I am very sad to tell you that Lynn Zimmer died Sunday morning at the age of 59.

Professor Zimmer, a sociologist at Queens College in New York, was widely regarded among both drug policy scholars and activists as the most original thinker on drug issues in the United States.  She co-authored (with her dear friend and colleague, Dr. John P. Morgan) the book, Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts , the leading (and best selling) scholarly book on marijuana; it has been translated and published in seven languages to date.  She also published extensively on other drug issues, including drug testing, drug education, and drugs and the media, and appeared often on radio and TV programs. 

Professor Lynn Zimmer received both The Lindesmith Award for Achievement in the Field of Scholarship from the Drug Policy Foundation (now the Drug Policy Alliance) and the Lester Grinspoon Award for Achievement in the Field of Marijuana Law Reform from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) in 2000.  She was looked to as an intellectual leader in the growing drug policy reform movement.  She was simultaneously a fierce critic of drug prohibition and the nation’s harsh drug war policies but also a keen skeptic of arguments for full legalization.  Her insights into drug use and addiction, as well as the various roles of drugs in society, were unparalleled.

Before working on drug issues, Lynn Zimmer authored Women Guarding Men, a path breaking study of women hired as guards in men’s prisons that examined the painful process of transition from a segregated to an integrated prison environment.

Lynn Zimmer was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the late 1990s.  This disease took away much of her eyesight, sense of taste, and mobility but never diminished her remarkable mind.  She was a beloved teacher, friend and mentor to many.

She is survived by two sons, Joseph and Mark Phillips.

Lynn was a dear friend of mine and many, many others who committed their lives to ending the war on drugs.

Sincerely,

Ethan A. Nadelmann
Executive Director
Drug Policy Alliance
70 West 36th Street, 16th floor

[You can post your own thoughts and memories about Lynn at our blog, The D'Alliance]