Freedom for cannabis users - Personal Privacy 2002!   We are happy to announce that the Personal Privacy 2002 initiative petition is on the streets!  Chief petitioners (Curt Wagoner and Sandee Burbank) received permission from the Secretary of State to start circulating the constitutional amendment that would establish that:  "The People Reserve To All Persons 21 Years Of Age And Older The Personal Privacy Right To The Private Cultivation, Possession And Consumption Of The Plant Cannabis And All Of Its Families And Byproducts.  Except As Otherwise Expressly Permitted By Law, This Right Does Not Include The Transfer Of Cannabis For Consideration." Petitions will be available at the PDX NORML booth at the Seattle Hempfest and other events thruoghout the northwest.  If you would like petitions mailed to you contact:  Madeline Martinez at PDX NORML at pdxndir@pdxnorml.org. (503-777-9088).  Soon we wiil be able to view & print from online.

We are also looking for folks to help petition at the Rose Garden on the 4th of August.  Many people are expected to attend the People Have the Power Tour, with Ralph Nader, August 4th, at the Rose Garden Arena (sponsored by The Multnomah Chapter of the Pacific Green Party).  If you are interested in helping at this event or others, contact Madeline (above) or Sandee Burbank at 541-298-1031, or: sburbank@OregonVOS.net.

-Oregon Couple Wage Ad Campaign: "We're Your Good Neighbors. We Smoke Pot"-   A Bend, Oregon couple has begins an advertising campaign calling on mainstream Americans to come out of the closet regarding their use of marijuana.  "The United States government acknowledges that over 70 million American adults have smoked pot. That's one in three of your neighborhood doctors, grocers, college professors, police officers, computer programmers, postal carriers, engineers, business executives, and spiritual leaders," their ad reads. "These pot smokers are your elected officials. They are your dearest friends. They are your family members." The advertisement's headline pronounces: "We're Jeff and Tracy. We're your good neighbors. We smoke pot." It ran Wednesday in Oregon's Willamette Week. The couple, Jeff Jarvis and Tracy Johnson, paid $2,555 to run the full-page advertisement.

They placed the ad to counter allegations that pot smokers are a threat to society. "I'm looking around saying, 'This is crazy.'" said Jeff Jarvis. "It's 2001, and we're running around like it's the dark ages."

Jarvis and Johnson intended to run their ad in the Sunday Oregonian. However, the newspaper refused, calling it "unsuitable for publication." (Boycott the Oregonian!) Their attempts to place similar advertisements on city busses and rail cars were also rebuffed.

In addition to the print ad, the duo has also produced a 30-second public service announcement (PSA) stating: "We're two regular people who smoke pot." So far, however, few Portland FM stations have agreed to air the spot, which ends by asking: "Who do you love... who smokes pot?"

NORML Executive Director Keith Stroup praised the couple's stance. "By coming forward publicly, Jeff and Tracy have effectively made the point that the overwhelming majority of pot smokers are responsible, mainstream citizens," he said.

The ad appears online at: http://www.jeffandtracy.com. .

"Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope; and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression."

Robert F. Kennedy 

Pdx NORML's Oregon Medical Marijuana Gardens Calendar 2001-2002.  Pdx NORML has produced a calendar which we feel is unique and entertaining as well as educational.  It is titled "Oregon Medical Marijuana Gardens" and features pictures of growing medicine along information about OMMA, the Oregon Medical Marijuana.

It runs from 4-20-2001 to 4-20-2002 to cover the growing season as well as give it a clever touch. All proceeds go to the Annual Million Marijuana March fund, to make it a BIGGER and BETTER event each year. A celebration of Cannabis!

Available at the unbelievably low price of $15, they can be had at many of our Biz member locations.  Visit  Smokin' Glass,  Raven Ink,  Mary Janes,   the Third Eye Shoppe,  Green House or any of our fine Biz members (Call ahead to determine Calendar availability!).

To order yours, or for comments or questions, such as how add your Biz or Organization to the Calendar, contact us at: (503) 777-9088, email: pdxnorml@pdxnorml.org, or write: Portland NORML, P.O. Box 86443, Portland, OR 97286.

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Are you an OMMA patient in need of cuttings for your medical garden? Read on...

"Hi there!

As a caregiver, I am finding that people are having a hard time getting cuttings for their medical grows.....

So what I am doing is putting a resource together so that patients and their caregivers can get the babies they need.

If you are willing to grow and donate cuttings to this project ... please contact me at: djtomatoe2000@yahoo.com

or contact Patient Advocate Madeline Martinez at PDX NORML (503.777-9088) and she will get in touch with me..

thanks!.......damon [registered OMMA caregiver]

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! * thanks! * !    A special thanks to Our friends at the Blue Catfish Studio who hosted our most recent event to raise awareness about cannabis prohibition.  We had a whole bunch fun as we lobbied legislators, registered voters and gained new members.  You should have been there to share in the activity and fun with the other NORML people.  Live music was coordinated by Jeremy Serwer (who also performed) from Black Coyote Records and Salmon Bros with Intergalactic Interlude Records. The event was open to all ages.

In addition to the fine and thought provoking music of Yascha, Jeremy and Miguel the crowd was treated to the hoppin' sounds of the Salmon Bros., Melodious Thump and a new band in town - Hitchin' Cricket.  When Cricket was done EVERYBODY was saying "who's that band?!   They're HOT."  Stay tuned for your next opportunity to see them and all the great NORML bands.

We also want to thank Smokin' Glass and the Bandz from their benefit: ( Valhere, Red Hot Sinners, the Tourettes, ZipperTrouble, Elbo Finn and Bye Bye Chinook). We spread the word, handed out some literature and got some people to leave contact info.

! * Also! * !    Another special thanks to Ash Street Saloon and the Bandz (Jinx, Purusa and Bender) who helped make our that benefit a success.

See our list of Bandz at: BandZine -and/or- BandZineX

Branches, Stems and Seeds. Speaking of growing, We are proud to announce C/O-NORML, the fruition of a new program and lots of effort. Under an arrangement with National we have begun this program and, thanks to the courage and determination of local leader, Curt Wagoner, C/O (Central Oregon) NORML is the result.

The 'Branches, Stems & Seeds' program - to plant the seeds through information, to nurture them 'til they stem to education and empowerment, 'til they branch out on their own. To allow individuals or groups one more tool to spread the NORML name and keep the flame alive, if not growing. Visit: Outreach! for more detail.

Mary Jane's House of Glass, a Vancouver area business and NORML supporter plans to make their new location a center for activism and a place for Vancouver-NORML to take root. Not only are they making plans for the Hemp Car tour (a car powered by hemp fuel) to stop in Vancouver but a special section in their place for NORML activity. Mary Jane's "We are planning a WALL OF HEROS" said a representative, "where anyone who has given their time and/or money for the cause gets a photo on the wall, with a sign. We know we need large donations to NORML and we believe this will help and work. We think people just need to know how to donate and otherwise support."

We at PDX-NORML believe Mary Jane's will end up with more anonymous donors than they think. In any case, these are great ideas and we look forward to working with VAN-NORML in the future. Check it out!  Call Mary Jane's at (360) 514-8494 or visit their web page for more information.

A few top recent news stories . . .

Portland NORML references. We have been alerted to a couple of important places that list Pdx NORML as a link or source of information. We are honored to be considered and work to be worthy of their confidence.

Pdx NORML can now be linked through www.oregonlive.com or www.oregonian.com. We are listed under Clubs & Organizations our entry reads:

"Portland NORML - Activists working for marijuana law reform. Includes history, news, events, membership and volunteer info, and articles."

In the Community Connection, Community Groups ( http://www.oregonlive.com/cc/groups/)
select Search for local groups by Name (Portland NORML) or look for us under the categories Community, Religious,or Self-Help (!) where you see a brief description of Pdx NORML, similar to what's on our website. Visit: Outreach! for more detail.

We're going and growing. Don't forget to sign our guestbook!
 

OMM eNewsletter   update on the latest news about OMMA, the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act. Such as ... 

Legal patients & caregivers still being raided.   Read this story for an example. Even though ok'd by an official of OHD, police felt driven to storm a house operated by people within Voter Power and do so in a amanner that broke a mans arm. V/P is an organization that was involved in the measure that resulted in OMMA. No arrests, no charges, no plants were taken. They did try to leave a message, it appears.