From: [c--o--n] at [dsmnet.com] (Carl E. Olsen)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.drugs
Subject: New NORML Board
Date: Fri, 16 Sep 1994 17:40:24

From: [NATLNOR M L] at [aol.com]
To: [C--O--N] at [dsm1.dsmnet.com]
Date: Fri, 16 Sep 94 17:08:00 EDT
Subject: Letter from Dick to be posted on the Internet

September 12, 1994

To NORML Members, Activists, and Supporters:

It is my very great pleasure to announce that NORML now has a new 
Board of Directors.  In a special meeting on September 11, the 
NORML Board voted to dissolve itself as then constituted and to 
appoint in their place Dr. Lester Grinspoon of Harvard Medical 
School, Dr. John P. Morgan, Professor of Pharmacology at the City 
University of New York Medical School, and writer and television 
producer Ann Druyan, who is the Secretary of the Federation of
American Scientists. 

Dr. Grinspoon is the author of Marihuana Reconsidered, as well as 
Marihuana, the Forbidden Medicine and numerous other books and 
articles.  Dr. Morgan is the author of the section on Drugs of 
Abuse of the Merck Manual and numerous other scholarly works.  
Ms. Druyan is the author or co-author of several books, including 
Shadows of  Forgotten Ancestors and Comet, which was on the New 
York Times Best Seller list.  She has also written numerous 
magazine articles and was co-writer of the internationally 
acclaimed television series, Cosmos.

Grinspoon, Morgan and Druyan will begin at once recruiting other
distinguished persons to complete the new Board.  I believe that 
this will elevate NORML and the issue of marijuana prohibition to 
a new level of seriousness in the public discourse.  One of the 
greatest frustrations that I am sure all of us have confronted is 
that too often even people who completely agree with us just do 
not take the issue seriously.  Having a Board of this stature 
will radically change this.  

However, let me emphasize that it is the intention of this group 
to include activists on the Board, and I pledge to you that I 
will continue to work with my good friends who make up the 
backbone of the hemp movement.  This is not an elitist movement. 
This is a movement of dedicated people from all walks of life who 
deserve the best leadership that we can get.  You will be hearing
more very soon about other new Board members and a program to get 
the best activists more involved as NORML and the anti-
prohibitionist movement continue to grow.  I will continue to 
serve NORML in whatever capacity the new Board may choose.

Very soon you will also be hearing much more about National 
Medicinal Marijuana Day on November 15.  November 1 is also the 
100th anniversary of the 1894 Indian Hemp Drugs Commission 
Report.  There is so much to be done, and we are now going to be 
in a position to do so much more! 

There have been some rather bizarre rumors circulating over the 
last few weeks, and there are a few points that I feel I must 
address because they might unfairly reflect on others:

1. High Times did not -- repeat -- did not at any time threaten 
to reduce its support for NORML if we did not publicly thank 
them.  High Times supported NORML in the darkest days when it was 
-- in every sense -- a thankless task.  I am proud to count them 
as good friends personally, and they were very supportive of the 
effort to bring you a new Board.

2. The entire staff here in Washington supported the change in 
the Board as did almost all of the chapters who chose to express 
themselves.

3. No NORML chapters have been decertified unless they failed to 
meet the qualifications met by all of the chapters -- even after 
months of grace.

As for the rest, rather than try to deal with them one by one, 
let's just try a little common sense: Such prominent people would 
not be coming onto this Board if they did not have faith in the 
staff and a commitment to building NORML.  They certainly do not 
need something else to do.  This represents a very real sacrifice 
for them and I am personally very grateful to them for their 
doing this.  

The net result of NORML having such a distinguished Board will be 
stronger supervision, with annual audits so we can attract the 
kind of support -- both institutional and broad based -- that 
everyone wants and NORML needs.  At times, the last six weeks 
have been somewhat unpleasant, but the outcome will make it 
worthwhile for us all.  Many thanks to the NORML Board for its 
selfless action and thank you for your support during this 
difficult time.  I look forward to working with you to continue 
building NORML and ending cannabis prohibition. 

Now is the time for all of us to redouble our efforts.  I know I 
smell victory in the air.  It smells like hemp! 

Sincerely,


Richard Cowan 
National Director