LEGALIZE MARIJUANA?

Attorney Explains Why We Should

Keith Stroup entered the room at the Hilton hotel in a suit with a
gold marijuana leaf pinned neatly on his chest.

He adjusted his green tie and watched as people poured into the room.

The Dogwood Room was filled past its 78-person capacity. People sat
on the floor in the back and in the aisles. Many adorned brightly
colored orange stickers displaying their own five-pointed leaves.

Stroup is a Washington, D.C., public-interest attorney who founded
the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws in 1970.

He got his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, where he
first smoked marijuana as a freshman.

"I'm the world's oldest pot smoker," the 62-year-old said. His
light-hearted humor supported his overall argument.

Stroup encouraged students to "come out of the closet" with their
marijuana habits in order to change the laws.

"We need to get up, stand up, light up and let America know," Stroup said.

One way he suggested was by asking everyone in the room to refrain
from voting for any candidate who "treats them like a criminal" by
supporting marijuana prohibition.

Stroup said marijuana is not an immoral habit but rather a
recreational activity.

He said Americans should be given the right to buy marijuana from a
controlled market and grow it for recreational and industrial purposes.

"Smoking is not immoral," Stroup said. "It makes food taste better,
music sound better and sex better," he said. "That's not a bad thing."

Stroup said he believes the negative stereotype given to marijuana
smokers is the biggest reason keeping marijuana from becoming legal
in the United States. Stroup said people feel like they are alienated.

NORML's mission is to move public opinion sufficiently to achieve the
repeal of marijuana prohibition so that the responsible use of pot by
adults is no longer subject to penalty.

Stroup said more than 26 million Americans smoked last year and of
that 16 million are regular smokers, meaning they smoke at least once a month.

"We're just average Americans that happen to smoke marijuana," Stroup said.

The event was sponsored by NORML UF, which claims to have 30 to 40
active members. The group is led by UF junior Jaylen McGrew.

"I saw (the movie) "Grass" at the Reitz Union a few years ago and
decided to get involved with NORML," McGrew said.