Underground Cannabis Archives
Keith Stroup
Keith Stroup and his company Norml has been fighting for the rights of marijuana users for
more than 50 years. Keith founded Norml in 1970 after receiving 5,000 dollars from the Playboy foundation. Keith has spent most of his professional life working to legalize marijuana.
He wanted to stop the destructive practice of arresting responsible marijuana users and help
establish a legal regulated market.
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Keith graduated from the University of Illinois in 1965. He enrolled in Georgetown Law School in Washington DC. Keith graduated from law school
in 1968 and began working for the Federal Consumers Product Safety Commission. Keith
met Ralph Nader whose work inspired him to create a consumers group for cannabis users.
Keith served as executive director for Norml from
1970 to 1979, during that time 11 states adopted marijuana decriminalization laws.
Keith worked as a lobbyist for farmers for a few years in Washington DC. He was hired in 1989 as the executive director of the National Association
for Criminal Defense lawyers also in Washington DC until 1994. Keith was invited to return to the Norml board of directors in 1994. When the Executive Director Richard Cowan stepped aside
in 1995 Keith was rehired as Executive Director
of Norml, where he worked for the next 10 years, serving as the primary spokesperson for marijuana users. In January 2005, he announced
he was stepping aside as Executive Director.
Keith Stroup has represented the interest of tens
of millions of Americans who use marijuana responsibly.
Keith remains active with Norml, serving as legal
counsel. He gives college lectures, and he has
appeared on numerous television shows. Keith has published a book on the history of Norml entitled its Norml to smoke pot: The 40-year fight
for marijuana smokers' rights. Keith Stroup has proven that one person can make a difference, without Keith and the company he founded Norml I'm sure marijuana laws would be different today.