MAD ON THE STREET

The Supreme Court Recently Ruled Against the Use of Medical Marijuana.
Good Call or Bad? Keep Off the Grass

KELLY ABRAHAM Age 29 Resides Manhattan Occupation At-home mother

If you were seriously ill, would you buy pot even though it's illegal?
Yes. I was just talking about this with my six-year-old son. Even
though I don't want him to smoke pot, I do think it has real medicinal
uses.

Do you think marijuana leads to harder drugs? No. Someone who uses
harder drugs has a propensity for checking out anyway. Having said
that, I do think marijuana can be addictive.

What's illegal that shouldn't be? Strip clubs and prostitution. If I
want to buy sex, why shouldn't I? Marijuana should be legal. What's
legal and what's decent are very confused here. Nude Greek statues
were once considered indecent. Now they're classical works of art.

YUKO HIEDA Age 28 Resides Brooklyn Occupation Flower
arranger

If you were seriously ill, would you buy pot even though it's illegal?
If I were that sick, I'd choose a natural treatment like that. I'd do
anything to avoid being in pain, regardless of whether the medicine
were legal or not.

Do you think marijuana leads to harder drugs? No. It's totally
unrelated to the other drugs.

What's illegal that shouldn't be? I don't know about pot, because some
people can handle it and some can't. I'm afraid that many feminists
would be angry if I said I thought prostitution should be legal, but a
system of protection would be good for both the client and the worker.

JORGE NAVARRO Age 36 Resides Brooklyn Occupation Teaching
artist

If you were seriously ill, would you buy pot even though it's illegal?
Yes, absolutely. If I had kids, I'd say, "I'm terminally ill, and I'm
going to break the law to help myself." We should act like a nation of
Thomas Paines. We're descendants of dissenters.

Do you think marijuana leads to harder drugs? No. It's false
science.

What's illegal that shouldn't be? Marijuana should be legalized and
taxed. It's the world's biggest cash crop. The government could
control a bunch of dumb stoners a lot better than it could a gang of
drunks.

GEZIM Age 21 Resides Brooklyn Occupation Disc jockey

If you were seriously ill, would you buy pot even though it's illegal?
Yes, because people say it's an effective treatment. If your
grandmother was suffering from cataracts, you could offer her a hash
pipe and it would help.

Do you think marijuana leads to harder drugs? Yes. I know people who
stopped getting a high from marijuana and so turned to other, harder
drugs.

What's illegal that shouldn't be? I want to know why alcohol is legal.
People get drunk and get in the car and run other people over. To
people who say prostitution should be legal, I say, "Get a girlfriend.
Get a boyfriend."

COLLEEN KESTERSON Age 21 Resides Westchester Occupation Costume
designer

If you were seriously ill, would you buy pot even though it's illegal?
Yes, I think I would.

Do you think marijuana leads to harder drugs? Maybe in the case of
kids who start smoking it at 13 or 14, but I doubt that someone
suffering from end-stage cancer is going to turn to heroin as a result
of smoking marijuana medicinally.

What's illegal that shouldn't be? I don't personally do drugs, but I
don't think pot is anywhere near as bad as coke or heroin. I think it
leads to a desire to eat a lot and listen to bad records.

JOHN O
Age 27
Resides Manhattan
Occupation Musician

If you were seriously ill, would you buy pot even though it's illegal?
Yes, if I knew it was going to alleviate my pain.

Do you think marijuana leads to harder drugs? No, that's just a mental
game designed to scare people. People who go on to harder things are
going anyway.

What's illegal that shouldn't be? Spitting. And drinking in
public.

MARVIN TUCKER
Age 32
Resides Manhattan
Occupation Merchandiser

If you were seriously ill, would you buy pot even though it's illegal?
No. If it's illegal, it's illegal. Having said that, they should find
a medical alternative for people who are sick.

Do you think marijuana leads to harder drugs? Yes, like all drugs it's
addictive.

What's illegal that shouldn't be? I would say illegal immigration. If
you've managed to get here, you should be able to stay without
worrying that you're going to be sent back.