STARTUP KIT FOR CANNABIS ACTIVIST ORGANISATIONS

Steps to starting a group:

1) Get a small core group together,who's job it will be to start the organization. This should be a group of friends who don't mind working together and know each other well. Teamwork is the key to success in any organizing venture. (Note the word teamwork includes the word `work.' This means getting things done, if all your friends like to do is `hang out' then you should look into getting a different group together.)

2) Spend a lot of time talking about the issue; make sure you get everyone's feelings out in the open --this is the most important part, as it lets you all makesure that you are `on the same side.' At least three to four two hour long discussions should do it. After you all agree on everything, or at least have come to terms with each other's opinions, get some emotion going. Get angry together; build up some momentum; then you can start discussing your organization itself. Decide on a formal statement of beliefs. See ours as a sample:

2) Creating the organization proper.

Once you have a solid core of people committed to this project (Committed means willing to stick with it, thick and thin, until some degree of success is obtained.) starting the organization is mainly a process of `planning ahead.' Now is the time that you prepare your organization for as many catastrophies as you can dream up. Seriously discuss everything that could go wrong, and offer as many ideas for damage control as possible.

3) Write a constitution which describes the internal workings of your organization and delegates the major responsibilities. In some organizations, their is an Executive Board which consists of a President, Vice-President (activities organizer), Secretary (records keeping, office organization, and editor of newsletter),Treasurer (accounting, finance records keeping, fund raising coordinator), and Public Relations Director (Advertising ,publicity, etc.)

4) Regular business meetings.

Meetings at which the major `goings on' are discussed (and the important decisions made) should be held on a regular basis at a stable location. Meetings like this are the backbone of the organization. They give a sense of stability to the entire operation. It is not essential that everyone come to every meeting, but enough people should come to make the meeting happen every week (day, month, take your pick.) This way, you can tell new people to drop by your meetings. This is the best way to pick up new core members

5) Working with the system.

One of the best things your organization can do is learn how to work the system. This goes double for university groups. We encourage all university groups to register with theiradministration, or student organisation. This not only adds to your credibility, but it also gives you access to facilities, (like, especially, office space and/or a business telephone) and gives you an idea of the shape of surrounding bureaucracies. Since some of these people are the same ones that will try to shut you down, it is important to confront them face to face, and to study the way they operate. Read all policies of your institution and/or local government thoroughly, with an eye toward what you can and cannot do. All institutions are required by common courtesy to supply copies of their policies, that is, if you have to obey a rule, you have a right to know the full details of that rule. Sometimes these policies can even give you ideas for future activities or protests. Always keep an eye out for opportunities. Be curious or example, if you see a room or a piece of equipment and think you can use it, ask somebody what the policies are reguarding the said item. Always ask questions, get as specific as possible, in fact, grill the poor sap. Remember to thank your hapless victim afterwards and to introduce yourself if it suits your purposes. Also remember that administrators are very busy people. This is good. This means you have them at a disadvantage. If you make yourself known as a very persistent person who always pursues his goals and rarely gives up, administrators will be a lot more helpful -- just to get you out of their hair

6) Activities and events.

Activities are things that your organization does to help the movement. Events are also, to a lesser extent, but they focus on recruitment, publicity, and fund raising. Some activities include letter drives, petitioning, and canvassing. Letter drives are usually directed at a legislature or organization, and have something to do with a current event or policy, petitioning likewise. Canvassing is a multi-purpose activity which mainly serves to gain support from people who are indifferent toward your cause. Another activity is called guerilla theater. Get a bunch of out-going rowdy types together and come up with a short, loud skit which you can perform in about two minutes and then disappear. Then perform the skit in a public area, completely by surprise. Guaranteed to shock and amuse. There are two major types of events: publicity `fluffy' events which have little or no redeeming social value, but get you a lot of attention and make you well known; and public service events, which are a lot less glamorous but just as important.`Fluffy' events include rallies, concerts and movies. They don't really bring anyone into direct contact with your organization, beyond possibly signing up, but are there to let people know you exist. For this reason, they need to be widely publicized under your organization's name. Public service events include tables, presentations, seminars, public speeches,and informational meetings. They are there to tell the public what you are all about. These are the events which change people's minds and help you `network' by meeting and talking with as many people as possible

7) Working IN the system.

Also consider taking a position in your student council or local government. This way, you can meet and work with the very people you need to know to accomplish your agenda. Most local governments and student organisations are understaffed and would be glad to have the help. The knowledge of what's going on which you gain from working on the inside is invaluable. In fact, at Penn State, the cannabis reform movement took over the student government. Aim high, but be discrete, you don't want to have to answer any complaints of `conflict of interest.'

8) Fund Raising

Here, of course, is the tough part. Nothing gets done without money, as you will soon find out. Here are some of the ways we get money:

Soliciting grants from your institution may be possible. If you can find out what funds you are eligible to petition for, go for it. Sometimes there are funds that hardly ever get used and then all get blown on some stupid school sponsored event because they needed to spend it somewhere. If you have a student activity fee, it belongs to you, too.We have held many events with substantial University grants and loans.

`Selling memberships' (read `Donations') usually you can get a good amount just by letting people `join' the organization Some of them never want to hear from you again, but it's the thought that counts. Merchandising-- buttons, T-Shirts, little hemp bracelets there are tons of things you can sell, especially if you qualify as a non-profit organization (which you do.) Running a `hemp booth' requires a little capital, but as longas you pay attention to what items are selling, it should eventually turn a profit. If your organization has its own mailbox, you can use it to mailorder (legal) merchandise which your membership is to paranoid to get at their own address and charge them for the service.

Fund Raising events -- Many of your `fluffy' events can double as fund raisers. Showing movies and concerts is a prime example Generally, think of a way you can get the faceless masses to shell you out a few dollars each. (Be discrete, now...)

8) Mailing lists

Keep an exhaustive phone list, on a secure computer. Designate someone as the person in charge, and have them copy all the phone numbers you get onto one big list. When you have a petition, leave a space for their address and phone number, and copy these, too.

9) Personal organization.

There are three kinds of people in the world --fruits, nuts, and flakes. (This is called the `Granola' or `Cereal' theory of life.) Fruits are sweet and smooth, and are very good talkers. They know how to get things out of people, but usually have an ego control problem and don't like to take orders. It is usually best to humor themand make them feel really important (they are, after all.) Nuts are, as you probably already know, crazy people. They usually are very stressed out and have tons of ideas (some of them a little far out) but have trouble communicating them effectively. They also have tons of energy, and are almost always willing to lend a hand at just about anything. Surprisingly, nuts tend to be rather good organizers. What they aren't good at is public relations as a result, nuts usually work `back stage' where they can't scare anybody important. Flakes aren't all that much good for anything. They come on really strong, say they like your group and support you all the way, but when you want them to do something they become flat and soggy. There are a lot of flakes, but that's OK because after they lose their crunch nobody really believes them any more and they just stick to the side of the bowl and turn to mush (unless they can make it big as an entertainer.)

There is no such thing as a normal person, so I wouldn't worry about whether you are a nut or a fruit, JUST DON'T BE A FLAKE. How not to be a flake: Play a little game called `reliability.' Never lose a phone number. Never forget an appointment or a name. Always say what you will do, and do what you said you would. Be considerate of other people -- don't waste their time, patience, or money. In short, learn how to conduct yourself in a business like manner as a professional. Most of you should be doing this anyway. If you can get away with it without feeling like a nerd, get yourself a daily planner or a small notebook which you carry with yourself everywhere. Tie a pen to it with a piece of string. This should give you a bit of a head start. TAKE YOURSELF SERIOUSLY. This is real; you are actually doing something important; everything you do effects real people living real lives in the real world. Remind yourself this if you start to `flake out.'

10) Exercise `constructive paranoia.'

While it is never good to go around trusting nobody, a little tact is necessary in any reform work.KEEP YOUR ACT CLEAN. You don't have time to goof off or margin for error. Consider all of your actions carefully and make sure you are not setting yourself up for a fall, or leaving yourself open to attacks. If there is a rule, try to obey it, or at least make doubly sure you don't get caught at anything. There will probably be a lot of people who are just waiting for an excuse to hassle you.

11) Publicity

Make sure every person has no choice but to know you exist and what is going on. Advertising is the single most important part in holding any kind of event. Consider all your options:Posters, leaflets, radio,newspaper, television, etc Don't just go with one of them, choose at least three. Take special care to use all the free advertising that is out there: free social calendars, Public Service Announcements, etc. Be extremely aggressive, and don't let anything slip by. Publicity includes advertising but also includes trying to get the best response from the media after your events. As with advertising, exploit every avenue: editorials in newspapers, radio and television interviews,etc. You should maintain a list of media outlets and release a `press release' before and after each event. The press release should be one page, read like a news story, and provide all the information that makes you look good. A contact person should be designated and his or her name and number should be put on the press release

12) Show your numbers.

Whenever possible, try to make your organization look big and popular. This not only goes for rallies, but everywhere. When you have a meeting or a hearing, invite several members to join you and back you up. You get a lot more respect this way. Say,for example, there was a hearing in your student council to decide whether to give you office space. Having ten or twenty of your members show up vastly improves your chances of getting what you want. In general, the more people you have, the better. More importantly, if you can show that you have a lot of support, you will get a lot further.

13) Literature.

Collect a master file of literature that communicates your points. Put your organization's name and addresses or contact numbers on every piece in the kit.

14) Research Library.

Accumulate a library of scientific studies, news articles, editorials, journal articles, electronic files from the internet, videos and anything else you can get your hands on. It is always important to be able to back yourself up with `official' facts and figures.

15) Networking.

Keep in contact with national movements and initiatives. The best way to get an idea of what is going on is to have various members of your organization join other organizations, attend their meetings, and receive their newsletters. Keep a file of your correspondance

If you get this far...Congratulations you are now an official HEMP group.

Stand tall and pat yourself on the back, reform is on its way!