Keith Stroup is a Washington, DC public-interest attorney who has been a champion of the cannabis movement since he founded the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) in 1970, the same year the Controlled Substances Act became law. He ran the organization for 9 years through 1979, during which time 11 states decriminalized minor marijuana offenses. With other opportunities presented to him, he took a sabbatical from NORML to practice criminal law, lobby on Capitol Hill for family farmers and artists, and for several years served as executive director of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL). He resumed his work with NORML in 1994 when he rejoined the board of directors. From that point onward, he served again as Executive Director through 2004. Today, he is currently serving as Legal Counsel with NORML. Mr. Stroup has appeared on numerous television shows such as The O’Reilly Factor, Crossfire, Buchanan and Press, and Hannity and Colmes. In 1992 Stroup was the recipient of the Richard J. Dennis Drugpeace Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Drug Policy Reform presented by the Drug Policy Foundation, Washington, DC. He frequently speaks at industry events and, as always, remains a champion of cannabis advocacy.