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Lothar121

New Marijuana Policy Just
Athina Tesfa-Yohannes | Diamondback Online | 02/28/2006

The Blaze. The Herb. Mary Jane. Bud. Grass. Hash. Dope. Reefer. Weed. All of these are names for marijuana, a drug often associated with reggae legend Bob Marley, possibly “inhaled” by former President Bill Clinton and commonly found on college campuses. No matter the institution, there is weed being smoked, there are college students getting giddy and there are staple movies such as Half Baked being watched.

Though this social drug has found its niche on college campuses since the wildly popular free-thinking era called “the ’60s,” that doesn’t mean legalization has been an immediate concern in the minds of lawmakers. In College Park, our Student Government Association will soon receive a proposal from campus chapters of Students for Sensible Drug Policy and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. The proposal, hopefully completed by the end of March, will call for the immediate reform of a new university policy that makes penalties tougher on students caught with illegal drugs. Current proposals are called unfair, especially since those caught with alcohol are only given written warning and possible community service.

No matter the drug (and yes, alcohol is a drug), if you are doing it on the campus and you get caught, then you must be punished. No excuses. By attending this institution, you agree to abide by its rules. The alcohol policy should be exactly the same as the university’s current marijuana policy. It’s not fair that you and your roommates have to deal with the secondhand sweet-and-sour fumes seeping into your dorm room. Nor is it fair for you to suffer from the raucous antics of drunk people in your hall. I know I sound like a Nancy Reagan spokeswoman, but I urge you all to “Just say no.”

Nationally, all but two states, Vermont and New Hampshire, have accepted the Uniform Narcotic Act, which establishes a uniform anti-drug law throughout the state. To date, only 11 states, including California, Arizona and Maine, have legalized marijuana use for medical reasons, such as alleviation of pain associated with disease and ailments of the elderly. Only those with a medical prescription from a doctor in those states are permitted to use, and in some cases grow, marijuana. Maryland and Washington, D.C., are not currently part of the marijuana ratification process.

While some argue nabbing stoners is a waste of human resources (like our police force), and complete legalization of all drugs would solve a large problem in many societies, this must be looked at as a last resort. Long-term effects on a culture that allows and accepts the use of narcotics in daily life would not promote a healthy and productive society. While it might free up jail space and make drugs like cocaine cost almost nothing, complete legalization of drugs would not help this country’s reputation, and would immediately spell out the detrimental effects for our society in the long term.

Prince George’s County is now the third county in the state, along with Montgomery and Talbot, to ban smoking in restaurants and bars. This is a great start. Leniency in issues such as drugs cannot be afforded, and synchronizing all of the legal statutes on our own campus would be much appreciated. Unless you have been issued marijuana because it is vital to your health that you roll a blunt, you should not be smoking. Leave that to the Cheeches and Chongs, the Harolds and Kumars and the Bills and Teds of fantasy-movie fame. And leave all of the wonderful oxygen in the world to D.A.R.E. graduates like myself.

Athina Tesfa-Yohannes is a sophomore government and politics major. She can be reached at atesfayo@umd.edu.

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troublemaker_42

........ And leave all of the wonderful oxygen in the world to D.A.R.E. graduates like myself.




So much ignorance summed up in a single line Thats the one danger of "freedom of the press"......any moron can get published!

Dennis

You've got to be kidding me. LOL

Dick heads like this care more about his "reputation" than the people. What a self-righteous jerk.

I'd rather be a pot head than a dick head.

Tolerance4all

Buzzby

soph·o·mor·ic adj.
1) Of or characteristic of a sophomore.
2) Exhibiting great immaturity and lack of judgment: sophomoric behavior.

A hallmark of sophomoric thinking is simple "solutions" to complex problems: "Just Say No". Human beings in every culture use substances to alter their consciousness. Does Ms. Tesfa-Yohannes think that a three-word catch phrase is going to alter human nature?


It seems like she already has more hot air than anyone needs.

Statistically, D.A.R.E. has no effect on the drug usage of graduates. There must be a few so credulous as to buy into those lies. Ms. Tesfa-Yohannes appears to be one of them. They're balanced by those who can actually think for themselves, do some research, realize they're being lied to, and begin to experiment.


If you don't want to experience the common aspects of college life you shouldn't go to college. College students have been getting crazy on one substance or another forever. If she wants peace and quiet she should have joined a convent or gone to one of the fundamentalist Christian schools. I always went to the library when I wanted to study. If I wanted to sleep I wore ear plugs.


Sorry, Athina. Even if you're dying from cancer you can't do that in Maryland.

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Tolerance4all

"Sorry, Athina. Even if you're dying from cancer you can't do that in Maryland."

There is this: http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5652

Buzzby

From NORML:

Maryland's legislation does not legalize the use or cultivation of medical marijuana by qualified patients. Rather, the law requires the court to consider a patient's use of medical marijuana to be a mitigating factor in marijuana-related state prosecutions. If the patient successfully makes the case at trial that his or her use of marijuana is one of medical necessity, then the maximum penalty allowed by law would be a $100 fine. Existing Maryland law imposes a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1000 for marijuana possession, regardless of the circumstances.

You're not going to be "issued marijuana because it is vital to your health". You might get off with only a $100 fine if you can convince the judge that marijuana is a medical necessity.

dedbr

you are really being too hard on the young lady. Just because she's so obviously of the ignorant blonde persuasion, you guy's are being way too hard on her and I personally think we should give her credit for having the guts to come out and show her ignorance in front of the whole world like this and even act like she's serious.

Imagine how hard it was for her to print this and not put little heart's and smiley faces over the i's .

I swear I just heard a twitter...did you just hear a twitter kinda airhead laugh....? Ded

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MrIMStoned

People shouldn't go to college if they don't want to experience drunken idiots and second hand smoke?
People going to college should have to go out of thier way to study while loud obnoxious people should be allowed to continue being loud and obnoxious?
I should join a fundementalist christian school because I want a peaceful learning enviroment?

Is it wrong to think that college would be a peaceful place of learning? Yes.
Is it wrong to think that college should be a peaceful place of learning? No.

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nerphroll

What a bizarre description, but she's a bizarre gal. and she's made me hungry to boot.

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