works to educate the public about the costs of marijuana prohibition and the benefits of alternative policies. At the NORML website at http://www.norml.org, you can: - Tell the Mayor to stop arresting smokers - View the ads: New York Times and Bus ad (pdf files) - Listen to our radio spots (RealPlayer) - Read what New Yorkers say in the Zogby Survey - See the stats on NY marijuana arrests - Join NORML - Find out more about this campaign. There's a form to fill out and send with the following letter, which will be e-mailed on your behalf to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Visitors are invited to edit and send the message: Dear Mayor Bloomberg: Thank you for being honest and candid about your own use and enjoyment of marijuana. It is truly refreshing to find a politician willing to talk about marijuana honestly. There are millions of us who live in this fine city who similarly enjoy marijuana, as well as millions of others who don't smoke, but who nonetheless oppose arresting responsible smokers. It's time our policies reflected that reality. Prior to 1992, minor marijuana offenders were seldom arrested in New York City; there were less than 2,000 marijuana arrests annually. Instead minor offenders were given warnings or citations. This saved law enforcement resources for serious and violent crime, and provided a more appropriate response to the offense. In 2000, the last year for which the data is available, New York City arrested more than 50,000 individuals on minor marijuana charges, including both possession and smoking charges. That's an enormous waste of law enforcement resources and it needlessly harms the lives and careers of tens of thousands of otherwise law-abiding citizens each year, simply because they smoked marijuana. We don't arrest responsible alcohol drinkers, and we should not arrest responsible marijuana smokers. According to a recent Zogby Poll, a clear majority (56%) of likely voters in New York City oppose arresting marijuana smokers; only 39% support current policies. Please issue a directive to the New York City Police Commissioner instructing him to stop arresting minor marijuana offenders in New York City, and to return to the use of citations for nonviolent marijuana offenses involving personal possession and use. With the increased concern about terrorism, we need our law enforcement resources for more serious matters. Sincerely, [Your name] [Your address] ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytnyc-04.10.02-04:02:58-19784