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Buzzby · 03-31-2006, 10:20 AM

High and Dry
Should universities ease penalties for marijuana possession?
Kevin Alexander & Travis Holland | The Battalion | 03/29/2006

By Kevin Alexander

As with most modern social issues, universities are at the forefront of the controversy. At several campuses, including UT, students are passing referendums in an attempt to reduce the penalties for possessing marijuana. The initiative is headed by the Colorado-based group SAFER (Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation). SAFER wants universities to consider marijuana the same as alcohol when determining campus discipline. This is a policy that should come to pass at Texas A&M.

Both sides have distorted the facts about marijuana, but one thing is clear: Marijuana, though not harmless, is a heck of a lot safer than alcohol. According to the Annual Review of Public Health in 2005, alcohol is the cause for about 1,700 deaths each year among college students. Marijuana, however, is impossible to overdose on, and no records exist of someone dying due to cannabis alone.

As long as it is done outside, students are allowed to use tobacco without fear, even though the dangers of tobacco use are well documented. A student who tries to smoke marijuana outside, however, is not only in violation of the law, but can also be arrested by A&M, suspended or expelled. At A&M, a student under 21 possessing alcohol may receive a fine, community service, alcohol awareness education or both for a first offense. The first-time offense for possession of marijuana results in at least suspension. There is something hypocritical here. Why not a fine or awareness education for marijuana use? Alcohol is clearly more dangerous than marijuana. It's akin to giving someone a hand grenade, and then withholding a firecracker under the guise of "safety."

Students don't come to A&M looking for a babysitter. It's tempting to argue that because marijuana possession is against the law, it is the University's responsibility to punish offenders. This belief is not true. Last June, the Supreme Court decided in the case Raich v Ashcroft that a California law allowing for medicinal marijuana was not unconstitutional. The users of the marijuana could still be held accountable to federal law, but the state did not have an obligation to punish them. This same logic could be applied to the policy here. A&M is not a police entity and is not obligated to administer punishment on top of what the law provides. If the University feels that certain offenders are an actual threat, then it could always turn them over to the police, but suspension or expulsion on top of jail time and fines is unnecessary and excessive.

Perhaps the University looks to deter usage of the drug through threats of discipline, but history has proven this method to be inadequate. According to the University of Amsterdam, acute and long-term marijuana usage in the Netherlands is half that of America's. In the Netherlands, marijuana is legal and easily available.

A quick search on Facebook.com turns up hundreds of admitted marijuana users at A&M. These students are not cowed by the University's double standard regarding alcohol and cannabis. Common sense suggests that there are more users under the radar undeterred by A&M's student rules.

A more relaxed and prudent policy would allow these students to walk with a bit more ease on campus, and let them focus on more important, ultimately academic, matters.

By Travis Holland

The boys from Oklahoma roll it all wrong. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong made a movie career out of it. A former president of the United States smoked it without inhaling. It's marijuana, one of the most commonly used illegal drugs in the United States.

Recently, there has been a push on several college campuses across the nation to equalize penalties for marijuana possession and underage alcohol offenses. Because the University of Texas is one of these schools, the same debate has been raised here in College Station.

First, marijuana is an illegal substance, which automatically elevates the severity of punishment for possession. True, alcohol is illegal to possess for a minor, but the legality of alcohol consumption is based simply on age. Alcohol is not illegal in the same sense as marijuana. Marijuana is a prohibited substance, not legal at any age, so it simply isn't rational to equalize penalties for the two.

In the eyes of the law, possession of marijuana is a more severe offense than a minor in possession of alcohol, so school rules shouldn't be any different. It is important that colleges keep rules consistent with those of the real world.

Furthermore, Texas A&M is a state funded university, so its rules should absolutely coincide with state laws. Equalizing the penalties for these infractions would not be a wise decision for an institution that relies on funding from a state government with different views.

The propositions at UT and other schools don't call for stiffer alcohol penalties, only lighter punishments for marijuana users. This would send the wrong message to students. If the rules were changed in such a manner, it would undoubtedly make the possession of marijuana seem like a less severe crime. The only thing this would do is increase marijuana use among students.

Proponents of the rule change say that student surveys passed at UT and Florida State University show the student body would want to lessen the penalty for possession of marijuana. They go on to say that university administrations should take note and change their policies. These demands are good for a laugh, but nothing more. The surveys did show that a majority of students at these schools wanted the change, but unfortunately students don't get to make the rules.

The fact that most students want the rules changed is not a valid reason to change them. If student surveys were the law of the land, A&M would offer beer pong as a kinesiology class, and no one would pay tuition.

The most common argument for the equalization of punishments for marijuana and underage alcohol offenses is that marijuana is safer than alcohol. This is completely preposterous. People under the influence of marijuana are just as dangerous to themselves and others as someone using alcohol. Both substances impair coordination and cause users to make decisions they otherwise would avoid. Whether or not marijuana is more dangerous is not the question the University faces. The real issue here is that students are asking college administrations to lighten the punishment for an illegal drug.

No matter what trendy phrases and witty acronyms are used to support this proposition, universities should not consider lessening the punishment for the possession of marijuana. This is just an example of a well-spoken group of college students attempting to get rules changed so they can light one up in their resident halls without consequence.

FreeUpJahCure · 03-31-2006, 03:36 PM

Yes marijuana is illegal, but it definitly and is way safer than alcohol. Thats just (WORD OF THE DAY)---->COMMON SENSE, something that most people against legalizing it just doesn't have obviously.

**Sec** · 03-31-2006, 03:38 PM

I have never heard of a student dying of Cannibus poisoning. I HAVE heard of students dying of Alcohol poisoning.

Now, tell me again, which is more dangerous to students?

I do appreciate how you have posted both sides of the argument.

nerphroll · 03-31-2006, 04:02 PM

Yeah, it was nice to see both sides, it's just painfully obvious that the *against* argument is weak and circular, simply citing marijuana's illegality as the reason to prosecute it more harshly, but completely ignoring (as usual) the fact that marijuana's illegality is in itself unfounded and completely arbitrary.

PotShot · 03-31-2006, 05:47 PM

Quote:

In the Netherlands, marijuana is legal and easily available.

Cannabis may be easily available in the Netherlands, but it is not legal. The authorities look the other way, and license and regulate the coffee shops. The result is de facto decriminalization, but it is not fully legal.

If it were, The Netherlands would enjoy a huge boom in their economy, as they would be able to produce their own cannabis, instead of depending on the black market for supply.

nacrypt · 03-31-2006, 06:35 PM

Quote:

People under the influence of marijuana are just as dangerous to themselves and others as someone using alcohol. Both substances impair coordination and cause users to make decisions they otherwise would avoid.

This just plain false!

This is the kind of drivel that comes from people who have drank alcohol but have never smoked pot. There is a science, it's called pharmacology, it studies how drugs effect the body and mind (psycho-pharmacology). Marijuana and alcohol are not similar at all in their pharmacology.

Are people who are really high marijuana as dangerous as people who are really drunk? Hardly!

reggie_the_dog · 04-01-2006, 08:34 AM

"Cannabis may be easily available in the Netherlands, but it is not legal. The authorities look the other way, and license and regulate the coffee shops. The result is de facto decriminalization, but it is not fully legal.

If it were, The Netherlands would enjoy a huge boom in their economy, as they would be able to produce their own cannabis, instead of depending on the black market for supply."

cannabis sold in the Netherlands is mostly grown in the Netherlands, even most of the hash sold is "Nederhash".

If the Netherlands formally legalized the cannabis trade they would lose out big time on tourist Euros because of 2 treaties of the European Union

1. The Treaty of Maastrich which says that any product legally sold in one country is legally sold in all memeber countries (as is the case with absinthe and mushrooms (they may try to crack down on selling these in France or the UK but anone that appeals to the European commission is found innocent)
2. The treaty of Nice which continued the principles of the treaty of Maastrich in the event that no constitution was approved.

SO If the Netherlands LEGALIZED cannabis, cannabis would instantly become legal in ALL 25 EUROPEAN UNION nations. I seriously hope they do it, but perhaps the Italians will do it first later this month, the opposition center left coalition wants to reform drug laws for the better, it is a platform they are running on. And this is no april fools bullshit.

Toking Jedi · 04-02-2006, 04:26 AM

Quote:

People under the influence of marijuana are just as dangerous to themselves and others as someone using alcohol. Both substances impair coordination and cause users to make decisions they otherwise would avoid. Whether or not marijuana is more dangerous is not the question the University faces. The real issue here is that students are asking college administrations to lighten the punishment for an illegal drug.

The fact that they are trying "to lighten the punishment for an illegal drug" has already been established. The real question is where you're wrong: is marijuana really safer? And the answer to that question is, yes indeed. Neurology and pharmacology have shown us that Marijuana affects the brain and the body in a much different way than Alcohol does. Let's break it down.
From the 2003 annual report of DuPage Country, of all things (http://www.dupageco.org/coroner/stats/alcohol.pdf) [stylizing added by the Jedi]...
Alcohol does many things: in the Frontal Lobe, these consist of "[the] removal of inhibitions, loss of self control, weakness of will power, development of euphoria, increased confidence, generosity, altered judgement, increased good fellowship, loquaciousness, and dulling of attention"; in the Dicephalon, the effects are "Apathy, Inertia, Tremors, Cessation of Automatic Movements, Sweating, Dilation of Surface Capillaries, Stupor, Coma"; in the Psychomotor area, "Apraxia, Agraphia, Ataxia (Tremors, Slurred Speech, Loss of Skill)"; in the Visuo-Psychic Area, "Disturbance of: Color Perception, Dimensions, Diplopia, Form, Motion, Distance"; in the Medulla, "Depression of Respiration, Peripheral,
Collapse, Subnormal Temperature, Death". There are more areas affected, and more shit done to your brain, but those are the big things. And as we can see, most of them are bad. Alcohol can kill you, is dangerous at high levels, and really affects judgement. Marijuana? Let's see...

Marijuana, on the other hand, according to "The Benefits of Marijuana: Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual":

Quote:

Originally Posted by p. 29

The simultaneous opposing action of marijuana is akin to balancing our entire system. Such balance in the ANS can be understood as a charged equilibrium, which is defined as “well-being” experienced as physiological expansion and psychological contentment and responsible for health.

Quote:

Originally Posted by p. 30

The net effect is a highly functioning, yet relaxed, system with better fuel. This is why, with marijuana, the feeling is both relaxed and alert, which explains, in part, the experience of being “stoned.” Normally the body vacillates between the two opposing modes of being. The effects of the complicated marijuana molecule somehow actually integrate these two modes, simultaneously, as absolutely nothing else does.

And,

Quote:

Originally Posted by p. 35

Marijuana, by its effect on the ANS, enhances both sides of the brain. Through increased Sympathetic action, left brain perception is heightened, while, at the same time, right brain reception is enhanced. This is a physiological fact. More blood, and cleaner blood, is sent to the brain, as in the “fight or flight” reaction. And because of Parasympathetic dilation of capillaries, which signifies relaxation, the blood supply to the entire brain is increased. More blood means more oxygen and consequently clearer and broader thinking. Since marijuana works on both sides of the brain, the most noticeable effect, in our fast-paced mind set, is one of slowing down, which blends the thrusting competitive attitude with the contrasting viewpoint of nurturance to arrive at a more cooperative balance. This experience is, however, not innate to marijuana, but to the mental set of the subject. When we are mellow, tired, and relaxed, marijuana is energizing and affords alertness, determination, and even strength. This variation in the physiological effects has caused great confusion from an either/or framework. And the balancing nature of marijuana (both/and) has not been understood. It both stimulates and relaxes, simultaneously, which equates to an unpredictable variation in effect that is solely dependent on the state of its subject. When the system is sluggish, as with natives in warm climates (Africa, India, South America), marijuana has been used extensively and for centuries to energize it:

A common practice among laborers... have a puff of a ganja (marijuana) pipe to produce well-being, relieve fatigue, stimulate appetite. (Chopra and Chopra, 1939, p.3)

When the system is hyper-aroused, as in today’s lifestyle, marijuana calms. The significance of this fact cannot be ignored. It explains the increased creativity reported as a part of the marijuana experience, because when both sides of brain processes are heightened, both types of brain activity are greater. The left brain notices more, while the right brain receives more. This is the unification of logic and intuition. The term “expansion of consciousness” is explained physiologically as a “shifting of brain emphasis from one-sidedness to balance” (Sugarmena and Tarter, 1978), which fits precisely with the feeling called “high.”

Alright, we have the two sides. Alcohol or Marijuana? Make your decision!

vladimir · 04-03-2006, 07:16 AM

Quote:

It's akin to giving someone a hand grenade, and then withholding a firecracker under the guise of "safety."

bravo for a great description of the situation!

03-31-2006, 10:20 AM	#1
Buzzby Buddhist Curmudgeon Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 14,461 Grams: 48,045.53 Groans: 37 Groaned at 49 Times in 41 Posts Thanks: 528 Thanked 3,913 Times in 1,941 Posts Stock Portfolio Total Value: 0.000 Gain/Loss: 0.000%	TX: High and Dry High and Dry Should universities ease penalties for marijuana possession? Kevin Alexander & Travis Holland \| The Battalion \| 03/29/2006 By Kevin Alexander As with most modern social issues, universities are at the forefront of the controversy. At several campuses, including UT, students are passing referendums in an attempt to reduce the penalties for possessing marijuana. The initiative is headed by the Colorado-based group SAFER (Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation). SAFER wants universities to consider marijuana the same as alcohol when determining campus discipline. This is a policy that should come to pass at Texas A&M. Both sides have distorted the facts about marijuana, but one thing is clear: Marijuana, though not harmless, is a heck of a lot safer than alcohol. According to the Annual Review of Public Health in 2005, alcohol is the cause for about 1,700 deaths each year among college students. Marijuana, however, is impossible to overdose on, and no records exist of someone dying due to cannabis alone. As long as it is done outside, students are allowed to use tobacco without fear, even though the dangers of tobacco use are well documented. A student who tries to smoke marijuana outside, however, is not only in violation of the law, but can also be arrested by A&M, suspended or expelled. At A&M, a student under 21 possessing alcohol may receive a fine, community service, alcohol awareness education or both for a first offense. The first-time offense for possession of marijuana results in at least suspension. There is something hypocritical here. Why not a fine or awareness education for marijuana use? Alcohol is clearly more dangerous than marijuana. It's akin to giving someone a hand grenade, and then withholding a firecracker under the guise of "safety." Students don't come to A&M looking for a babysitter. It's tempting to argue that because marijuana possession is against the law, it is the University's responsibility to punish offenders. This belief is not true. Last June, the Supreme Court decided in the case Raich v Ashcroft that a California law allowing for medicinal marijuana was not unconstitutional. The users of the marijuana could still be held accountable to federal law, but the state did not have an obligation to punish them. This same logic could be applied to the policy here. A&M is not a police entity and is not obligated to administer punishment on top of what the law provides. If the University feels that certain offenders are an actual threat, then it could always turn them over to the police, but suspension or expulsion on top of jail time and fines is unnecessary and excessive. Perhaps the University looks to deter usage of the drug through threats of discipline, but history has proven this method to be inadequate. According to the University of Amsterdam, acute and long-term marijuana usage in the Netherlands is half that of America's. In the Netherlands, marijuana is legal and easily available. A quick search on Facebook.com turns up hundreds of admitted marijuana users at A&M. These students are not cowed by the University's double standard regarding alcohol and cannabis. Common sense suggests that there are more users under the radar undeterred by A&M's student rules. A more relaxed and prudent policy would allow these students to walk with a bit more ease on campus, and let them focus on more important, ultimately academic, matters. By Travis Holland The boys from Oklahoma roll it all wrong. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong made a movie career out of it. A former president of the United States smoked it without inhaling. It's marijuana, one of the most commonly used illegal drugs in the United States. Recently, there has been a push on several college campuses across the nation to equalize penalties for marijuana possession and underage alcohol offenses. Because the University of Texas is one of these schools, the same debate has been raised here in College Station. First, marijuana is an illegal substance, which automatically elevates the severity of punishment for possession. True, alcohol is illegal to possess for a minor, but the legality of alcohol consumption is based simply on age. Alcohol is not illegal in the same sense as marijuana. Marijuana is a prohibited substance, not legal at any age, so it simply isn't rational to equalize penalties for the two. In the eyes of the law, possession of marijuana is a more severe offense than a minor in possession of alcohol, so school rules shouldn't be any different. It is important that colleges keep rules consistent with those of the real world. Furthermore, Texas A&M is a state funded university, so its rules should absolutely coincide with state laws. Equalizing the penalties for these infractions would not be a wise decision for an institution that relies on funding from a state government with different views. The propositions at UT and other schools don't call for stiffer alcohol penalties, only lighter punishments for marijuana users. This would send the wrong message to students. If the rules were changed in such a manner, it would undoubtedly make the possession of marijuana seem like a less severe crime. The only thing this would do is increase marijuana use among students. Proponents of the rule change say that student surveys passed at UT and Florida State University show the student body would want to lessen the penalty for possession of marijuana. They go on to say that university administrations should take note and change their policies. These demands are good for a laugh, but nothing more. The surveys did show that a majority of students at these schools wanted the change, but unfortunately students don't get to make the rules. The fact that most students want the rules changed is not a valid reason to change them. If student surveys were the law of the land, A&M would offer beer pong as a kinesiology class, and no one would pay tuition. The most common argument for the equalization of punishments for marijuana and underage alcohol offenses is that marijuana is safer than alcohol. This is completely preposterous. People under the influence of marijuana are just as dangerous to themselves and others as someone using alcohol. Both substances impair coordination and cause users to make decisions they otherwise would avoid. Whether or not marijuana is more dangerous is not the question the University faces. The real issue here is that students are asking college administrations to lighten the punishment for an illegal drug. No matter what trendy phrases and witty acronyms are used to support this proposition, universities should not consider lessening the punishment for the possession of marijuana. This is just an example of a well-spoken group of college students attempting to get rules changed so they can light one up in their resident halls without consequence. __________________ 60% of the people of America now say we are heading toward a depression. Not a recession, a depression. We are in desperate need of profitable industries that we can tax. Um... Now can we legalize pot? ~ Bill Maher Theocracy Watch

03-31-2006, 03:36 PM	#2
FreeUpJahCure New Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 41 Grams: 798.30 Groans: 0 Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Stock Portfolio Total Value: 0.000 Gain/Loss: 0.000%	But Really... Yes marijuana is illegal, but it definitly and is way safer than alcohol. Thats just (WORD OF THE DAY)---->COMMON SENSE, something that most people against legalizing it just doesn't have obviously.

03-31-2006, 03:38 PM	#3
Sec Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 6,377 Grams: 42,653.73 Groans: 16 Groaned at 30 Times in 25 Posts Thanks: 698 Thanked 1,571 Times in 972 Posts Stock Portfolio Total Value: 0.000 Gain/Loss: 0.000%	I have never heard of a student dying of Cannibus poisoning. I HAVE heard of students dying of Alcohol poisoning. Now, tell me again, which is more dangerous to students? I do appreciate how you have posted both sides of the argument. __________________ Guidelines. Search http://www.marijuana.com/drug-test/index

03-31-2006, 04:02 PM	#4
nerphroll Sr. Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,395 Grams: 3,099.98 Groans: 0 Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts Thanks: 20 Thanked 31 Times in 18 Posts Stock Portfolio Total Value: 0.000 Gain/Loss: 0.000%	Yeah, it was nice to see both sides, it's just painfully obvious that the against argument is weak and circular, simply citing marijuana's illegality as the reason to prosecute it more harshly, but completely ignoring (as usual) the fact that marijuana's illegality is in itself unfounded and completely arbitrary. __________________ HELP ME IVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR OVER 13 YEARS!!!!!!!!!! PURIFY ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

04-01-2006, 08:34 AM	#7
reggie_the_dog Sr. Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 660 Grams: 4,787.84 Groans: 0 Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts Thanks: 0 Thanked 27 Times in 23 Posts Stock Portfolio Total Value: 0.000 Gain/Loss: 0.000%	actually its the reverse "Cannabis may be easily available in the Netherlands, but it is not legal. The authorities look the other way, and license and regulate the coffee shops. The result is de facto decriminalization, but it is not fully legal. If it were, The Netherlands would enjoy a huge boom in their economy, as they would be able to produce their own cannabis, instead of depending on the black market for supply." cannabis sold in the Netherlands is mostly grown in the Netherlands, even most of the hash sold is "Nederhash". If the Netherlands formally legalized the cannabis trade they would lose out big time on tourist Euros because of 2 treaties of the European Union 1. The Treaty of Maastrich which says that any product legally sold in one country is legally sold in all memeber countries (as is the case with absinthe and mushrooms (they may try to crack down on selling these in France or the UK but anone that appeals to the European commission is found innocent) 2. The treaty of Nice which continued the principles of the treaty of Maastrich in the event that no constitution was approved. SO If the Netherlands LEGALIZED cannabis, cannabis would instantly become legal in ALL 25 EUROPEAN UNION nations. I seriously hope they do it, but perhaps the Italians will do it first later this month, the opposition center left coalition wants to reform drug laws for the better, it is a platform they are running on. And this is no april fools bullshit.

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