Pubdate: Sat, 20 Apr 2013
Source: Post, The (Ohio U, OH Edu)
Copyright: 2013 The Post
Contact: http://www.thepost.ohiou.edu/static/letter.php
Website: http://www.thepost.ohiou.edu/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1269
Author: Danielle Deeton-Olsen

SPEAKERS PROMOTE 4/20

In addition to the typical brownie sale, Students for Liberty
celebrated April 20 by addressing the effects drug prohibition has on
society.

Students for Liberty, Ohio University's Libertarian organization,
hosted three speakers from the Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and
the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws to argue
for the legalization of marijuana for 4/20.

Nathan Kelly, a senior studying political science and an executive
board member of Students for Liberty, said that this was the third
4/20event that Students for Liberty has sponsored.

Almost 100 students attended the speech, but 71 of those students came
to Porter Hall Wednesday night for extra credit for Frederic Cady's
political science class, Kelly said.

Usually, the group holds a bake sale and asks a speaker from LEAP to
speak, but this year they asked Michael Pevercomb, Eleanor Ahrens and
Carlis McDerment, all members of LEAP and NORML, to talk about the
benefits of legalizing marijuana.

"This year we decided that we wanted to bring new members," Kelly
said.

Kelly said the event was enhanced by donations of a prohibition
awareness kit from the national division of Students for Liberty. The
only costs OU's Students for Liberty had to pay were for baking supplies.

This discussion was the first speech for speakers from NORML, who
began organizing in December, said McDerment, who is also a Fairfield
County deputy sheriff.

McDerment and Pevercomb plan to speak at more 4/20 festivals. From
there, they say they will speak to senior citizens about the effects
that the war on drugs has on society, McDerment said.

"That's just what I want to do, get out there and educate people, get
people's minds thinking and going in a different direction," McDerment
said.

McDerment said many problems in society, such as crowded prisons and
homeless citizens, would be solved by legalizing marijuana and
considering those who are addicted sick and in need of help.

By speaking at universities and 4/20 festivals, McDerment said he
hopes to inspire students and citizens to lobby their state
legislatures for change in Ohio's policies towards drugs.

"There has to be a change in this country," he said. "We can't keep
going down the same road we're going."
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MAP posted-by: Matt