NORML Awards

2020 NORML Awards

Presented at J Day in Albert Park, Auckland, on 1 May 2021.

  • Advocate of the Year

Recognition of outstanding advocacy for compassionate and equitable cannabis law reform.

WINNER: Khylee Quince

  • David Reid Currie Award

This award recognises an outstanding contribution made to promoting understanding of evidence-based cannabis laws. 

WINNER: Russell Brown

  • Unsung Hero Award

Awarded to acknowledge longstanding advocacy made over many years.

WINNER: Brodie Andrews

Previous NORML Awards:

2017 Medicinal Cannabis Award

Prize awarded annually for achievements in the field of medicinal cannabis and furthering safe legal access for NZ patients.

WINNER: Shane le Brun

FINALISTS: Sue Grey, Tadhg Stopford, Pearl Schomburg, Shane le Brun.

2017 David Reid Currie Award

Scholarship awarded annually for a breakthrough in cannabis knowledge, either scientific or legal.

WINNERS: Tori Catherwood and Veronica Stevenson

FINALISTS: Russell Brown, Tori Catherwood and Veronica Stevenson, Arik Reiss, Hon Peter Dunne, Hon Julie Anne Genter.

Our congratulations and thanks to everyone who was nominated and to the finalists. We thank you for your efforts and achievements. This has been a huge year for cannabis law reform in New Zealand, with many people contributing in effective ways. The judge’s decision will not be easy!

How to make a nomination:

Nominations are now open for the 2018 Awards, covering the 2018 calendar year. 

Anyone can nominate anyone for either award, by emailing awardsandgrants@norml.org.nz with “Awards nomination for X” (where X = the person being nominated) in the subject line. In your email briefly describe what your nominee has done to deserve to be the winner. Use their real name, not an online/facebook alias. Ideally, include their contact details and check that they want to be nominated. If email is not your thing, please call us on 09 302-5255.

Here is what we take into account (judging criteria):

  • The nominee’s actions must have taken place in New Zealand.
  • The nominee’s actions must be consistent with the description of each Award, given above, and be supportive of NORML’s goals.
  • The nominee can be a person or organisation.
  • Past winners are eligible to win again – there is no limitation if they really deserve it.
  • Preference is given to nominees whose actions relating to the Award occurred in the previous 12 months, however we may at our sole discretion take into account previous actions or lifetime achievements.
  • We may, at our sole discretion, split an Award between two or more people or organisations.
  • Judge’s decision is final and at our sole discretion.

These awards are made possible thanks to a bequest from David Currie, a Wellington scientist, author of Marijuana Facts & The Case for Legalisation, and founder of NORML in New Zealand in 1980, who passed away in 2016.

At our 2016 Annual General Meeting, NORML resolved to create an annual award in Dave’s name for a breakthrough in cannabis law, science or communication, and to also create an annual award for achievements in the field of medicinal cannabis or a breakthrough in furthering safe legal access for New Zealand patients. The awards will be made annually, with the public encouraged to nominate people or organisations and the winners announced at NORML’s annual conference.

Inaugural awards

NORML New Zealand Inc is pleased to announce the inaugural winners of our new cannabis activism awards:

  • The NORML NZ Medicinal Cannabis Breakthrough Award 2016 winner is Rose Renton
  • The David Reid Currie Award for a breakthrough in cannabis law, science or communication joint 2016 winners are Rebecca Reider and Sue Grey

Our congratulations and sincere thanks to the winners, everyone who was nominated, and all the unsung heroes of the cannabis law reform movement!

“I’m honoured to receive the award,” said Rose Renton. “I’d like to thank NZ for supporting medicinal cannabis so overwhelmingly. I’d like to see next year’s Select Health Committee listen to its people to bring access to medicinal cannabis for New Zealand inline with international movement. I believe we will achieve our goal in 2017.”

“Once I had gone through the harrowing experience of being criminally prosecuted for my medical needs, I knew I had to become an advocate to protect other cannabis users from the same fate,” says Rebecca Reider. “As a person with health challenges, my cannabis journey this year has taken a lot of energy – so it means a lot to me to be honoured. I was so fortunate to have the brilliant Sue Grey as my attorney. I love being part of the growing tide of New Zealand women proudly speaking up for cannabis as medicine.”

The NORML NZ Medicinal Cannabis Breakthrough Award

Awarded annually for achievements in the field of medicinal cannabis and furthering safe legal access for NZ patients.

  • 2016 WINNER: Rose Renton
    2016 FINALISTS: Huhana Hickey, Shane Le Brun, Rose Renton
    2016 NOMINEES:
    GreenCross Inc (for helping patients in need)
    Huhana Hickey (for media work and being approved to use Tilray, a cannabis tincture from Canada)
    Shane Le Brun (for MCANZ)
    Billy McKee (for Green Cross)
    Damian O’Connor (for introducing a medicinal cannabis bill to parliament, and convincing Labour leader Andrew Little to support legalising medicinal cannabis)
    Rebecca Reider (for exposing the exemption that allows patients to bring medicinal cannabis into New Zealand)
    Rose Renton (for her inspirational and tireless work including the It’s Medicine petition)
    Pearl Schomberg (for promoting a moratorium on medicinal cannabis by police)

Rose Renton is the inaugural winner of the NORML New Zealand Medicinal Cannabis Breakthrough Award. Much of the progress we have made over the last year can be traced back to what Rose Renton started. Rose’s son Alex Renton was the first New Zealander to use medicinal cannabis in a hospital setting. After Alex tragically passed away, Rose continued to campaign for safe legal access for all patients. This culminated in a nationwide petition recently tabled to parliament, and led Labour MP Damian O’Connor to introduce a private member’s bill for medicinal cannabis – the first ever attempt at cannabis law reform by an MP from a major party.

The David Reid Currie Award for Cannabis Law, Science, or Communication

Awarded annually for a breakthrough in cannabis knowledge, either scientific or legal.

dave-currie-award

  • 2016 JOINT WINNERS: Rebecca Reider and Sue Grey
    2016 FINALISTS: Rosie Baird, Sue Grey, Rebecca Reider
    2016 NOMINEES:
    Rosie Baird (for legal work with Green Cross)
    Russell Brown (for drug policy communication)
    Steve Dawson (for outing the Police’s fake report)
    Druglawed (for being an awesome Kiwi cannabis documentary)
    Sue Grey (for legal work with Rebecca Reider and other patients, and for the treasury cannabis documents)
    Rebecca Reider (for becoming NZ’s first legal cannabis consumer)

Rebecca Reider and Sue Grey are joint winners of the David Reid Currie Award for their work drawing attention to the exemption that allows people to enter New Zealand with one month’s supply of medicinal cannabis. Rebecca uses cannabis medicinally but was prosecuted by police. Her lawyer Sue Grey found the exemption and successfully won a discharge without conviction. Rebecca and Sue then made sure every New Zealander knew about the exemption, and to prove it Rebecca traveled to Hawaii and brought back one month’s lawfully obtained supply of medicinal cannabis. Both fronted for media interviews and did everything they could to let New Zealanders and the world know about the exemption. For that they are well deserved winners!

“Our sincere thanks and congratulations to our winners, everyone who was nominated, and all the unsung heroes of the cannabis law reform movement,” said Chris Fowlie, NORML president and convener of the awards panel. “With so much going on right now, there were many worthy contenders, and while it was a difficult job selecting the finalists, in the end it was clear to us who the winners should be.”

These awards are made possible thanks to a generous bequest from David Currie, a Wellington scientist, author of Marijuana Facts & The Case for Legalisation, and founder of NORML in New Zealand in 1980, who passed away in 2016.