WASHINGTON — Acclaimed DJ, human rights advocate, and current Phoenix Suns Basketball Operations staff member Joshua Zeke Thomas has joined the Advisory Board of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), the country’s most established legalization group. He will work with NORML to promote education and responsible use of cannabis while advocating for consumer rights.
In addition to his music career and activism, Zeke Thomas is a host, media personality, and entrepreneur known for appearing on Good Morning America, MTV’s Catfish, and Sirius XM, among others. As a DJ, he has performed with icons like Diana Ross, Snoop Dog, Jay-Z, and Lady Gaga. He has also been an Official NBA All-Star DJ and regularly DJs President Joe Biden’s Courage Awards.
Thomas, a partner and Senior Vice President for Cheurlin Champagne is a recognized advocate for survivors of sexual trauma and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s first male spokesman. He has served on President Biden’s LGBT Policy Advisor Committee and received numerous awards for his activism and leadership in the LGBTQ+ community. The son of NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, who created the cannabis and hemp company One World Products, Joshua credits his father’s sense of justice and perseverance for starting his journey in plant medicine and humanitarian activism.
“I’m honored to join NORML’s Advisory Board and help advocate for the rights of cannabis consumers and survivors of trauma,” he said. “Together, we can educate, raise awareness, and drive meaningful policy change, ensuring everyone has equal access to this plant and its benefits.”
Thomas will be welcomed into a prestigious company on the NORML Advisory Board, representing diverse experts and recognizable voices in the arts and entertainment, scientific, academic, and legal communities. Over the years, members have included country music icon Willie Nelson, actor and comedian Tommy Chong, and the late Lester Grinspoon, MD, author of the groundbreaking book Marijuana Reconsidered.
On the current Advisory Board, Thomas will help amplify NORML’s unique criminal justice and consumer advocacy endeavors so that the public can participate more directly in the nonprofit’s national, state, and local initiatives. These include lobbying to change cannabis policies at all levels and programs to expunge criminal cannabis convictions. Ongoing projects involve providing pathways to veterans seeking treatments for trauma, aiding citizens in overcoming housing and other essential rights challenges, and amplifying new findings from scientific and medical experts to keep the public up-to-date on the plant’s applications for health. Through these and other avenues, NORML is working to end the collateral consequences of prohibition and ensure equal access to cannabis for all.
For over 50 years, NORML has been a pivotal force in cannabis culture and social justice. In looking to the future for federal descheduling, the organization is proud to collaborate with Thomas to bring the legalization movement to new heights.
About NORML
NORML advocates for changes in public policy so that the responsible possession and use of marijuana by adults is no longer subject to criminal penalties. NORML further advocates for a regulated commercial cannabis market so that activities involving the for-profit production and retail sale of cannabis and cannabis products are safe, transparent, consumer-friendly, and are subject to state and/or local licensure. Finally, NORML advocates for additional changes in legal and regulatory policies so that those who use marijuana responsibly no longer face either social stigma or workplace discrimination, and so that those with past criminal records for marijuana-related violations have the opportunity to have their records automatically expunged.
