NORML KC: Best Advocacy Organization of 2019

NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) is an advocacy group designed to lobby for positive change regarding cannabis laws in the United States. NORML was founded in 1970 and has been responsible for much of the change and improvements we have seen concerning cannabis.

Missouri’s NORML chapters have been in the trenches since the beginning, pushing for our state to have the best possible laws and regulations. The Kansas City chapter of NORML, specifically, has laid a lot of the groundwork for our state’s laws. Missouri’s cannabis community voted the Kansas City NORML chapter as one of the best advocacy groups in the state. Greenway talked to Jamie Kacz, the Executive Director of NORML Kansas City to learn why their group is so valuable to Missouri’s community.

Before medical cannabis was legalized in Missouri, the Kansas City chapter of NORML successfully organized and passed the 2017 ballot initiative, Question 5. Question 5 decriminalized up to 35 grams of cannabis within Kansas City. Their initiative was passed with support from over 75% of voters. Kansas City NORML also played a pivotal role in bringing New Approach Missouri’s Amendment 2 to life, legalizing medical cannabis in the state.

Kacz explained to Greenway that a lot of cannabis groups are designed to focus on socialization and networking. While networking groups have their needed place, NORML and the Kansas City chapter especially is dedicated to being a group with “a direct mission statement to actively reform laws, interact with our representatives, educate the public, and create change through our advocacy and activism efforts.”

The entire chapter is comprised of dedicated volunteers and supporters “who work together for a common goal of bringing positive change to our community, and those efforts attract really wonderful people that make our chapter special and unique.” Chapter meetings are always open to the public, and those who want to support the cause are encouraged to attend. NORML Kansas City also frequently hosts workshops educating the community on various topics like setting up a compliant patient home grow, becoming an effective advocate in the courtroom, and providing education on mental health and cannabis.

Kacz reminds the community to keep in mind that though legalization has occurred, the mission does not end here. The chapter recently finished writing a bill for parental protections of cannabis patients. NORML Kansas City is also supporting Missourians for a New Approach to further reform cannabis laws in Missouri. At a local level, the chapter is working with Kansas City’s Mayor Quinton Lucas on local cannabis expungements.

“We quickly learned that marijuana reform is always an uphill battle. Nothing is easy or simple because we still have to deal with the stigma related to marijuana,” says Kacz. “With social media, there is a lot more information and facts available, but there is also a lot of misinformation or inaccurate information that gets circulated. One of the reasons we have been successful in our efforts as a chapter is because of our unwavering dedication to the cause.”