Who is Sheldon Norberg?

Author, publisher, performer, producer, Progressive Drug Educator, Sheldon Norberg is not your average guy.
To earn his BA from San Francisco State University he designed his own major, Psycho-Spiritual Healing, and graduated with honors (despite dropping out of UCLA a decade earlier). In addtion to his work with PDE, he is adjunct faculty at the Academy of Intuition Medicine, a Certified Practitioner of Chi Nei Tsang (Chinese Organ Massage), a Certified Hypnotherapist, and a father of two. When time allows, he continues his transpersonal psychological training in Grof Holotropic Breathwork, Metzner Alchemical Divination, and Power Path Shamanism Studies. His lifelong interest in the mind and metaphysics got an early jumpstart when (as portrayed in his show) he began Transcendental Meditation at the age of ten. Being an American, however, he found his study of the mind influenced by the ‘70s burgeoning drug culture.

As a performer, Sheldon’s first outing was in second grade, reading A Poem, by Henry Gibson, at his school talent show. Several years of school productions later, he became a champion high school debater and speaker, qualifying for the California State Tournament every year. He began his professional theatrical career in 1988, playing Dick Kramer in “Dick Dines Out.” He then co-founded the Underworld Opera Company, worked as its Managing Director, and played major roles in all their productions until ‘93, always to favorable review. It was during this period that he began thinking about a show on drug dealing, but as he was funding his non-profit theater company with drug money, decided it might not be the best idea.

Returning to academia in the mid ‘90s, he competed in numerous events at the American Forensics Association’s National Tournament in 95 and 96. He continued his training in Chinese Medicine, which gave him the overview to finally write his story. Publishing his book in 2000 and developing the show in 2001 has given him a tremendous vehicle for his life’s work, to communicate realistically about drugs with people everywhere. He has taught his special version of drug education in select schools, lectured to audiences at major universities, performed at theaters across the country, and been a presenter at the Mind States Conference.

Sheldon is a proud member of Erowid, The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Study, The Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics, The Drug Policy Alliance, The Marijuana Policy Project, Drug Reform Coordination Network, Law Enforcement Against Prohibiton, The Harm Reduction Coalition, The Institute of Noetic Sciences, and the ACLU. He maintains a growing library and information stream on drug science, history, psychology, law, and culture. Working within the Harm Reduction community, he is helping create a balanced, informed discussion of the potentials and pitfalls of drug use, and particularly what can be done to develop greater understanding of their use, their users, and the sociology that surrounds them, as 100 years of criminalization have only increased the variety and availability of drugs to youngsters everywhere.