The anti-marijuana forces have been doing their much-anticipated zombie dance with the approach of election day -- or is it Halloween? "Marijuana is the gateway drug," "teen use will skyrocket," "dispensaries invite crime" -- display your fangs, twirl your bloody limbs, zombies -- miserable arguments coming back from the dead are all you have! Let's look at the first one: Marijuana as a "gateway." It's a little like saying milk is the gateway to alcoholism -- think of mom adding chocolate syrup to lure you the same way bartenders put cherries in mixed drinks -- obviously theyre linked. [continues 226 words]
Set aside the letter of the law, what's the ethical basis for closing the CU campus on 4/20? There's a raging debate over marijuana, and whether you agree or disagree, 4/20 is the day of collective voice for those who favor legal reform. The idea that a major public university, at the behest of a non-elected administrator, would close its campus to the public to stop that voice -- is obscene. When I was a child, our fourth-grade social studies class entertained the question: "What would things be like if Hitler had won?" News flash: A public university with a closed campus on 4/20 says it all. Kudos to everyone who showed up anyway. Boulder [end]
