Herb or Hops?

As Major Universities Face Referenda to Treat Both Recreational Substances the Same, IDS Columnists Wonder, Are They Really?

CONSEQUENCES UNBALANCED?

Considering IU's reputation as a party school and several IU
students' recent alcohol-related hospitalizations, adopting a
proposal similar to those at other major universities regarding
marijuana use would be an improvement to current policy.

Studies have shown that 50 percent of car-accident fatalities are
caused by drivers with alcohol in their blood stream, while only 7
percent to 20 percent are caused by drivers with THC, the
mind-altering substance found in Cannabis plants, in their systems.
And 70 percent to 90 percent of those with THC in their blood stream
also have alcohol in their blood stream. According to the National
Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Task Force on College
Drinking, alcohol plays a part in 1,400 deaths, 500,000 injuries and
70,000 sexual assaults each year.

When these statistics are entertained, it is no wonder that some
students are standing up in the name of equal penalties for the
substances. After alcohol-related deaths at the University of
Colorado and Colorado State University, both schools voted last year
to bring their marijuana policies in line with their alcohol ones.

Despite the legal implications of marijuana use, SAFER is spurring a
stance on the debate that makes sense. If lowering the penalty for
marijuana use ultimately saves lives because more people choose to
smoke rather than drink -- as the statistics indicate it will -- then
the benefit for the college community will be exponential. Marijuana
acts as a substitution for the statistically more dangerous alcohol.
IU should consider this and perhaps take action as the two Colorado schools did.