FOLIO
The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) was famously founded by Keith Stroup in 1970, and it’s been the prime mover for decriminalization efforts nationwide ever since. It’s been collaborating (or, some would say, co-conspiring) with activist groups down here for decades, but it’s been only about a year-and-a-half since NORML officially set up shop in Northeast Florida. For most of that time, its operations were run strictly online and in loose,
ad hoc discussions on social media, but now there’s an actual office space, and it’s rather nice.
NORML’s local headquarters is on the second floor of a low-key office complex on Atlantic Boulevard. At the Feb. 28 grand opening, there were only about 20 people in attendance, but almost all of whom play important roles in the movement, in their own unique, very specific ways. It was the embodiment of quality over quantity. There were representatives from the legal arena, mass media and, of course, weed professionals of all manner, from growers to store owners.
There were also a few “regular” civilians there just to listen and volunteer. The more, the merrier. And vittles? Verily: wine, beer, coffee and some truly delightful oatmeal cookies with hemp seeds and moringa, baked by Jermyn Shannon-El of the Cannabis Kollective. The gimmick table was heavy with swag, a common feature at events like this.
Folks put their chairs in a circle, giving the session the feel of an old-school encounter group, with opening remarks from president Donavan Carr, a veteran activist with roots in NORML’s national operation, and co-founder Dr. Jonathan Byron, a former University of North Florida professor who now runs the Journal of Cannabis. Carr characterized the new office as “an incubator” for activity that’s still just beginning to coalesce. “We’re still too splintered as a state,” he said, “and we really need to come together.” This meeting marked the beginning of that process, linking professionals from Jacksonville, St. Augustine and the Beaches.
Carr noted that, out of roughly 70,000 physicians in Florida, only about 1,100 have attempted to get certified to prescribe cannabis products. Of those, maybe around 50 are in Northeast Florida right now, and many of them are apparently still reluctant to embrace the role wholeheartedly. The plan is to bring in Dr. Sasha Noe from Tampa as a consultant; she is the only known physician with a PhD in the field of “molecular cannabinoid research” in all of America. I’d just love to introduce her to Doc Tony.
From a reporter’s perspective, there were a bunch of really interesting, articulate personalities, which makes things (and my job) much easier and more interesting. The group was defined by demographic diversity-11 men, seven women; 13 whites, five blacks-and skill sets. In this case, the challenge is not about getting information, but organizing and dispensing the veritable flood of information coming in on a daily basis. Most of the people at the meeting will themselves be subjects of columns about their individual efforts as the year proceeds. No rush. They’re just getting started.
Follow FOLIO!