Archive Can you imagine a time when this could be legal on any San Antonio street? NORML can.

Possessing or smoking marijuana is illegal in Texas, and 210SA would never condone drug use or encourage anyone to partake in the use of such substances (much).

That said, we feel it's our journalistic duty to point out that Sunday, April 20, is 4/20, an annual unofficial holiday devoted to all things cannabis.

And this year, 4/20 is especially significant to San Antonians friendly to the cannabis cause. That's because it marks the debut of the San Antonio chapter of the nonprofit National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).

That's right. A mere two decades after the founding of the NORML chapters in Dallas, Austin and Houston, San Antonio has formed its very own group dedicated to fighting drug laws and educating the public about the beneficial effects of smoking cannabis responsibly.

“We were trying to find the chapter to join, and we decided if there isn't one, we need to be the ones to put it together,” said Marcus De Leon, vice president of the local NORML chapter. “4/20 is going to be our introduction to San Antonio, really, and I think it's going to be a really big step.”

The board plans to hold monthly meetings open to the public, organize rallies protesting the current drug laws in front of City Hall and inform people how to write their representatives in Congress to reform drugs laws. The chapter has 15 members so far.

The biggest misconceptions about cannabis use, according to De Leon? That it causes loss of motivation, that it's more harmful than cigarettes or alcohol and that it should stay criminalized.

The members have high hopes (sorry, couldn't resist), but they know it won't be easy.

“In San Antonio, I think we have the odds against us to get the masses to support us,” De Leon said. “We'll get the kids involved in the cannabis culture to support us, but we're not going to get doctors and lawyers and high-end supporters like in Austin.

“Here in San Antonio, people smoke, but they're less likely to go to a NORML rally because they're scared they're going to lose their jobs. I think we're fighting an uphill battle, but it will be fun.”

NORML will be signing people up on 4/20 at Lazy Daze and Atomix. Membership costs $10. For more information about the local chapter of NORML, visit myspace.com/sanantonionorml or call (210) 550-3625.

Jessica Belasco | 210SA contributor