Pubdate: Sun, 29 Sep 2002
Source: Iowa City Press-Citizen (IA)
Copyright: 2002 Iowa City Press-Citizen
Contact:  http://www.press-citizen.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1330
Author: Gigi Wood

NEW UI CHAPTER OF NORML SEEKS MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION

There's a new club at the University of Iowa - a chapter of the National 
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana laws.

The group was created at Iowa NORML's annual meeting Saturday at the Iowa 
City Public Library.

Ten people showed up for Saturday's meeting, which was the Davenport- based 
group's first in Iowa City.

"I wished we had more numbers, but I thought the meeting was productive," 
said James Getman, director of Iowa NORML, which has about 50 members 
statewide.

A visit by Rep. Mary Mascher, D-Iowa City, on lobbying techniques for the 
use of medical marijuana was especially helpful, he said.

Not all of those who attended were interested in smoking marijuana or 
belonged to the chapter.

"I don't use marijuana," said Deanna Olsen, a nursing assistant at the 
University of Iowa Hospitals. "I'm here to support the use of medical 
marijuana."

As a student, Olsen has been involved with the group Students for George W. 
Bush at UI and took a similar role in the days preceding the NORML meeting.

"Some of the younger people are here because of me," she said. "I hung up 
posters around campus all week."

Olsen said members of UI Student Government were working to create a 
similar group called Students for Responsible Drug Policy.

Ed Noyes, the Libertarian candidate for state attorney general, also talked 
at the meeting. The Jefferson County lawyer spoke out against the 
incarceration of Iowans for marijuana drug offenses.

"Who pays to incarcerate them? We do," Noyes said. "If someone believes 
there is a real drug problem in America, they need to put their money into 
rehabilitation."

He protested what he called hypocrisy between presidential candidates and 
the use of marijuana.

"Presidential candidates in the last two campaigns admitted to smoking 
marijuana," Noyes said. "But they expect people to be incarcerated and 
their lives ruined for smoking it."
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