One of the most expedient, effective and cost-effective ways to educate the voters and influence public officials is to publish op/eds and letters to the editor in national and regional newspapers. The opinion page is typically the most widely read section of the newspaper, and op/eds and letters to the editor are usually clipped and saved by politicians. They also show editors, reporters, and local representatives what the "hot" issues are, thereby encouraging both greater news coverage and political debate of those topics. (For more information on how to write your own op/ed or letter to the editor, read: "How to Mount an Effective Letter Writing Campaign.")
NORML's op/eds and letters to the editor are featured in dozens of newspapers and magazines each year. Samples of these are available below.
"Keith Stroup's LTE In Defense Of Jonathan Magbie," The Washington Post
"The Case for Decriminalizing Cannabis," The Washington Post
"Drug Official Wrong About Marijuana," The Billings Gazette
"The Problem Is Pot Prohibition," The Washington Post
"Put medical pot in high gear," United Press International (UPI)
