Open Letter to Bill Maher: The High Heckler
Chris Goldstein 7-15-09

INTERVIEWER: Are you still on the board of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)?

BILL MAHER: You know, that's a good question. I haven't had much contact with them in recent years. I was a little… Read full post »

Irv Rosenfeld lights federally supplied  medical cannabis at the NORML conference in 2007. Photo c/o NORML

CNN Declares Marijuana Legal

9/14/09 - Chris Goldstein

In one of the best pieces of recent mainstream journalism on the reality of cannabis in America, CNN uses a bold title:

How m… Read full post »

This was a blog I posted in January, but the shorter version was here on OS... here's the longer version that was living over at wordpress. At the end of the piece is a CNN clip of Economist Jeffrey Miron last week. 

The Marijuana Bailout

January 29, 2009 - Chris Gol… Read full post »

Coming To Pennsylvania: Medical Marijuana

On April 29, 2009 Rep. Mark B. Cohen, the Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, introduced the first bill ever in Pennsylvania to legalize medical marijuana.

The bill, HB1393, is solid legislation that would allow registered patients to… Read full post »

 My mom took me to see Cry Freedom in the theatre when it came out. I was 12 years old. Not exactly standard pre-teen film fare...But this was the same year she took me to see Ladysmith Black Mambazo in concert. Both of those events had a lasting impact on me.… Read full post »

Patients Arrested: NJ Needs Medical Marijuana Law Passed

4/13/09- Chris Goldstein

Advocates for medical marijuana speak about the patients who need this therapy so desperately. Many of those patients are waiting in pain for this bill to pass and refuse to engage in the underground marij… Read full post »

Commentary: Let Them Smoke Cake

3/26/09 Chris Goldstein

Let Them Smoke Cake

President Obama asked the online community to speak up and pose questions about what was most important, in our view.

The answer was: Marijuana.

Many were… Read full post »

 A Beautiful Day in New Jersey

2/24/09 - Chris Goldstein 

Chuck Kwiatkowski moves his body in manner that is hard to describe, there is a hesitance or mild shakiness. It comes from pain and discomfort. It is there when he walks or extends his arm to shake&nbs… Read full post »

1:50PM ET

 Arrived at the NJ State Capitol Complex.  Fully checked in with computer online and radio field kit ready. NJ has the second oldest state house in continuous use. The remodeling of the historic complex has created a labyrinth of hallways. Don't know if I have ever been as gr… Read full post »

Thanks to Steve Bloom at CelebStoner.com and Russ Belville at NORML's Daily AudioStash for pointing out this story.

Student Shot By Police: Calls for Peace

3/14/09- Chris Goldstein

This week saw another near-deadly casualty of marijuana prohibition in the story of Derek Copp; a… Read full post »

This one was not easy folks. It is scarier over there than any of us thought….This long version is for OS readers.

Report – Drug Czar’s Office Is Out Of Control

or The ONDCP Has Gone to Pot

3/10/09- Chris Goldstein

The National Academy of Public Administration r… Read full post »

Check out the new Fortune Magazine Cover

This is the print version of the piece featured this week at CNN Money.

NORML's founder Keith Stroup and Executive Director Allen St. Pierre feature prominantly in the piece.

Nothing is greener than dollar signs, even expertly grown mar… Read full post »

 I contribute my writing and freely given little favors to a number of bloggers and media producers. Here is one story of scooping and being scooped. It came from something CelebStoner was working on yesterday.

Jeffrey or How to Scoop and Get Scooped By The… Read full post »

OS Interview Mike Cann: The Pulse of Boston Cannabis Reform

 3/26/09

My radio and online media work have put me in contact with one of the most dynamic state reform groups in America: MassCann/NORML.

They get about 20,000 people each year for their annual even… Read full post »

As I sat writing last night an unusual amount of email for 11pm on a Sunday started to roll in... thus this press release today...would have posted about it on OS last night...but there was an outage

See also: CelebStoner's review; mentions the cameo

New Jersey Activist in M… Read full post »

Corzine and Christie favor Marijuana in first debate

10/2/2009 - Chris Goldstein

Politics in New Jersey could not be hotter with a very close race for governor between Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine and Republican challenger Chris Christie.

The negative a… Read full post »

Across the Universe- Medical Access on BattleStar Galactica

3/12/09 - Chris Goldstein

BSG Episode 420 (no kidding):

The seasoned old military commander, Admiral Bill Adama, sits gently reading to his longtime friend and lover, President Laura Roslin, amidst their broken down shi/… Read full post »

 4/20/09 NORML Freedom Forum Philly- w/PICS

All photos Copyright 2009 C. David Freitag

On April 20th 2009 PhillyNORML and NORML-NJ joined together for 4/20- International Cannabis Awareness Day.  These are the two local chapters of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.… Read full post »

Kellogg's - Free Phelps Munchies For Poor   

National Public Radio is reporting today that Kellogg's will be giving away tons of Phelps emblazoned cereal to a food bank.....in San Francisco.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101716642&ft=1&f=1003

Therapeutic Cannabis Growing in Pennsylvania

Chris Goldstein 5/24/09  

Seemingly against all odds we have a medical marijuana bill moving forward in Pennsylvania. There are only about a dozen states that have never considered the issue, ever: PA being one of them. 

Yet the… Read full post »

A Civil Right to Marijuana: The John Ray Wilson Case

8/6/2009 by Chris Goldstein

Our nation has pioneered humanitarian reform in the modern industrial world. African-American Civil Rights, Women’s Suffrage, GLBT Equality, Labor Fairness, Hispanic and Latino Equality even Environmental Righ… Read full post »

Boston: 30,000 smoke pot, celebrate decrim

9/20/2009 -  Chris Goldstein

An estimated 30,000 people were crowded onto the Boston Common at the peak moment of the 20th annual Boston Freedom Rally on September 19th 2009.

That moment was 4:20PM ET.

The thousands… Read full post »