Pubdate: Thu, 18 Oct 2007
Source: Breeze, The (James Madison U, VA Edu)
Copyright: 2007 The Breeze
Contact: http://www.thebreeze.org/about/contact.shtml
Website: http://www.thebreeze.org/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2721
Author: Ashley Hopkins, news editor
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?219 (Students for Sensible Drug Policy)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

MARIJUANA ARRESTS COSTING STUDENTS FINANCIAL AID

Putting It Bluntly

Weed, pot, reefer, Mary-Jane, ganja, nugs, beasties,  headies and 
schwag. No matter what you call it,  marijuana arrests are up, and 
students are in danger of  losing their financial aid.

In 2006 one marijuana arrest occurred every 38 seconds,  amounting to 
829,625 arrests within the U.S. in one  year, according to report 
recently released by the FBI.  Last year's total is the highest in 
U.S. history, as  the number of arrests has tripled since 1990.

Since the beginning of this school year at least 24  people have been 
arrested for possession of marijuana  by campus police.

These numbers have more consequences to students than  just jail 
time. Under a 1998 amendment to the Higher  Education Act, which 
automatically strips financial aid  from college students with any 
drug convictions,  200,000 students have been denied aid, reported a 
Students for Sensible Drug Policy press release.

According to the FBI report, there were more marijuana  arrests in 
2006 than there were for all other violent  crimes combined, 
including murder, rape, manslaughter,  robbery and aggravated 
assault. In fact, marijuana  arrests comprised 44 percent of all drug 
arrests in  2006. Of these violations, 89 percent, or 738,915  people 
were charged with possession alone.

As 18-24 year-olds amounted to 40 percent of all  marijuana arrests 
in 2002, according to the FBI report,  this could potentially affect 
many students. As a  result, many students and organizations from 
campuses across the country are participating in a week long  rally 
against the financial aid elimination penalty for  drug convictions.

More than 125 student governments and 3,000 education,  addiction 
recovery, religious and criminal justice  organizations are calling 
on Congress to repeal the  amendment, arguing that murders, rapists, 
arsonists and  burglars are allowed to receive aid, while those with 
drug convictions aren't.

The week, sponsored by the Students for Sensible Drug  Policy, 
started on Oct. 15 and will continue through  tomorrow. Activists 
will be giving out 1,500 postcards  for students to sign, which will 
be hand-delivered to  Capitol Hill, asking legislators to repeal the 
penalty.  As the Education and Labor Committee of the U.S. House  of 
Representatives is preparing to reauthorize the  Higher Education 
Act, the group hopes to inspire change  in legislation.

"This student aid elimination penalty is a terrible  policy," Tom 
Angell, director of Students for Sensible  Drug Policy, said. 
"Blocking access to education and  taking people out of school causes 
more not less drug  abuse in our society. When you prevent someone 
from  earning a college degree it hurts our economy. Our  country 
needsmore education, not less."

While there is not a chapter of Students for Sensible  Drug Policy at 
JMU, there are options for students who  want to help. Students can 
go to schoolsnotprisons.com  to write their legislatures on drug 
policies they find  unfair. Student reaction has been mixed regarding 
the anti-drug legislation.

"I feel like it's a fair thing to have," senior Ashley  Knox said. 
"When you have financial aid from the  government you have to uphold 
certain standards."

Sophomore Kimberly Humphries seemed to agree, as she  thinks the 
money would be better spent on students who  focus more on schoolwork 
than drug use.

"It's not fair to students who take their studies  seriously," she said.

Others, however, disagreed.

"People are doing much worse things (than smoking  marijuana) but 
they can afford to go to school," senior  Jill Kirshner said.

Freshman Kurt Hoffman agreed, saying that the thought  marijuana 
should be considered separately from other  more serious drugs.

He said, "I don't think marijuana is a big problem,  except when it's 
combined with other drugs."
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman