A NORML Mom Goes to Gymnastics

My relationship with marijuana began in the waiting room of Harbin Clinic. My mom had a doctor's appointment, and I was an 11-year-old who loved to read, even the back issues of standard doctor's office fare. I thumbed through perfume ads, travel articles and fashion spreads until finally becoming captivated by a profile of WAMM--The Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana. Based in Santa Cruz since the the early nineties, WAMM has been dubbed "the nation’s oldest continuously operating medical cannabis collective." According to the article, WAMM operated a hospice. The revelation struck me: In California, marijuana use helps people develop a deeper appreciation for their lives and comfort with their deaths. I vowed to visit when I "grew up."

Twenty-two years later, I still haven't made it to California, but I have decided to become an active voice in the end of marijuana prohibition. One of my first steps has been joining NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. I hold membership at the national level and also at the local level, via the Atlanta, Georgia, chapter of Peachtree NORML. I walked away from my first meeting with a snazzy blue NORML t-shirt and one simple directive: Wear it.

I'm beginning a new category on my personal blog dedicated to my experiences with NORML, marijuana and the end of prohibition. The remainder of today's post relies on the power of images. I have been wearing my NORML shirt to some very normal places and would like you to take a look.

First stop was gymnastics. I filled out paperwork for my children's after school program while my daughter walked on the balance beam and did cartwheels during the local rec's open gym time.

Here's my daughter at the gym.

She was very happy about our time there.

We saw a First Friday fair on the way home from gymnastics and stopped there for a few minutes. But it was loud, chaotic and overwhelming to my daughter, so . . .

We went to the Chic-Fil-A drive thru instead.  How normal is that?

My local chapter of Peachtree NORML recently received second place in a membership drive for the national level of NORML. As a reward, we earned a grant which will help us do more awesome work in Georgia. To participate, please consider coming out to a meeting at Manuel's Tavern in Atlanta the first Tuesday of every month. I live an hour north of the city and will see you there when I can. Otherwise, you can find me here. With this post and all others, please tag, share and help it grow!