Date of birth: June 26, 1940Education:
Grades K-12 Fort Worth, Texas, Public Schools 1945-1958
Bachelor of Arts in Economics: Yale University, 1962
(I was President of the Yale Young Republicans; Chairman of the Party of the
Right in the Yale Political Union; Founding member of Young Americans for Freedom; etc. My
political philosophy has not changed, but my political awareness certainly has. I found
out that not everyone who talks about freedom and limited government really means it.)
Business background: 1962-1992
Various management positions in manufacturing and natural resources. Duties
included all aspects of corporate management, finance, and due diligence for investments
in a variety of areas, including alternative medicine. (This latter activity gave me an
insight into some of the problems confronting medical marijuana. Not every closed mind is
found in the DEA.)
Writing and speaking on public affairs, 1972-present.
December 6, 1972 National Review Cover Article "Why Conservatives
Should Support the Legalization of Marijuana." In his book Smoke and Mirrors, Dan Baum said that this article
"opened a second front in the War on Drugs." Time Magazine even carried
a story about the article. (marijuananews.com
was launched on the twenty-fifth anniversary of this article. I am nothing if not
determined.)
December 5, 1986 National Review Cover Article: "How the Narcs Created Crack."
This article has been cited in various scholarly journals as the origin of the economics
of contraband, "The Iron Law of Prohibition: the harder the enforcement, the harder
the drugs."
Writings on other subjects have appeared in a variety of newspapers and other
publications, including the Atlantic Monthly.
Television appearances include interviews on numerous news programs, including
CNN, and a variety of talk shows including Posner/Donahue.
From February to September, 1997, founding editor of The
Medical Marijuana Magazine, www.marijuanamagazine.com, an online publication.
Much of the original content of this site, was adapted from there. It is published by the
well known author and medical marijuana user, Peter McWilliams, and is worth visiting just
to see the great graphics on the Home Page.
August 1992 - August 1995:
National Director of NORML, The National Organization for the Reform of
Marijuana Laws.
Currently:
Member of the Advisory Board of the Drug Policy Foundation.
Senior Policy Advisor to NORML.
Editor and Publisher,
Supported