Russ Belville

"Radical" Russ Belville is the Outreach Coordinator for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). He is the author of The NORML Big Book of Marijuana Facts and the host of NORML SHOW LIVE, the organization's daily one-hour talk radio program at http://live.norml.org and blogs at http://stash.norml.org. He was the winner of The Search for the Next Great Progressive Talk Radio Star, a guest host on The Bill Press Show, and hosted his own political talk radio show, The Russ Belville Show, for two years on XM Satellite. He was born on the first day of the Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War in the town of Nampa in the "red" state of Idaho, where any opinion to the left of Reagan gets you labeled as "radical". Russ began his marijuana activism volunteering with Oregon NORML back in 2005. By 2007 he was elected Associate Director. In 2008 NORML hired Russ to record their daily podcast, NORML Daily Audio Stash. In 2009 NORML hired him as Outreach Coordinator. He currently resides in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon (a.k.a. "Little Beirut").

Russ Belville's appearance at this year's Starwood Festival is sponsored by Ohio and Cleveland NORML.

Cannabis, Hemp, & Marijuana in America - Past, Present, & Future

Since the planting of the first hemp crops at the Jonestown Colony in 1611, marijuana - or more accurately, cannabis - has been woven into the fabric of American life. Join NORML Outreach Coordinator Russ Belville for an engaging look at the past, present, and future of marijuana in America. Did the Founding Fathers use marijuana (other than growing industrial hemp)? Which famous presidential marijuana quotes are true and which are hoaxes. Learn about medical cannabis in 19th Century America and how one man, and one lie, branded marijuana as the devil's weed in the 20th century. Discover the Americans you didn't know were pot smokers, and the famous ones who are. Put Russ Belville's encyclopedic knowledge of marijuana statistics and demographics to the test in our closing Q&A session.

Drug War Debate 101 - A Hands-On Marijuana Debate Prep Session

With recent polls showing more Americans in support of marijuana legalization, the issue is up for discussion in every corner of American life. From the op-ed pages of the newspaper to the talking heads on TV, activists are forced to confront some of the pernicious lies and misdirections employed by prohibitionists to muddy the debate and scare undecided voters. NORML Outreach Coordinator Russ Belville, fresh from his debate with former White House Drug Warrior Dr. Kevin Sabet, leads this interactive session designed to cut right to the heart of the most common drug warrior talking points. Learn how to quickly and effectively eviscerate the "Gateway Theory", "What About the Children?!?", "Stoned Mayhem on the Freeways!", "Why Would We Want to Add Another Drug?", "Treatment, Not Incarceration", and many more.

The Constitution and Cannabis - Civil Rights in the War on Marijuana

Is there a civil right to smoke pot? How do your Constitutional rights work in the Drug War? NORML Outreach Coordinator Russ Belville explores the "drug war exception" to the Bill of Rights. Learn the history of federal laws that have criminalized cannabis, and how lawmakers and judges have slowly eroded the entire Bill of Rights and stretched the Commerce Clause to the point of incredulity. You can also learn how to best defend yourself from intrusions on your liberty from police officers.