Pubdate: Sun, 08 May 2011
Source: Lincoln Journal Star (NE)
Copyright: 2011 Lincoln Journal Star
Contact:  http://www.journalstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/561
Author: Mitch Smith
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

PARADING FOR POT: PROTESTERS HOLD RALLY SUPPORTING MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION

LittleTree Strongbow has three children. She also has bipolar and 
post-traumatic stress disorders.

And while the Omaha woman said using heavy pharmaceuticals like 
Valium to treat those illnesses doesn't allow her to be an effective 
mother, she believes marijuana does.

So Strongbow showed up in downtown Lincoln on Saturday decked out in 
a marijuana-themed bandanna and a belt made of artificial cannabis 
leaves. With a bullhorn in hand, she and about three dozen other 
proponents paraded around the Capitol and along O Street advocating 
for legalized marijuana in agriculture and medicine.

Prohibiting it has proved ineffective, she said. When asked how long 
it would take for someone to find and purchase illegal marijuana in 
Lincoln, Strongbow estimated about 20 minutes.

Strongbow believes the government is dismissing protesters' arguments 
because large companies are threatened by the prospect of 
domestically grown hemp, or agricultural cannabis, entering the 
marketplace. But she said hemp as a crop could be a boon to Nebraska's economy.

March organizer Diana Wulf agrees. Wulf, who said she also has 
post-traumatic stress disorder, had a prescription for medical 
marijuana when she lived in Colorado. Medical marijuana is now legal 
in 15 states and Washington, D.C., but not in Nebraska.

Wulf, who lives in Staplehurst, said she leaned on marijuana when she 
stopped using methamphetamine several years ago. She said pot helps 
her stay away from harder drugs and alcohol.

A former hog farmer, Wulf also sees potential for hemp in 
agriculture. If legalized in Nebraska, she said, agriculturally 
produced hemp could help farmers recovering from recent shifts in 
food production. Hemp can be used to help make clothing, bricks and 
myriad other items, but it cannot be grown commercially in the United 
States. Wulf said practical uses of cannabis are often overlooked by 
its opponents.

"It's not about getting high," she said. "It's about industry. It's 
about medicine."

Others contend marijuana is a dangerous drug, and say claims of 
medical benefits are fabricated or exaggerated. The Controlled 
Substances Act classifies the drug as an unsafe and potentially 
addictive substance, and the Drug Enforcement Administration says 
medical marijuana is "a fallacy."

Rumi Miller disagrees. Miller, 20, has been using marijuana since her 
14th birthday. She joined the march Saturday because she hoped to 
spread awareness and dispel what she sees as common misconceptions 
about the drug. Miller said she has bipolar disorder, and marijuana 
helps her cope with the disease's symptoms.

"It helps me stay focused and calm," she said. "Today I haven't 
smoked at all and I feel all jittery."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom