Erik Altieri
Interim Director of Campaigns
Erik Altieri is a political activist and the former executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), born in Philadelphia, PA.
Altieri relocated to Washington, DC, and attended American University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies.
In 2008, Altieri became the communications director and federal lobbyist for NORML, the oldest and largest marijuana reform organization in the United States. He held this position until 2015 when he began working as a political strategist for groups such as MAYDAY.US PAC and the Patriotic Millionaires.
After the departure of NORML’s then-executive director in 2016, Erik Altieri was selected by the organization’s board of directors to assume the leadership position. He was NORML’s ninth executive director since its founding in 1970 and the youngest to hold the position. Altieri’s efforts were honored by Forbes magazine when he was named one of their Top 30 Under 30 for Law and Policy in 2018.
During his tenure at NORML, Altieri was a leading voice in the fight for marijuana legalization and legal system reform. He appeared on numerous media outlets, including CNN, CBS News, HSN, MSNBC, and Fox News, to advocate for the cause. Erik also played a vital role in passing numerous marijuana legalization laws at the state level, with 13 additional states legalizing the adult use of marijuana during his tenure. He departed the organization after a six-year term at the helm in 2023.
Altieri is also a respected political commentator and has written for several publications, including The Huffington Post, Truthout, The Hill, Aspen Times, and Forbes. He has been a regular guest on political talk shows, has appeared as a recurring guest on programs such as the Bill Press Show, and was a regular guest on Thom Hartmann’s Progressive Roundtable.
With his new role at The Clean Slate Initiative, he aims to remain an influential voice in the fight for legal system reform.