BEAUMONT- by Haley Bull
A group of residents hoping to see marijuana legalized in Texas are working to start a local chapter of a marijuana lobbying group. A meeting held Saturday night in Beaumont was the first step in formalizing the group.
"I started using medical marijuana when I was around 18 years old. it just helps with the nausea the pain, helps me sleep at night," Cory Meriwether said.
Doctors diagnosed the 23-year old with Crohn's Disease about ten years ago.
"They had me on 3 pills three times a day for the rest of my life or they'd switch medications and you know a colonoscopy every year and I just got tired of all of that and decided to just take control of the disease with medical marijuana," Meriwether said.
He joined dozens of people at The Logon Cafe in Beaumont Saturday evening.
"We're really excited about the forming of this chapter in this area," Royce Abrego siad.
They're organizing a local chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
"The ultimate goal of NORML is to legalize marijuana for adult use, responsible adult use, across the board," Corey Mendes said.
Mendes and Albrego are leading organization efforts in Southeast Texas to legalize marijuana for medical and recreational use and industrial hemp production.
Following Mendes and Albrego, community members took the mic at at the meeting to give their opinions and fill out forms gauging their interest.
"We're going to be looking for people to come and show interest in the chapter and tell us what they can bring as far as qualities as far as volunteering and fundraising and just reaching out to the community and spreading the word on cannabis," Abrego said.
He said that includes public education and community involvement.
"It's time that as Texans we start asking ourselves why not us? And this is how we start," Abrego said.
