Pubdate: Sat, 07 Apr 2001
Source: Danbury News-Times
Copyright: Danbury News-Times 2001
Website: www.newstimes.com
Contact:  Brian Saxton

WESTCONN HEARS LEGAL POT DEBATE

DANBURY  Robert Stutman can understand why some people might see them 
as The Odd Couple. The 57-year-old retired special agent for the 
federal Drug Enforcement Administration teamed up with Steve Hager, 
49-year-old editor-in-chief of High Times magazine on the lecture 
circuit two months ago to publicly debate the pros and cons of 
legalizing marijuana.

Stutman thinks it would be a "serious mistake.''

Hager believes it would stop the drug war and end the nation's violence.

But, as students at Western Connecticut State University saw Thursday 
night in a debate dubbed "The Heads Versus the Feds,'' they seem to 
differ amicably.

"We do it without being disagreeable or disrespectful,'' said 
Stutman, who now lives in Florida. "We completely disagree about the 
issue but I think we've grown to like each other.''

On Thursday, it was the WestConn chapter of the National Organization 
for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) that brought them together 
by sponsoring their 12th debate since they became a team.

NORML is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit lobbying organization 
formed in 1970 to end the prohibition of marijuana and stop the 
arrests of smokers.

"Millions of Americans use marijuana,'' says NORML. "Few abuse it. 
Arresting these otherwise law-abiding citizens serves no legitimate 
purpose.''

High Times magazine, which Hager says celebrates what he calls "the 
counter-culture'' and advertises itself on the Internet as the 
"premier journal'' of marijuana-related news, supports NORML's work.

Hager argued Thursday that the legalization of marijuana for adults 
and its regulated use would keep it out of the hands of children, 
would end corruption in America and become a powerful medicine to 
help many illnesses.

"It would be a grave and tragic mistake to prosecute sick people for 
using it,'' he told students.

Stutman agreed with Hager that no one should go to jail for using 
marijuana and conceded there "may'' be some possible medicinal use 
for it, but he warned that legalization could increase accidents on 
the highway and in the workplace.

"I think it also would interfere with people's rationale, especially 
young people,'' he said. "It's more harmful than most people believe 
and just as dangerous as tobacco.''

Stutman concedes the government's present war on drugs is "far from 
perfect'' and needs many changes.

"We should spend less money on closing borders because that doesn't 
work,'' he said. "Far more money should be spent on education and 
treatment.''

One member of the audience, Aubri Fox, a 20-year-old sophomore, said 
she went because she thought it was a good idea to have the debate.

"I'm pro-legalizing marijuana,'' she said, "so I think this is a good 
way of seeing the political aspect of the issue and not just the 
stoner (drugged up) aspect.''
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