About

Mission Statement

NORML UK seeks to gain recognition for the rights of people to peacefully pursue activities relating to cannabis without unwarranted intervention by the authorities.

A Voice for Responsible Cannabis Users in Britain

Founded in 1970 in the USA, NORML is an international organisation representing cannabis consumers worldwide. NORML UK is a non-partisan, non-profit organisation working for more research into the benefits of the uses of the cannabis plant for all purposes. We aim to provide a support network to those seeking the normalisation of cannabis consumption and to influence a positive transformation to laws enabling responsible medical, spiritual, recreational and industrial uses in the UK.

Our founding member are a diverse group of people from all walks of life who have one thing in common: passion for individual freedom, responsibility, and liberty.

We are an Official NORML Affiliate!  You can review our bylaws here.

NORML UK official certificate of affiliation as a Chapter of NORML.

Medical Cannabis in Britain is a compassionate and cost-effective solution

Persecution of cannabis consumers affects everyone, including the sick and the dying. Of all the negative consequences, none is as tragic or immoral as the denial of medicinal cannabis to seriously ill patients. NORML UK believes medical cannabis should be made immediately available to all patients who could benefit from its therapeutic uses.

Cannabis is widely accepted as an effective treatment for a wide range of conditions and illnesses. Those who could benefit from its legal availability include cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, AIDS patients suffering from “wasting syndrome,” and glaucoma patients. Cannabis has also been shown to benefit those suffering from chronic pain, depression, anxiety, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue/M.E, multiple sclerosis, paraplegia, dyskinesia, and epilepsy. The list grows longer every year!

NORML UK believes that medical cannabis should be made immediately available to all patients who could benefit from its therapeutic use.

The right to choose cannabis: why is it denied?

The notion of ‘controlled drugs’ is a misleading if not harmful one to say the least.

By leaving the ‘controlled drugs’ market in the hands of criminal gangs we not only enrich and empower dangerous criminals, we also leave young people vulnerable to misinformation and exploitation.

Some drugs when misused can clearly cause harms, as we have seen with tobacco and alcohol. Every responsible person is concerned about addressing all forms of drug misuse and why it happens. However, decades of increasingly heavy-handed prohibition have only seen demand for and use of cannabis increase while more and more studies showing its benefits and relative safety (especially compared to tobacco and alcohol) continue to pile up. NORML UK respects and recognises the common desire to use substances that help us relax, socialise, meditate, and otherwise alter our consciousness. We advocate an evidence-based and liberty-informed approach to the regulation of the use of all such substances, including cannabis.

We must have a sensible and honest debate about a new way forward, one that recognises the rights of responsible adults to make their own choices regarding their recreational drug use while supporting and caring for those suffering from all forms of drug misuse.