More Tokers than Texans and Other Odd Gems from the National Pot Conference

There are more tokers than Texans! So declared Russ Belville, outreach coordinator for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws during a session called "Using Data to Make Your Case for Legalization." The occasion was NORML's 2010 national conference. And the setting was the 100-year-old Governor Hotel, better known as the home of City Club's Friday Forums.

Until Saturday, long- and short-haired activists, lawyers, and other pro-legalization enthusiasts will gather at the staid Portland hotel where a "medication lounge" offers licensed medical marijuana users a place to smoke pot and mingle with other smokers.

On Thursday afternoon, as Belville addressed about two dozen conference-goers, a much bigger crowd listened to experts named SubCool and MzJill talk about proper marijuana growing techniques. Others listened to a legal-advice panel during which John Lucy IV, a Portland lawyer and medical-marijuana user, pulled out a jar of marijuana buds, while declaring it's not "illegal for me to have this."

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Portland) attended yesterday's session of the conference. Rick Steves, the well-known author of travel guides, starts today's events at 9 am. The PBS television host is a member of NORML's advisory board.

A final footnote for the curious: Texas has 25 million people, according to the U.S. Census.