Pubdate: Wed, 30 Apr 2003
Source: Red And Black, The (GA Edu University of Georgia)
Copyright: 2003 The Red and Black Publishing Co., Inc.
Contact:  http://www.redandblack.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2800
Author: Edwin Childs
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?420 (Cannabis - Popular)

MARIJUANA DEBATE GETS HEATED

Tuesday night at the "Heads vs. Feds" marijuana legalization debate, there
were a lot of heads and very few feds.

In fact, there was only one fed -- former drug enforcement agent Robert
Stutman, self-titled "the most famous narc in America."

Defending the illegal greenery was High Times editor Steve Hager, who began
his side of the debate with five reasons to legalize marijuana.

"The first reason is that it's good medicine -- good for AIDS, cancer,
glaucoma, strokes, asthma and multiple sclerosis," Hager said.

"You know, there's more diseases and disorders for which this plant is a
useful treatment than any other substance under the sun, and yet our federal
government has classified this plant as 'Schedule One,' which means
absolutely no potential for medical use and a very high potential for
abuse," he said.

In his opening argument, Stutman later responded to this claim, citing
studies by the American Medical and Cancer societies.

"Cannaboids are good only when extracted," he said. "A five-year study
proves that smoking marijuana will never be good."

Hager's second point expanded his argument beyond the realms of the "medical
marijuana argument" and into the uses of industrial hemp.

"Hemp is good for the environment," he said. "Every soldier in Valley Forge
wore clothes made out of marijuana, every ship the pilgrims came over on was
rigged with hemp rope and, in fact, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson
were hemp farmers."

Stutman responded with a slightly different view of Hagar's philosophy.

"People assume that, just because something is natural, it is good," he
said. "Arsenic is not synthetic -- God made it -- but you always hear about
how we don't want it in our drinking water."

While there was no clear "winner" to the debate, both sides presented
arguments for their respective world views, with topics ranging from
marijuana incarceration to drug war corruption to marijuana counterculture.

This is definitely not the last time American society will wrestle with the
questions posed by Tuesday's forum.
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