DIRECTORS TACKLE MARIJUANA ISSUE

Debating the Merits of Question 7 at CSNU's 'Smoke the Vote' Event

Giggles, sighs, applause and statistics echoed through the student
union theater Tuesday night during a public debate over the
legalization of marijuana.

The CSUN-sponsored event showcased advocates for and against Question
7 on this year's ballot.

If passed, Question 7 would allow adults over the age of 21 to legally
possess and use up to one ounce of marijuana.

"Our marijuana laws don't work," said Neal Levine, campaign director
for the Committee to Control and Regulate Marijuana. "Anyone who wants
it can get it ... you lose all ability to control it."

Levine went on to say that if passed, the new law will double the
penalties for those who sell marijuana to minors, isolate the selling
of marijuana to state-regulated shops that are at least 500 feet away
from schools and houses of worship and provide increased state revenue
in the taxing of the drug.

"Our hands are already full just dealing with the alcohol-related
driving problems," said Sandy Heverly, executive director of Stop DUI
in Nevada. "Don't let Nevada become the experimental Petri dish of the
nation."

Heverly said the passage of the law would not only increase the
likelihood of fatal driver-impaired car accidents, but raise insurance
premiums as well.

As for potential revenue produced by the taxing of marijuana, Heverly
made it clear that she and her organization saw it as more of a
problem than a benefit.

"They call it tax revenue," Heverly said. "We call it blood
money."

The audience, consisting mostly of college students who supported
Question 7, could be heard laughing and scoffing at some of the points
raised by Heverly.

Moderator Ray Patterson even had to address the audience, saying that
the laughter was disruptive.

After Heverly brought up a statistic stating 29 out of the 3,000
annual DUI deaths are from those driving solely under the influence of
marijuana, the atmosphere became heated.

"You're laughing at the deaths of 29 people?" Heverly asked after
giggles were heard in the audience.

"It's such a small percentage," a man in the audience shouted
back.

Noticeably shaken, Heverly calmed down and the debate
continued.

During their closing statements, Levine and Heverly finally
agreed.

After both pundits stated that the issue was extremely important, they
also encouraged everyone there to go out and vote in the quickly
approaching election.

That however, is where the agreement ended.

"Unfortunately, we haven't really discussed Question 7 tonight,"
Levine said, adding that Heverly had resorted to straw-man arguments
and unrealistic scenarios of what could happen.

"We do not believe the legalization of marijuana would be good to any
community or nation," Heverly said. "Marijuana is already strictly
regulated in Nevada. It's called illegal."

Marijuana's legal future will be decided by Nevada voters on Tuesday
Nov. 7 when Question 7 is taken from the debate forums and placed on
the ballot.