Political Planning

Too many smokers to arrest!

NORML wants to make drug law reform the hot topic of any election campaign, club meeting or dinner conversation!

We will build on 30 years of campaigning by NORML (and others) for sensible drug law reform, using the Law Commission report and other documents.

The NORML campaign is cross-party.  NORML must involve members and supporters of all the main parties – National, ACT, Labour, Greens, Maori as well as some smaller parties like the Libertarianz and the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party that totally support drug law reform.

Three Campaign Themes/Slogans:

After widespread discussion and consultation, NORML has adopted 3 campaign themes, which already have majority support. These are:

• Cannabis should be a Health Issue, not a Crime!
  (focus resources on problematic abuse. Let the police focus on crime that matters)
• Safe Legal Medicine
  (access to medicinal cannabis, similar to 18 states in the USA, Israel, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Canada etc)
• A Regulated, Taxable Market for Low-Risk Drugs Such As Cannabis
  (access to low-risk drugs like cannabis should be regulated via an adults-only, taxable market similar to that in the Netherlands, or the way alcohol is regulated here)

Campaign Plan

The three campaign themes should be used at all times. You don’t have to use the exact words, just make sure you promote the three concepts, and don’t get sidetracked into other issues. Promote the three themes in your letters, in your visits to MPs, at political meetings, and in your conversations online and in person. Ask your club to pass a remit supporting one or more of them (you may be surprised how many people agree with these three concepts!).

At election times, NORML will carry this campaign into the 63 General Electorates, with an emphasis on attending political meetings and putting questions to candidates (in front of the local media and motivated voters).

Three key tasks

1. Find out who the candidates are in each electorate
2. Find out when/where the electorate meetings are to be held
3. Send a NORML team to each meeting if possible, to hand out leaflets, hold signs, ask questions about candidate’s views

Other support activities are important.  There will be bus tours, letters/comment to media, MP visits, meetings, information stalls, newspaper articles, film/DVD screenings can/should be done.