Northern Wisconsin NORML is a local regional chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML.

Northern Wisconsin NORML’s mission is to educate and move public opinion sufficiently to achieve the repeal of marijuana prohibition, so that the responsible use of cannabis by adults is no longer subject to penalty.

Founded in 2010, we began by holding meetings twice a week at the Berlin, WI library.  We did that for 2 years, and then we began to hold monthly meetings at the Harmony Cafe in Appleton, WI.  However, November 2014 was our last meeting there, because the cafe closed.

We held meetings in different locations after that, including several in Marinette, Wisconsin.  However, low attendance and limited resources have caused us to move to a format of online meetings and discussion in 2018-2019.  This allows us to reach a wider area while still working within the constraints of our volunteers and their personal resources and time.

Volunteer. Donate. Socialize.

Participate in the democratic process.

If you want to get involved, but don’t want to draw attention to yourself, you do have the option to blog for us, donate or volunteer quietly in the background in order to protect your privacy, and you may even attend meetings on an anonymous basis if you wish to.

As adults, don’t we have the right to choose something safer than alcohol, safer than cigarettes, and safer than organ-damaging narcotic pain medication? No matter what you call it: cannabis, pot, hemp, marijuana – it’s good to eat; good for textiles; good for fuel; good for medicine; good for industrial uses of many kinds; growing hemp helps to remove pollutants from the soil, water, and air; and it’s good for recreational use – much safer than alcohol or any other drugs.

This is a plant that grows freely in nature, just like blueberries or chamomile or ecchinacea – it’s just another edible, medicinal plant. It should be regulated the way that alcohol and tobacco and many other products are, using the same system. Cannabis, Hemp, whatever you want to call it – it should be used for all of the uses mentioned above, and many more!

Laws don’t change overnight, and shouldn’t, to maintain the integrity of our justice system in the best interests of all. But at the same time, haven’t we waited patiently long enough? When is it our turn to be heard? When will our government truly listen and hear what we have to say, so that we can end this senseless and cruel war on drugs, which is really a war on perfectly nice, ordinary people just trying to live their lives, exactly like anyone else.

The deadly cost of the drug war is not worth it. The drug cartels have weaponry to rival police and even an army. They are responsible for immeasurable violence against innocent people. The money that they make on selling marijuana goes to horrendous uses, such as helping to fund human trafficking and other atrocities. And why? Because we have passed laws telling people they cannot use a plant, creating a deadly black market, as the price for this harmless plant is driven higher and higher due to the severe lack of availability, and the high risks associated with growing, transporting, and purchasing it. So, the criminals get richer and more powerful. The average ordinary law abiding citizen who just likes to smoke a little on weekends, and the medical marijuana patients, and all of the other decent folks who aren’t bothering or hurting anyone, even themselves, have to live in constant fear of their own government, who is persecuting them with their own hard-earned tax money.

Huh?!

Can’t we stop this madness?

Given what we now know about marijuana and the tremendous effects it can have on pain management, as well as depression, anxiety, nausea, appetite, creative inspiration, and more, it’s hard to believe that there are still those out there who believe the same tired old misinformation and lies that have been debunked time and again!

Why can’t we buy and sell marijuana and hemp legally in the United States? It would not only help to make our economy thrive again and give our farmers good work that pays well so that they can support their families, but it would also allow us to lessen our environmental impact and make quality foods, medicines, fuels, and more using green, renewable Industrial Hemp. Hemp products could replace corn in many products, having a huge positive health impact on billions of americans if it were to become standard practice in the food industry.

For example, did you know that marijuana is rich in essential Omega 3 and other fatty oils?
Hempseed is the highest of any plant in essential fatty acids (EFAs). Hempseed oil is among the lowest in saturated fats at 8% of total oil volume. The oil pressed from hempseed contains 55% lineoleic acid (LA) and 25% linolenic acid (LNA). Only flax oil has more LNA at 58%, but hempseed oil is the highest in total EFAs at 80% of total oil volume.

You know what’s even more amazing?
At the Scripps Institute, researchers have shown that delta-9 tetrahydracannabinol (THC),the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, inhibits acetylcholinesterase (AChE) more effectively than several approved drugs which are being prescribed to Alzheimer’s patients.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Now, more than ever, we have the facts about cannabis and hemp on our side. Thanks to modern science, as well as the library, the internet, and other mediums, we have new information at our fingertips every day. Don’t be afraid to learn about the many uses of hemp, and to stand up for what’s right. Knowledge is power. Help educate the public so that we can start to repair a severe kink in our justice system. We need a change, and it’s long overdue.

If not us, who? If not now, when?

We really need your help.

Join us.