Pubdate: Fri, 20 Apr 2007
Source: BG News, The (OH Edu)
Copyright: 2007 The BG News
Contact:  http://www.bgnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3878
Author: Addie Curlis

STUDENTS DON'T FEAR THE REEFER

The time has come - 4:20. For those who smoke marijuana  regularly, 
this is a holiday.

Junior political science major Dan Weckesser thinks  this is a 
popular holiday because it's an opportunity  for members of a 
subculture to bond over what goes  against the norms of the rest of society.

"It is a chance for people to celebrate what they love  and for 
people to find out how normal and functional  marijuana smokers are 
for the most part," he said.

According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy  Web site, 
marijuana is the most used illegal drug in  the United States. Nearly 
69 million Americans over the  age of 12 have tried marijuana at least once.

It's widely accepted that in the early 1970s, a group  of teenagers 
at San Rafael High School in California  used to meet every day after 
school at 4:20 p.m. to  smoke marijuana.

Many cannabis users continue to observe 4:20 a.m. and  p.m. as a time 
to smoke communally. By extension, April  20 has evolved into a 
counterculture holiday, where  people gather to celebrate and consume cannabis.

Weichenthal said April 20 is a popular day because  there is no other 
day for those who use marijuana. For  him, it is a day to concentrate 
on reforming what he  considers to be unjust laws.

"It's like the St. Patrick's Day for pot smokers," he said.

Weckesser said marijuana should be legalized for three  reasons - the 
primary reason being that people have the  right to do to their own 
body as they see fit.

"Secondly, because of the illicit methods through which  marijuana is 
distributed currently, the profits of  marijuana dealing are going to 
organized crime and  terrorist organizations," he said.

He adds that legalization of marijuana would be a blow  against crime 
and terror. The funding that goes to the  enforcement and punishment 
of marijuana crimes could be  used to combat real crimes like sexual 
assault or other  heinous acts, he said.

Stephen Weichenthal, event officer for NORML, said $400  per second 
is spent on prohibition.

NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of  Marijuana Laws, 
is a nonprofit lobbying organization  working to legalize marijuana, 
stop arrests of smokers  and provide educational research.

Weichenthal and roommate Matt Seckel started the  University chapter 
after looking at marijuana research  on both the medical use and 
social use, studying the  effects on society and individuals.

"We think the laws that prohibit cannabis do more harm  to society 
than the use of cannabis does," Weichenthal  said. "Cannabis is 
gentler on the user than alcohol and  cigarettes."
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