NORML is growing up--and growing in its advocacy role. See, Pot Advocates Take Cause to Congress

"Nine states have approved the legalization of medicinal marijuana and 12 states have passed laws that decriminalize the responsible possession and consumption of pot — turning what was previously an arrestable offense into a ticketable misdemeanor.

States passing medicinal exceptions include California and Arizona in 1996, Alaska, Washington and Oregon in 1998, Maine in 1999, Colorado and Nevada in 2000, and Hawaii in the last legislative year.

The 12 decriminalized states are California, Arizona, Alaska, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Maine, Nevada, Nebraska, Colorado and Mississippi, with bills in the works in Vermont and New Hampshire."

We talked about the Nevada initiative earlier today. The federal bill, sponsored by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) is H.R. 2592. It would end the conflict between state medical marijuana laws and federal regulation.