When the New York State legislature voted to legalize same-sex marriage in June 2011, Mark Grisanti, a State Senator from Buffalo, was one of four Republicans to vote in favor of the bill. Grisanti, who had voted against a similar bill a few years earlier, explained his change of opinion by saying "I would not respect myself if I didn't do the research, have an open mind, and make a decision =C2=85 bas ed on the information before me. A man can be wiser today than yesterday, but there will be no respect for that man if he has failed in his duty to do the work." [continues 594 words]
This summer, Uruguayan President Jose Mujica made headlines by proposing nationwide marijuana legalization. Stating concerns over escalating violence among drug traffickers and increasing use of harder drugs such as paco, a cocaine-based paste, he announced a bold plan to allow adult citizens to purchase and consume marijuana. Under his proposal, the Uruguayan government would have a monopoly over the production and sale of the drug. In an effort to prevent "drug tourism," only citizens would be able to purchase marijuana from the state-run retailers, and they would be limited to a maximum of 40 grams per month. [continues 463 words]
In less than a week, Connecticut's medical marijuana program will take effect. Starting on Monday, Oct. 1, people who meet the requirements under the new law will be able to meet with their doctors and get a temporary registration certificate, allowing them to legally possess and consume marijuana for medical purposes. Chances are, some of those who register will be college students. Like the vast majority of their fellow students, many of those patients will live on college campuses. Yet while state law will allow these people to possess and consume marijuana to help treat a chronic illness, they will be forbidden from consuming their medicine in their own homes or anywhere near them. The law passed this year states that the laws allowing the use of medical marijuana do "not apply to aE& the ingestion of marijuana on any school grounds or any public or private school, dormitory, college or university property." This is ridiculous. The law should be amended to allow qualifying patients to consume their medicine on college and university property. [continues 563 words]
The University of Connecticut is ranked first in the nation among marijuana activism and policy by High Times magazine. The ranking, which was released in August, grades universities across the country in terms of efforts to legalize cannabis, raise awareness and reform drug policy. The magazine lists the many efforts by UConn's Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) as the main reason for their ranking. According to High Times, "The Huskies of UConn SSDP have led the pack this year in reforming marijuana policy both on and off campus. Most notably, they played a huge role in helping pass medical marijuana legislation in Connecticut by hosting rallies, coordinating student-lobbying efforts and testifying before lawmakers." [continues 335 words]
Many people who have known me for years are surprised to learn I support the legalization of marijuana. They point out how anti-drugs I was in high school and wonder how I could have changed. However, I still am anti-drugs in the sense that I have no desire to ever use them. That doesn't, and shouldn't, make me anti-drug in terms of the law. People have a misconception that everyone who supports legal marijuana is pro-drugs, or as they might say, a pothead or a druggie. This belief is both false and harmful. No one assumes that all supporters of same-sex marriage are homosexuals themselves. There are plenty of supporters of marriage equality who have no intention of ever marrying someone of their own sex. Likewise, not all pro-choice women plan on eventually having an unplanned pregnancy and seeking an abortion (irony intended). Therefore, it is unfair for people to assume that everyone who supports the legalization of marijuana does so because they want to get high. [continues 583 words]
The Office of Community Standards equalized the penalties for small amounts of marijuana and underage possession of alcohol after a meeting between university administration and student government leaders. The meeting on Monday between the two parties followed a state of position passed in November by USG senators that endorsed equalizing the penalties for the two violations, according to a statement from USG. "I am happy to have worked with the Office of Community Standards to update the list of possible sanctions, effectively equalizing the punishments for underage drinking and possession of small amounts of marijuana," said USG President Sam Tracy in the statement. "This change has made UConn's response to these two minor drug violations much more sensible, focusing on the health of the student rather than on harsh sanctions that do nothing to solve the problem." [continues 244 words]
As a drug policy activist, I found the results of the Nov. 2 elections both disappointing and informative. It was disappointing because, out of four major marijuana policy bills I hoped and expected to pass (Prop 19 in California, Prop 203 in Arizona, Measure 13 in South Dakota, and Measure 74 in Oregon), zero actually did. In light of these - for lack of a better term - sobering results, I have encountered many people, students and non-students, inside and outside of the movement, who take these results as a death knell for the marijuana law reform movement, especially for the effort here in Connecticut. [continues 685 words]
There are few things quite as humorous as watching a group of college students pleading before city councils and legislators for marijuana reform. Their hazy lamentations usually fall on the deaf ears of public administrators who like their careers too much to get behind a youth's right to space out and devour pizza. Though there are some compelling arguments for the legalization of marijuana, it will not occur any time in the near future for a variety of reasons. The first reason is because no tenured lawmaker or politician that wants to be re-elected will spend their limited political capital on legalizing marijuana. [continues 505 words]
UConn's branch of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) held a conference on Saturday supporting state senate Bill 349, which proposes decriminalizing minor possession of marijuana. The conference, called "Decrim Makes Cents," went from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., featured a host of guest speakers. They included Micah Daigle, SSDP's field director, and Eric Sterling, president of the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation and advisor to SSDP. The event featured panels on decriminalization, group discussions and workshops on organizing groups. [continues 468 words]
Students who disagree with laws that restrict drugs and alcohol use are not alone. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) is an organization founded and run by law enforcement officials that believe the U.S. government should end prohibition laws. LEAP spokesman Rick Van Wickler spoke to students on Wednesday about law enforcement's mission to end prohibition. The event was part of UConn's Social Justice Week. Van Wickler is the superintendent for the Department of Corrections in Cheshire County, NH. He has been a member of LEAP for less than a year but he spent most of his life in law enforcement. [continues 523 words]
In the article "Criminalization best deterrent against drugs," [Oct. 2, 2008] the author presents information in support of criminalizing drug abuse that would more appropriately be used against such arguments. The author mentions, "there are enough drugs controlled by the doctors in government that are already abused," and cites "painkillers" as an example. Many find this a compelling reason for the prescription of medicinal marijuana for pain since it is not physically addicting like painkillers and less likely to cause physical harm. The author points out how several prescription medications are sold on the street, but unless she is arguing for the full criminalization of all addictive prescription drugs, then her argument seems to misdirect the point. [continues 495 words]
Students for a Sensible Drug Policy is a group dedicated to changing the way our legal system deals with drug users. However, it is hard to see how there could be any sensible way of dealing with drug users other than punishing them as criminals. Drug users cannot live as responsible citizens due to their addiction and the danger attached to it. The SSDP's value statement says, "because the War on Drugs has historically been justified as necessary to protect youth, it is our responsibility as young people to stop this harmful war from being waged in our names any longer. As scholars, we seek solutions to society's drug problems through focused research, honest dialogue and informed debate rather than unquestioned extremism, punishment, and propaganda." [continues 552 words]
With so many on-campus organizations, it is nearly impossible for students know of every club. Even further, when a student initially hears about Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), not much is known about the organizations intentions or goals. However, those who find more information will come to realize what it is these individuals do during their weekly meetings and that it does not involve any form of illegal drug use. SSDP brings together those who are resolute on changing the way society treats substance abuse. Donald Halas, a 7th-semester environmental science and natural resources management major and current president of SSDP, clarifies SSDP as an organization that is working to "completely abolish" the War on Drugs. Previous efforts of the group include advocating for the UConn administration to adopt a Good Samaritan policy, which was enacted last year. [continues 400 words]
The "stoner" superbowl, and a favorite holiday of all herbal lovers, 4/20 is a celebration of all the green glory that is marijuana. It is a day where red eyes are as common as blue, snack foods are inhaled by the pounds and tie-dye and hemp uniforms are seen all around. However, there is as much haze surrounding the history behind this holiday as the participants themselves. Many people have no idea as to why 4/20 is the preferred spark time of the green culture, and an equal amount have only heard the urban legends. Paige Nuzzolillo, 4th-semester anthropology major, believes that 4/20 is celebrated, "because it's the police code. 420 is the police code for marijuana." Tom Morph, 2nd-semester theater major, believes it's "because it was Hitler's birthday." Zane Roberts, 2nd-semester theater major, believes it's simply because "stoners need a holiday too." While these are all widely believed theories, none of them are actually correct. [continues 428 words]
The battle to legalize marijuana has always been an issue in American culture and politics. However, due to inherent hypocrisies and misconceptions in the American government and public at large, there has never been enough political capital to repeal the unjust laws governing the drug's use. Legalization is the last step in a long process that would allow for unrestrained recreational use of a drug that would not, as many people fear, lead to the downfall of American society. When people sift through all the propaganda, they will find that the only people who benefit from marijuana prohibition is the government and big business, while the average American citizen is burdened with the negative effects. [continues 1099 words]
Marijuana has medicinal uses. Despite numerous scientific studies and the development of synthetic medicines derived from cannabis, the United States government appears to disagree with this statement. Marijuana remains a Schedule I drug according to the DEA, which only benefits the pharmaceutical companies who now have a monopoly on the therapeutic effects of a plant that can be grown with little effort. Under the Controlled Substances Act, the DEA lists and categorizes drugs, illegal and pharmaceutical, into five categories or schedules. According to the DEA Web site, the drugs are placed in a schedule based upon "the substance's medical use, potential for abuse, and safety or dependence liability." Schedule I drugs are considered the most addictive and have no medical use and are considered the most dangerous. Schedule II drugs have some medical benefits but are highly addictive and so on until Schedule V. Marijuana is considered a Schedule I drug, along with heroin and LSD, because it has a "high potential for abuse" and "has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States." Apparently though, PCP and cocaine have more of a medical basis considering they are Schedule II drugs. [continues 948 words]
In order to fully understand the opposition to marijuana reform, it is important to investigate who already benefits from the status quo prohibition. Besides recreation, there are many other uses for marijuana. Many people benefit, while many others suffer negative consequences of prohibition. In most cases it is the corporations who benefit, while the individual citizens are the ones left out in the cold. There are three different degrees of possible marijuana reform, all of which have different ramifications for society. They are the legalization of hemp, the medicalization of marijuana and finally the legalization of marijuana. Only the last step is a full repeal of marijuana prohibition. With hemp and medical marijuana, it is still possible for prohibition of marijuana as a recreational drug. This column will discuss the asinine policy of hemp prohibition, while medicalization and legalization will be discussed in their own subsequent columns. [continues 980 words]
Marijuana has been illegal for a long time. However, unlike with most drugs there has always been a rather distinguished movement to have it legalized. In the American psyche, it lies somewhere between alcohol and everything else. It recent years, doctors and patients touting its medical benefits have brought it back to the forefront, causing some states and cities to either decriminalize it or to allow doctors to prescribe it for medical uses. It is time that the history and reasons for marijuana prohibition be reexamined and hopefully significant and serious debate can be reopened among politicians. [continues 844 words]
Students Work to Halt Financial Aid Penalties for Drug Offenses Stationing themselves in different places on campus this week, members of UConn's chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) urged their peers to speak out regarding a little-known provision in the Higher Education Act. This provision, "The Aid Elimination Penalty" dictates that in addition to being punished by the law, students convicted of drug offenses will lose federal financial aid for college. Punishment is as follows: after a student is convicted of possession of a controlled substance, they lose their aid for one year. After their second offense, they lose aid for two years and after a third offense, they will lose federal aid indefinitely, according to the SSDP Web site. [continues 679 words]
One of the favorite pastimes of the American government is to wage a righteous, divine and equally idiotic war on drugs. The government loves it so much that they have an entire agency devoted to it - the DEA - and countless other organizations that jump in for fun. The reality of the situation is that this so called "war" on drugs - though in fact a war - is not against substances, but the poor and economically-disadvantaged of our society. There is a massive dose of paranoia in American culture about drugs. Sure they are bad and destroy lives, but hey, so do cars. If there is really going to be this much effort put forth this much effort to combat an epidemic that as we can all see is sweeping across the American landscape like a wildfire, then there should be full cavity searches every time someone enters a public building and submission to daily blood and urine tests. [continues 613 words]
