Life Insurance For Responsible Marijuana Smokers!

Washington, DC: The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), the nation's oldest and most respected cannabis-law reform organization, today announced that life insurance is finally available for adult cannabis consumers.

NORML has partnered with The McLaughlin Company and a pair of nationally recognized insurance providers to offer life insurance products to responsible cannabis consumers. Previously, adults who self-reported using cannabis ­-- even in moderate amounts --­ were denied life insurance coverage or, at best, offered coverage at a grossly inflated premium. Starting today, cannabis consumers will have access to the same types of life insurance plans as non-users, and they will no longer be forced to pay excessively high premiums.

"Unlike cigarettes or even alcohol, moderate use of cannabis --­ even when used long-term ­-- is not shown to have significant negative ramifications on health or mortality," **

NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said. "As a result, responsible cannabis consumers should not be forced to pay inflated premiums or be denied insurance coverage because of their marijuana use." NORML and its partners hope to expand its life insurance program to offer cannabis-friendly disability and health insurance products later this year.

For more information, please contact NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre at (202) 483-5500 or visit: http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7128.

To listen to an audio message about the NORML Life Insurance program from The McLaughlin Company's Webb Hubbell, please visit: http://audio.norml.org/audio_stash/staff_psa/webb_jazz_test_2.mp3.

** D. Vinson. 2006. Marijuana and other illicit drug use and the risk of injury: A case-control study. Missouri Medicine 103: 152-156 R. Blondell et al. 2005. Toxicology screening results: injury associations among hospitalized trauma patients. Journal of TRAUMA Injury, Infection, and Critical Care 58: 561-570 S. Sidney et al. 1997. Marijuana Use and Mortality. American Journal of Public Health 87: 1-4 Editorial: "Deglamorising Cannabis." The Lancet, Nov. 11, 1995. (346:8985).