2008 Hunter S. Thompson NORML Media Award
The drug policy reform movement lost a dedicated activist and a great human being when Derek Rea died in 2008.
As a long-time Media Awareness Project editor, Derek helped to educate the reform community and others about drug policy and possible reforms. He also managed the selection process for the DrugSense recognitions of the Letter Writer of the Month and Letter Writer of the Week.
Derek had been an activist for medical cannabis for years when he found himself in need after being diagnosed with acute leukemia. He firmly believed cannabis got him through chemotherapy, and he was declared cancer free after one set of treatments. He used that situation to educate doctors, nurses and others about the power of medical cannabis. While he had seemed to beat the cancer, a sudden and serious case of pneumonia was too much.
Derek and MAP were honored at the 2008 National NORML conference with the Hunter S. Thompson NORML Media Award.
Derek's widow, Eileen, and his friend and fellow Illinois NORML board member Danielle Schumacher accepted the award.
To learn more about Derek, see http://drugsense.org/url/07UzdavC
Derek Rea - Self Portrait - Derek looks at his computer as he works on MAP tasks.
Don Wirtshafter, Chair of the DrugSense Board of Directors accepts the award on behalf of MAP
Eileen Rea talks to the NORML Conference awards event about Derek. Allen St. Pierre, on the left.
Danielle Schumacher and Eileen admire the award. Danielle hosted Eileen at the NORML conference on behalf of the Illinois NORML Board of Directors.
