Marisa Garcia was a senior in high school that fateful night when she was stopped by the police near her California home. Her car was inspected, and a small pipe containing marijuana resin was found. Garcia received a ticket for marijuana possession, went to court, paid a $400 fine, and thought the matter was finished. She was wrong. Some months later, her application for financial aid from the California State University system was sent back to her because she inadvertently failed to answer the infamous Question 35, which asks whether or not an applicant has ever been convicted of possessing or selling drugs other than tobacco or alcohol. [continues 1043 words]
To the editors: Kevin Sabet's recent letter ("Staff Position on Pot Ignores Growing Cost," April 17) criticizing decriminalization of marijuana is typical of drug warriors who are willing to manipulate the facts in order to perpetuate a self-interested political agenda. Sabet's claim that drug use has gone down in the past 20 years is based on a government survey that asks people to admit to illegal activity. Perhaps a more accurate measure of the effect of drug use on this country is the number of overdose deaths and emergency room visits, which the government's own Department of Health and Human Services reports has escalated since the early 1980s and is currently at a record high. The same is true for Sabet's ridiculous claim that the Dutch saw an exorbitant rise in marijuana use after decriminalization. The conclusion is drawn from a survey, and of course teens will be more willing to admit to an act once its legal. [continues 264 words]
To the editors: The last issue of FM trivialized and misconstrued the goals of The Harvard Coalition for Drug Policy Reform (THCDPR) in a story by Stephanie E. Butler '03 (Magazine feature, "Stoners of the World, Unite!" March 14). Our cause, an important political movement that seeks to hold the government responsible for its failed and unjust policies, was given a small column with a joke headline. We want to make it clear that the THCDPR does not support the recreational use of marijuana or any other illegal drug. We advocate the decriminalization of cannabis in general because we refuse to believe that non-violent cannabis users are criminals-that is, dangers to society who need to be locked up in prison. In fact, prison often provides easier access to certain more dangerous drugs, thus perpetuating, rather than solving, the drug epidemic that faces this country today. Decriminalization would likely result in federal regulation to ensure an age limit, a proper time and place for such use, and civil penalties such as fines and community service for failure to abide by these guidelines. [continues 68 words]
