Congratulations to the new board of directors of the Arizona state chapter of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. The election was held May 1, 2018.

Executive Director—Mikel Weisser

Deputy Director—Jen Gote

Communications Director—Brad Benson

Secretary—Maddie Grey

Treasurer—Beth Weisser

At- Large—Amy Jones

At-Large—Todd Gilchrist

Many of our new officers have already become active in the chapter. People who can accomplish and organize will do amazing things and have influence on issues. I have asked them each to send in a brief bio to introduce themselves to the membership. As a reminder, here is my bio:

I became the state director after serving three years as the political director for the cannabis activist group, Safer Arizona. I have been consuming cannabis 40+ yrs, have a cannabis charge on my record and a medical card. My pertinent background also includes education and politics. In addition to publishing political articles since the early 1990s, I am a former 3-time congressional candidate and currently vice chair of the progressive caucus. I taught middle school social studies for a dozen plus years and have masters’ degrees in English and education.

Arizona has had a NORML chapter on the ground working on cannabis reform since 1990. As some chapters faded or transitioned, others rose up and were authorized by the national offices in DC to carry the national logo and the massive responsibility to do good that the organization’s legacy brings. Our chapter was recreated in 2015, after the previous chapter helmed by Daron Babin, lapsed. It was a smooth transition of power and Daron and his family continue to assist AZ NORML on a regular basis.

Previous notable leaders of AZ state chapters include Bill Green, the founder of the first chapter in 1991, Chuck Hadd, Peter Wilson, John Gettel (who now heads Tucson’s highly successful chapter) and my mentor, Kathy Inman. Ms. Inman led the chapter through the Prop203 campaign and through the extremely rough years that followed as the state’s cannabis economy reorganized itself into legal and illicit camps, when patients were allowed cultivation rights while the dispensary industry was mired in litigation. As a result, Ms. Inman has created a second successful cannabis activist organization, MOMFORCE AZ, which challenges reefer madness myths and educates seniors on medicinal cannabis.

Each executive director creates a chapter according to their own strengths and vision, but, I feel more importantly, according to their own weaknesses as well. For example, while I have focused the majority of my personal efforts on legislative reform or legal supports, I have done little of the nuts and bolts administrative work or finance development it takes to create the full range of potential a NORML chapter can have. Now that the legislative season is over, I look forward to working with our new board and create a tight knit team ready to tackle the wide variety of obstacles and opportunities that come with trying to change the world on this continuingly controversial issue.

Here are basic job descriptions of the leadership positions for our chapter.

Officers

Executive Director—Creates and directs chapter operations, develops finance and educational programs, coordinates outreach and communications efforts, contributes to website and social media accounts, manages the chapter’s 24/7 hotline and refers legal and medical cases accordingly.

Deputy Director—facilitates chapter operations and programs with the director. This office works closely with the director to create and manage all aspects of the chapter. This position is not an executive assistant, it is more like a COO.

Communications Director—this role is 3rd in charge because of the importance of messaging in all we do. Coordinates internal communications among board and membership, working with the chapter secretary to maintain a chapter emailing list, works with the director to maintain the chapter website and social media accounts. Creates chapter press releases, develops chapter press list. Creates or recruits weekly email and website updates. (BTW, I realize that kind of schedule is ideal, pursuing it is a goal.)

Secretary—Attends public and board meetings, records chapter proceedings and maintains chapter records. Works w director on internal communications, w communications on public communications and with the treasurer on internal records.

Treasurer—maintains chapter financial records, accounts, filings, and reports. Chair of finance committee.

At Large—Assist in various committees and chapter projects according to skills and availability.

The work breaks down into five general areas. We are forming these committees and invite additional volunteers to help us address these issues:

Events Committee—Identifies and secures events for AZ NORML to attend or participate in. Works with other activist organizations to create larger events and develop good will. Lead liaison for upcoming USCC conference. Manages or staffs chapter booths at events. Creates chapter events. Manages event materials for chapter.

Political Committee—Works with other MJ organizations to coordinate political efforts, develop relations and legislative agendas with local, state and federal officials and staffers to create and advance cannabis reform, schedule legislative meetings with elected officials to craft and advance reform. Report developments to and work with national NORML on legislative agenda. Present to other MJ organizations, and educate elected officials, candidates and the public n reform issues.

Legal Committee—Coordinate legal defense efforts on a variety of cannabis issues w other organizations in particular the Arizona Cannabis Bar Association. Identify cases that would benefit from our support, work with the chapter’s legal counsel, create and participate in legal defense strategies for qualified patient-defendants (“Protect the Patients”), Provide basic lay-advice to defendants who contact the AZ-NORML hotline. Work with political committee to develop legislative approaches to cannabis legal issues.

Communications Committee—Manage and create chapter internal and external communications, chapter PR, websites and social media accounts. Mange chapter email and press lists. Develop press releases for relevant chapter events or programs. Create chapter social media presence and personality on multiple platforms on a regular basis. Promote national NORML efforts through our chapter communications. Create or recruit and publish one website update and one chapter email weekly.

Finance Committee—Raises and manages chapter revenue. Recruits donors and financial partnerships for funding and additional support for the chapter. Works w treasurer to manage chapter finances. Creates and manages chapter merchandising programs. Creates and files necessary reports.

There is tremendous latitude in the range and effectiveness of chapter activities among the 140 or so NORML chapters around the world. During the past board, as the founder on and only “full-time” officer, I was given amazing freedom on choosing and executing chapter activities. I feel we have had a successful program overall, though could probably lists dozens of shortcomings as well.

This is a somewhat thorough list of our chapter’s current operations and programs.

  1. Monthly meetings
  2. Website
  3. Facebook page
  4. Twitter account
  5. “Protect the Patients” program
  6. Legislative advocacy
  7. Helping negotiate, draft and promote the upcoming 2020 adult use initiative
  8. Event tabling
  9. Hotline
  10. Legal and medical referral service via hotline
  11. MMJ defendant legal defense assistance
  12. Court support for MMJ defendants
  13. Email list
  14. MITA liaison
  15. Annual SWCC (now USCC) PHX cannabis conference and expo (both w a chapter booth and participating as assistant event organizers and presenters)
  16. Consumer awareness reporting
  17. Promoting cannabis social issues through our online presence
  18. Implementing national NORML agenda and programs
  19. Coordinating local efforts around the state
  20. Advancing political education of public, elected officials, candidates and parties on cannabis issues
  21. Educating public on lawmaker and candidate positions on MJ and MMJ issues
  22. Guest speaker service
  23. Fundraising

Obviously, this scope of operations is MUCH better tackled as a group. Other recent projects we have worked on include addressing probation conditions for MMJ probationers and identifying pro-cannabis medical professionals and clinics. And, now that this legislative session has ended, it is time to prepare for the next policy agenda and strategize on ways to advance existing legislative proposals and craft new ones.

This was our fifth year at the capitol. Despite years of pushing on these issues and trekking to the capitol, we have never known anywhere close to this level of success. My first year I had three or four legislative meetings and proposed 1 bill (which is still being introduced each year, btw). This year we met w 67 of the 90 legislators (including the lead sponsors of all 10 negative MJ bills), developed legislation with 5 different sponsors, both Republican and Democrat, helping to draft 6 of the 14 positive cannabis bills, and helped guide 3 to final votes, with one passage. Final Bill Score: 1 for 3.

Our testing bill and a mini-omnibus bill failed last week on the close of session, both getting more than a majority, but not the required 3/4s vote to amend voter initiatives in AZ. (The omnibus bill made it to 42-17-1.) That said, our hemp bill sailed thru its final vote 58-2 and is heading to the governor. This is a 2nd year for this piece of legislation, which made it through the legislature last year only to be vetoed after the session ended. I believe that the bill has already been extensively vetted by the governor’s office and will be signed. During the final 2 days of the session, I spent 36 hours inside the House of Representatives (there were protests going on outside the building so, as an average citizen, once I got in, I didn’t want to leave.) The Wednesday session ran overnight from 10am Wednesday till 9am Thursday. Thursday’s session started at 1pm and ran till who knows when.  Our 3rd bill was heard after 10pm. (The papers are reporting the session ended at 1223am. I was snoring by then and grateful for it, lol.)

Now comes the recovery and then the planning for next year. I am already in talks with both liberals and conservatives on next session’s bills. This is also a prime time to create a fundraising strategy since we have momentum from the session.

mikel