Many of you may be surprised to learn that students with drug convictions have been blocked access to federal financial aid as a result of a little known provision of the Higher Education Act (HEA) called the Aid Elimination Penalty, or Drug Provision. To date, nearly 200,000 students have been denied or had their federal loans, grants and work-study delayed because of the HEA Aid Elimination Penalty. Until early in 2006, this penalty was applied to any drug conviction a person had received whether or not they were in school when the offense occurred. Due to the efforts of the organization Students for Sensible Drug Policy (www.ssdp.org), who worked with Congress to scale back the law, now only people who are convicted while in college and receiving financial aid can have their eligibility taken away. [continues 459 words]
Marijuana Advocates Say The Herb Can Treat Another Serious Illness. They claim the active ingredient THC has been shown to help fight Alzheimer's disease. About 4.5 million Americans suffer from the disease which gradually destroys memory. According to Fox News, cases of Alzheimer's disease are expected to triple over the next 50 years. People with Alzheimer's have an enzyme in their brain called acetylcholinesterase or AChE for short, that does two things: first it accelerates the formation of abnormal protein clumps in the brain, and second, it breaks down a brain chemical that is linked to memory and learning. The main ingredient in marijuana, THC, inhibits this enzyme. THC could completely prevent the formation of abnormal clumping unlike the two medications already used to fight Alzheimer's - -- donepezil and tacrine which only reduce clumping by 22 and 7 percent, respectively. [continues 378 words]
Student Questions Why Marijuana Is Illegal And Poses Reasons Why It Should Not Be. Semester after semester, year after year, college students continue to question the legitimacy of our nation's marijuana prohibition. Throughout my time here at KU, I have explored this issue, but have yet to be satisfied with a logically sound argument supporting pot's illegality. If knowledge is power, then it's necessary to open the eyes of those blinded by the drug war's propaganda, in order for a more sensible policy to emerge. I've spoken with several public officials about the legalization of marijuana and many of their anti-legalization arguments are easily countered and surprisingly naive. [continues 389 words]
