Time to rethink marijuana policies

NORML chapter will give students a new voice

By Alan Ouellette

The Collegian

OVER THE COURSE of my three years at Fresno State, many issues — ranging from the Iraq War to hate speech — have aroused much interest and lively debate on campus.

The subject of marijuana reform, however, has been notably absent from such widespread attention in recent memory.

Rather, it has been designated to the realm of the commonplace in English 1 and lower-division general education courses — a trend that will hopefully decrease in the near future.With the advent of a CSU Fresno branch of NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) in the works, those wishing to engage in and explore the topic may be able to do so, on a macrocosmic level, in upcoming semesters.

NORML, the nation’s oldest, largest, and most active advocate for the reform of marijuana policies, aims to decriminalize and ultimately legalize the responsible sale and possession of marijuana for recreational and medicinal use and seeks to reverse state and federal laws banning the production of hemp.

When we consider NORML’s policy objectives, we can glimpse the importance and radical potential of this organization — especially in relation to the outlet it will provide many Fresno State students to express their views on this sensitive, yet pertinent, issue.

According to a 2005 study conducted by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, 49.1 percent of college students have used marijuana, 18.9 percent of which having done so some time in the month preceding the study.

These figure evidence the relevance of existing marijuana laws to many students in our demographic — data that, at the very least, loosely reflects the student body of our campus. Yet, many of the anxieties and concerns of Fresno State students have gone unexpressed, whether due to the lack of an open campus-wide dialogue on the subject or a general sense of apathy.

Either way, information on state and federal legislation that directly impacts a significant percentage of our campus has not been readily accessible. For instance, most are probably unaware of Assembly Bill 2673, an act that would amend Section 23152 of the California Vehicle Code and make it a criminal offense for anyone to operate a motor vehicle with a measurable amount of THC in their system.

While it is never permissible to drive under the influence of a substance that impairs a person’s ability to safely do so, the implications of this bill are much more damaging to our rights than they may initially appear.

THC, an active chemical in marijuana, remains detectable in the blood stream long after the effects of marijuana wear off. While someone’s high may last up to a few hours, facing a sentence of up to six months in jail for smoking at an unspecified date weeks prior to the arrest is simply absurd.

The hazard this poses to patients that frequently (and legally) use marijuana for medicinal purposes are equally, if not more, frightening.

This is a current example of the type of legislation organizations such as NORML are attempting to increase an awareness of and protect Californians against.

Whether you personally use marijuana or not is beside the point. Most of us can easily think of a friend, classmate or family member that may be negatively affected by campaigns that unfairly target marijuana users.

As such, we, as a campus community, need to move beyond our silence and hesitation to become informed about issues that can directly relate to those we care about — and, if in line with our personal convictions, to possibly take a stand against them as some students have done by bringing the marijuana reform movement to Fresno State in the form of a club open to the public.

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