Pubdate: Tue, 16 Sep 2008
Source: University Daily Kansan, The (Lawrence, KS Edu)
Copyright: 2008 The University Daily Kansan
Contact:  http://www.kansan.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2809
Author: Jesse Trimble
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

DEBATE OVER MARIJUANA TRIES TO CLEAR THE AIR

Four hundred and forty people attend SUA's debate  between the
editor-in-chief of High Times magazine and  a retired DEA agent.

You couldn't smell any marijuana in the crowd Monday  night during the
"Heads Versus Feds" SUA event, but  there were plenty of tie-dyed,
1960s band shirts  sprinkled through the crowd of 440 people.

Steve Hager, editor-in-chief of High Times magazine,  and Robert
Stutman, a retired special agent for the  Drug Enforcement Agency of
New York City, argued until  they were both red in the face about the
legalization  of marijuana in front of an emotionally charged crowd,
but they also inspired a few laughs.

Hager took to the stage first, and he listed five  reasons why
cannabis should be legalized:

- - It is useful for medicinal purposes.

- - Hemp is good for the environment.

- - Criminalizing marijuana has led to crowded prisons,  with 900,000
people arrested for possession each year.

- - Keeping marijuana on the black market provides  dealers and
criminals a cut of the $500 billion-a-year  industry.

- - It's part of his culture.

"That's most important to me," Hager, an Illinois  native, said of his
affinity for the counterculture of  the 1960s. Hager said he first
smoked marijuana at 15  and was one of the first in his high school to
do so.

Many in the audience were amused when Hager said George  Washington
was a hemp farmer and that hemp was used for  books, ink, lamps and
ropes.

"The first American flag was made from hemp," Hager
said.

When Stutman took the microphone, he said that Hager,  his friend of
seven years, passed off his own beliefs  of marijuana as facts.

"Don't fall for half-truths," Stutman said.

Stutman fired back at Hager's hemp statements, saying  he didn't think
most Americans cared about the  counterculture or about making hemp
ropes.

After 25 years in the DEA, Stutman said he had arrested  more than
15,000 people on drug charges.

Although Stutman disagreed with the recreational use of  marijuana, he
said Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, a  substance found in cannabis,
could be used for  medicinal purposes.

Stutman said only 16 million people in the United  States were regular
cannabis users.

"You know why?" Stutman asked. "Because it's not  legal."

Stutman said it should remain illegal because cannabis  could lessen
depth perception and impair a person's  ability to think and reason
logically.

Kelley Rushing, Lawrence junior, said both Stutman and  Hager did a
reasonable job of presenting both sides of  the argument.

"But I came because I believe in marijuana," Rushing  said. "I know
you shouldn't smoke and drive. And while  Steve presented a logical
and reasonable argument about  a harmless drug, Bob made us think and
sound like we  are blind followers."

Kristen Lervik, Mulvane freshman, said she did not  smoke marijuana
but was interested in the event because  some of her friends did smoke.

"I don't look down on people that smoke," Lervik said.  "I have never
smoked and never will. It's a personal  choice, and it's just how I
am."

The event was open to a question-and-answer session  after points
about the legalization debate were  presented.

Many questions involved states' rights to legalize  marijuana, the
medicinal uses of marijuana and why the  government won't allow it to
be used for both medicinal  and recreational purposes.

"I smoke weed. I'll admit it," one student said as he  stepped up to
the microphone.

Another student asked if the DEA confiscated marijuana  and then sold
it back to the public - - -- a question  which incited laughter from
Hager and Stutman.

"No, we burn it," Stutman said.

Although some assume Hager would spend most of April 20  stoned, Hager
said he's usually debating.

"I think there's a meaningful significance to 4:20  though," Hager
said. "It's the socially acceptable time  to smoke."

Hager said out of 140 schools, Stutman has won over the  crowd with
his arguments only twice.

Will Coquillette, Lenexa senior, said both speakers  appealed too much
to the emotion of the audience.

"I wanted more prudent evidence from both; more  concrete facts,"
Coquillette said.

Hager said marijuana was part of his religion, and  people shouldn't
fear cannabis users.

"We are good people," Hager said. "We've done good  things for
America, and we're as American as apple pie  and baseball. So, please,
can I get a little freedom of  religion in America?"

- -- Edited by Lauren Keith
- ---
MAP posted-by: Steve Heath