PROPONENT OF MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION BRINGS TO LIGHT SUPPORTING
EVIDENCE WITH REPORT REVEALING MARIJUANA AS TOP U.S. CASH CROP

If you were asked to imagine a proponent of legalized marijuana, most
likely you would envision a strung-out, tie-dyed T-shirt wearing
hippie waxing eloquent about its spiritual benefits. Or perhaps, you
would immediately think of Willie Nelson, the aging country star who
is the most vocal and prominent user and defender of this illegal drug.

It would perhaps come as a surprise, then, to most people that a
leading advocate for the legalization of marijuana is in fact a
well-educated academic. An adjunct professor at Shepherd University
in West Virginia, Dr. Jon Gettman not only completed his
undergraduate and graduate studies at leading Catholic universities,
but also holds a Ph. D. in public policy from George Mason University.

Gettman released "Marijuana Production in the United States" Dec. 18.
The findings of the report reveal that this illegal substance is the
country's largest cash crop, possessing a value of more than $35
billion. This is a sobering reality when one considers that,
according to the report, this value is greater than the combined
worth of corn and wheat crops between 2003 and 2005.

Gettman's study also found that, despite the efforts of the Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA) to curtail the domestic growth of
marijuana, its production has increased from 2.2 million pounds in
1981 to 22 million pounds in 2006. As Gettman noted, this is a
ten-fold increase in a 25-year period in spite of the DEA's
"aggressive law enforcement" policies which "eradicated over 103
million cultivated marijuana plants, an average of over four million
plants per year" between 1982 and 2005.

Gettman uses this information to draw the conclusion that current
drug policies are not sufficient. He recommends that the government
reconsider its classification of marijuana as an illegal substance
when used outside of the scope of medical research. He believes that
the government is allowing criminal suppliers of marijuana to benefit
financially from what is undoubtedly a valuable economic resource.

Gettman stresses that if it is recognized as a legal crop by the
government, marijuana could fund public services like education and
homeland security. Additionally, government regulation would ensure
purity standards for the drug, protecting its users from unknown,
harmful chemicals that are currently combined with the plant by black
market sellers.

The legalization arguments proposed by Gettman are very much in line
with the beliefs held by UD junior Thomas Robbins, a mechanical
engineering major.

"Marijuana will be available as long as people find its use
enjoyable," Robbins said. "By making it illegal, we have ensured that
the marijuana being sold is even more unsafe than it would be
otherwise. Additionally, its illegal status is only serving to
financially assist anti-democratic, often violent regimes in less
developed countries. Poor farmers are forced to grow the plant
instead of food crops because marijuana is so lucrative."

Yet for those who oppose the legalization of marijuana, Gettman's
argument is not welcome news. The DEA contends that marijuana usage
is a dangerous undertaking, an action which has the potential for
serious ramifications such as respiratory problems, decreased mental
functioning and stability, and driving-related deaths, according to
www.dea.gov.

According to a 2004 report, marijuana has the highest usage rate
among illegal drugs in the US and it is most often cited as the
reason for seeking drug-addiction treatment.

UD students are not exempt from these statistics. A 2006 survey by
the Alcohol Drug Abuse Prevention Team (ADAPT) at UD found that 19
percent of students reported using marijuana at least once in the
month preceding the survey.

According to the UD drug policy as listed on ADAPT's Web site,
campus.udayton.edu/~adapt, selling drugs or possessing drug
paraphernalia will lead to suspension or permanent dismissal from the
university. Illegal use or possession of drugs results in a $250 find
plus probation and a Substance Education Program.

UD has reason for such strict policies, according to the DEA Web
site. Marijuana causes learning difficulties and memory loss and is
linked to continued poor performance in school. Those who suffer from
poor grades prior to marijuana use experience a further decline in
grades when the practice of smoking marijuana is started.

The DEA holds that, regardless of economic benefits, marijuana has
too great of a mental and physical health risk to be legalized,
according to the Web site. They argue that if studies indicate the
increased prevalence of domestic marijuana, it is a call to
strengthen eradication laws, not dismiss them. The health and future
of adolescents and adults is too valuable to sacrifice for monetary
benefits, no matter how significant.

For more information on drug or alcohol addiction or treatment
programs, contact Scott Markland, assistant dean of students for
student development, at x92229 or visit campus.udayton.edu/~adapt.