Happy belated 4/20 from NU NORML-SSDP, Northwestern's home to the ever-growing drug policy reform movement. We hope that you enjoyed the day and played it safe so that you can join us this week as we present Drug Week here on campus. Every night, Monday through Thursday, we'll be hosting a different event to entertain and educate you about the harms of continuing the "War on Drugs." Like alcohol prohibition before it, drug prohibition only exacerbates the problems it hopes to solve, a topic we'll be discussing later this week. First, though, a little history of Monday's epic holiday: [continues 743 words]
Editor: In Max Foster's Aug. 1 article, "Marijuana grower sentenced to 10 years," you and the editorial staff missed several points and issues that should have been discussed. Firstly, Foster quotes a drug force agent that says that marijuana gardens "present a danger to hikers" and cause "tremendous" environmental damage, but never explains what these dangers are or how such damage actually occurs. In addition, Foster, in his August 4. Article, "Marijuana garden kept intact for training," does not ask why law enforcement officers would use the "danger to hikers" and "environmental damage" argument to send a man to prison for ten years, but then keep an even larger garden for its own benefit. Foster quotes DEA Special Agent Tim Landrum as he celebrates that "millions of dirty dollars never made it into the drug trade" but never asks how much money tax payers are forced to spend in order to fund the GCNTF (Gila County Narcotics Task Force), Department of Public Safety, Gila County's Sheriff's Office, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Gila County Attorney's Office, DEA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Arizona Game and Fish Department, all of whom, Foster reports, participate in the marijuana raids, along with a "DPS Ranger helicopter and a SWAT team." [continues 57 words]
