Martinez worked as correctional officer in California, before retiring and focusing on cannabis activism.
[2] She started her efforts by collecting signatures for Oregon Ballot Measure 67 (1998), which modified state law to allow the cultivation, possession, and use of marijuana by doctor recommendation for patients with certain medical conditions.
[1] She later worked on the successful Oregon Ballot Measure 91 (2014) campaign, which legalized the recreational use of marijuana.
[2][3][4][5] In 2015, she was reportedly working to end cannabis prohibition at the national level, "to protect the rights of women and families stuck in the gray areas created by legislative changes across the country".
[1] Martinez is the executive director of Oregon NORML, the largest affiliate of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.