Erik Altieri’s term as NORML’s executive director ended Friday. This closes a six year chapter in the story of America’s oldest and best-known cannabis reform advocacy group.
Altieri said that NORML was at an “important point” in 2016 when he took over as the organization’s leader.
Despite the enthusiasm of legalization advocates for state-level momentum in reform, federal reform prospects were severely hampered by Donald Trump’s election. He went on to appoint Jeff Sessions, a vocal prohibitionist, as U.S. Attorney General.
Altieri was then just 29 years old and felt capable of leading NORML despite the many uncertainties and fears in the reform community during those first years.
He was NORML’s former communications director, PAC manager and had a strong background in politics of change. He assumed the role of executive director with unique institutional knowledge and a unique millennial appreciation of evolving technologies. In a 2017 interview , he described the mantra to “put in grassroots” to Marijuana Moment.
These skills and experiences were tested. Advocates had serious concerns about Sessions’s possible federal crackdown on state cannabis program programs. But Altieri said he didn’t face that challenge. Altieri also faced another kind of challenge: Fighting complacency and fragmentation within NORML. Altieri claims that NORML has seen groups of ideological absolutists as well corporate lobbyists shift from NORML’s roots to how.
Federal law still prohibits marijuana use today. Although legalization has been expanded in more states, there have been some setbacks. Activists have been pushed against each other by differences in their policy views, which has made the already difficult mission of ending prohibition even more challenging. NORML and other reform organizations need to continue to grow, even though those conversations were not always meaningful.
Altieri shared his thoughts on NORML’s accomplishments, challenges and future with Marijuana Moment. Randy Quast (NORML board member, and group treasurer) has taken over the role as acting executive director, while Altieri is re-evaluated by the board.
This interview was lightly edited to increase clarity and length.
Marijuana Moment – When you became the executive director of NORML in 1998, what goals were you aiming for and how do you feel you achieved them?
Erik Altieri When I started my job, I knew that we were at an important turning point in the legalization movement. Although we had a large number of wins at the state level, momentum needed to be built up federally. We had to deal with a new administration after the election that included far-right prohibitionists such as Jeff Sessions.
Many believed that up to that point, we were on a smooth path to legalization across all 50 states. However, many of the political developments at that time were a wakeup call that we needed to fight for the progress we made and defend the gains that we had already made.
The movement was once dominated by policy-oriented advocates. Now, the majority of lobbyists are for-hire and work with corporations or industry interests groups. It was obvious that NORML needed to reaffirm its position, increase its impact and represent consumers. We had to update the technology and tools that we used, improve our advocacy and outreach efforts, as well as hire talented staff to adapt quickly and succeed in a movement that was facing new challenges every day. Once a year, we would only see one bill pass.
The results prove that we achieved most of my goals six years ago. I also trust NORML’s dedicated volunteers, affiliates, and staff. They will continue to be crucial and relevant in the future battles.
MM: What were your main challenges in leading the organization?
EA Many of the biggest challenges faced by the organization were beyond our control and almost impossible to predict. I started the day after Trump’s election, which forced us to adapt to working with an unpredictable administration. It also meant that we had to deal with the uncertainty of a government that was not very friendly to our issue.
This meant that we had to address situations that were not really ours before. We also needed to reconsider how NORML could help consumers in uncertain times.
The persistent challenge of dealing effectively with public ambivalence was another. Many Americans, and even our advocates, began to believe that this was the end of the road and that there was no need to fight.
Although we had made many laws improvements by 2016, it was still necessary to motivate people. While legalization was approved in many states, hundreds upon thousands of citizens were still being held in handcuffs for simple possession. We would be failing cannabis consumers who are still under the oppressive yoke that is prohibition if we allowed complacency take control. Continued attention to arrest statistics, and in particular the regional and racial differences that those numbers revealed, helped to refocus our supporters, and reengage them to work for the end of prohibition.
MM: What advice would your successor give to meet those challenges and ensure NORML’s continued success?
EA Keep your eyes on the mission. It’s easy to lose sight or get distracted by the noise and confusion of a crowded movement. Or, question the direction that everything is going.
NORML was created to represent the interests of cannabis consumers. This should be your guiding star when deciding on your strategies and positions. Our main goal is to end all arrests for marijuana possession and to replace the racist prohibition we have implemented with a sensible legalization strategy. We are committed to personal freedom, civil rights, and justice.
This can lead to you being criticized by people who have different interests. However, NORML should not be a follower. You will keep moving forward if you place the emphasis on your mission and these principles.
It is important to remember that NORML does not have an executive director based in Washington, D.C. NORML represents the people who rally under its banner. My real role was not to fight for reform alone, but rather to use our platform and reach out to the millions of Americans who are seeking reform. It’s about turning their people power to political power.
MM: What qualifications/background do you think NORML should seek in its next executive director
EA I hesitate to say too much about who should succeed me. I feel it unfair to burden the organization and future leaders by imposing my personal opinions. However, the organization is greater than any one individual and should be free to evolve and evaluate as they wish. There are some critical points I would recommend.
NORML needs to find someone who understands the struggle for justice and defending cannabis users. The next director should not be someone who is trying to change the organization’s values but who also knows how to manage the political process from both an insider’s perspective and grassroots advocacy standpoint. NORML requires a director who can help and empower activists, and who can trust and support our talented staff in doing what they do best.
MM: Prohibitionists are challenging the notion of inevitability within the movement, especially since Oklahoma legalization defeated. How did you come to see the notion of inevitability within this space? Can activists be encouraged to forget the notion of inevitability to avoid complacency?
EA It’s not surprising that our opponents use the news spin machine in Oklahoma to prove legalization is running out of steam. They are relying on false framing to justify their loss.
It is difficult to believe that legalization was defeated in one the most conservative states of the country. The measure faced many hurdles and was forced to a special election March of an off-election years. This is evidence that Americans are turning to legalization.
We must not be complacent. There are still hundreds of thousands of Americans arrested for using marijuana. The fights ahead will be the most difficult. We are now in more difficult territory after a great run. The remaining states are more conservative than the original round of legalization states. However, most do not have a ballot process, so we must win legislatively.
We will face many challenges in getting Congress to act. If we become complacent, we will not win these fights. It’s time to not relax, but double down.
MM: What do you think is the most promising outcome for reform in the next two years?
EA Although it will be difficult, we are beginning to see cracks in federal prohibition’s foundation. It will be difficult to navigate the next two years with a McCarthy-led House, and prohibitionists such as Rep. Jim Jordan leading important committees. There is hope for incremental reform. Therefore activists should focus their efforts on the remainder of Congress on building new alliances and finding ways to advance policies that can be agreed upon.
The movement’s 2024 elections will be crucial. Activists and organizations should make efforts to elect new members, expel our enemies, and get elected officials who will support our cause.
We have also gained a lot of experience legalizing marijuana through legislation over the years, despite some difficulties. Although there is great potential to add states to the legalization roster this year and next, it will require resources, sound strategy and cooperation to get those bills through the final hurdles.
MM What do you think about your next job?
EA My passion for criminal justice reform led me to NORML. In continuation of that passion, I will continue to work in the criminal justice sector but will shift my focus away from marijuana and concentrate on reforming state policies regarding expungement and clean slate legislation.
MM What message do you want to leave NORML advocates and supporters in general, as you step down from this position?
EA When we were merely arguing for legalization, the movement was largely unbroken. There was a lot of disagreement around the “how” to legalize marijuana as we legalized in more states. It attracted a lot of interest from the corporate side and the industry side. These agendas are often antithetical justice-oriented advocacy as well as NORML’s consumer focus.
Many people entered the space believing that they were being manipulated by their worst instincts. Although I don’t deny that there are times when absolute stances can be taken, this has made the space less effective.
Different organizations and people represent different interests and missions, which is why they exist as distinct entities. We shouldn’t let that happen. It could make people who are aligned with the bigger picture into a cyclical firing squad. We have become our worst enemy in many ways because we lack a modern, well-organized opposition. It is possible to disagree with legalization supporters and not be disagreeable. If we are to overcome the obstacles that lie ahead, we must do so.
During my tenure, I said this often. We have achieved so much together because we worked together. Only together can we end prohibition forever.
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The post Former Leader of NORML Talks Wins and Challenges About Future Of Nation’s Oldest Marijuana Reform Group was first published on Marijuana Moment.
