NORML http://norml.org
National Organization for the Reformation of Marijuana Laws encourages people to take action to reform outdated laws. They say the laws will change “When you and all your like-minded friends and family members are actively educating and lobbying your elected officials to end marijuana prohibition,” because thus far proponents of cannabis have been “politically invisible to their elected officials.”
NORML’s website is a wealth of information and resources, and you can sign up for their free newsletter to be delivered right to your e-mail inbox. Visit it today, because in their own words, “If it is your strong desire that marijuana laws need to change, stop cursing the darkness and light a candle.”
StoptheDrugWar.org http://stopthedrugwar.org/
StoptheDrugWar.org (formerly the Drug Reform Coordination Network) urges the world to “Stop the Drug War!” Their website offers powerful news and related information and this organization publishes the “Drug War Chronicle” newsletter, which can be delivered to your e-mail inbox for free.
They are “a national and global network, including parents, educators, students, lawyers, health care professionals, academics, and others working for drug policy reform from a variety of perspectives, including harm reduction, reform of sentencing and forfeiture laws, medicalization of currently schedule I drugs, and promotion of an open debate on drug prohibition.
StoptheDrugWar.org opposes the prison-building frenzy and supports rational policies consistent with the principles of peace, justice, freedom, compassion and truth. Each of these has been compromised in the name of the Drug War.”
Drug Policy Alliance http://www.drugpolicy.org
The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) champions reason, compassion, and justice in the formulation of drug policy.
The DPA’s mission is “To advance those policies and attitudes that best reduce the harms of both drug misuse and drug prohibition, and to promote the sovereignty of individuals over their minds and bodies.”
The DPA is an organization that is working to end the war on drugs and in addition to the excellent resources available on their web site, they also provide a free electronic newsletter. The DPA “Envisions a just society in which the use and regulation of drugs is grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights, in which people are no longer punished for what they put into their own bodies but only for crimes committed against others, and in which the fears, prejudices and punitive prohibitions of today are no more.”
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies http://www.maps.org/
“The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is a membership-based, IRS-approved 501 (c) (3) nonprofit research and educational organization. We assist scientists to design, fund, obtain approval for and report on studies into the risks and benefits of MDMA, psychedelic drugs and marijuana.
MAPS’ mission is to sponsor scientific research designed to develop psychedelics and marijuana into FDA-approved prescription medicines, and to educate the public honestly about the risks and benefits of these drugs.”
Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics http://www.cognitiveliberty.org
“The Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics (CCLE) is a network of scholars elaborating the law, policy and ethics of freedom of thought. Our mission is to develop social policies that will preserve and enhance freedom of thought into the 21st century.”
This organization encourages people to “Keep freedom in mind,” and their web site has great information about the “freedom of mind” issue as it relates to consciousness-expanding drugs.
“The CCLE is dedicated to protecting and advancing freedom of thought in the modern world of accelerating neurotechnologies. Our paramount concern is to foster the unlimited potential of the human mind and to protect freedom of thought.
The CCLE supports technological advances, and believes that the application and regulation of new drugs and neurotechnologies are best channeled by a renewed allegiance to the fundamental right to freedom of thought.”
Schaffer Library of Drug Policy http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/index.htm
This site is a brilliant resource for those who are seeking information on drug policy. Clifford Schaffer is the proprietor and the site is associated with the StoptheDrugWar.org. It provides historical information, current policy information, as well as a psychedelic library and more wonderful research aids.
Erowid http://www.erowid.org
This member-supported endeavor provides “reliable, non-judgmental information about psychoactive plants, chemicals, and related issues.” They collaborate with experts in the fields of academics and medicine to increase the quality and quantity of existing resources and work to ensure the preservation and availability of these resources as a historical record for the future.
The proprietors of Erowid would like to see a world where “people treat psychoactives with respect and awareness; where people work together to collect and share knowledge in ways that strengthen their understanding of themselves and provide insight into the complex choices faced by individuals and societies alike. We believe that truth, accuracy, and integrity in publishing information about psychoactives will lead to healthier and more balanced choices, behaviors, and policies around all psychoactive medications, entheogens, herbs, and recreational drugs. Erowid’s vision is to facilitate and create resources that are part of the evolution toward this goal.”
