STUDENTS SHARE THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON POT LAW

Bridgewater - Nathan Farias, a Bridgewater State College freshman, said
he'd rather see drug use medicalized than criminalized.

"In this country, we make users into outcasts and disenfranchise them.
With this past election, I feel it was a step in the right direction,"
said Farias, 18, of Taunton.

The Independent stopped by the Bridgewater State College campus center
Monday to chat with students like Farias about their thoughts on the Nov.
4 ballot initiative that decriminalized possession of up to an ounce of
marijuana.

Most, though not all, said they voted yes. Many who supported the
initiative said they do not smoke marijuana but support the right of
others to make that choice without facing criminal charges.

All of the students said they were aware the drug has not been legalized,
but rather decriminalized, and people caught with up to an ounce will be
subject to fines. But some said they think quite a few of their classmates
are not aware of the distinction.

Farias, who would like to be a police officer and doesn't use drugs, said
he thinks marijuana arrests are a waste of taxpayers' money, tying up
police officers' time on petty crimes.

He'd like to see a system similar to Canada's for serious drugs like
heroin, in which users can inject in a clinical setting with supervision
from a nurse, instead of with dirty needles on the streets.

As to marijuana, he'd like to see it legalized, with appropriate
restrictions, similar to those for alcohol, on public consumption, age and
driving while under the influence.

Jessica Bamford, a sophomore at the college, said she doesn't take drugs
and considers them unhealthy but is "pro-choice" when it comes to their
use by others.

The 23-year-old from Rockland, who is studying to be a writer, said her
work as a pharmacy technician has given her an interesting perspective on
drugs. She views both illegal and many prescription drugs as treating
symptoms rather than getting to the root of a problem.

She thinks making marijuana legal might eventually make it seem less cool
to kids.

"I think it's a way of avoiding the issues in life. I think making it
legal will make it less of the forbidden fruit," Bamford said.

Ed Finch, a 20-year-old sophomore from Franklin, voted against
decriminalization for a couple of reasons. One was "purely financial," he
said. His father is a Boston police officer who gets a lot of overtime
when he has to go to court after a marijuana arrest, Finch said.

But his other reason is based on his own experience.

"I was frustrated with my stoner friends. They're obnoxious, but I put up
with them," Finch said.

Bria Wilbur, president of the student group the Social Justice League,
said she also voted no. She said she had a friend in her freshman year who
struggled unsuccessfully with drug use and was unable to get help.

"I have a strong stance against drugs. It think it will open too many
doors," said Wilbur, 21, a senior from Easton who wants to work with
juvenile substance abusers.

Wilbur said she hasn't heard a lot of talk about the new law on campus
except right before and after the election. A lot of students seemed
excited about it and seemed to think marijuana had been fully legalized,
she said.

Farias said he'd heard about some kids who smoked pot in front of police
officers the day after the election, apparently unaware the new law hadn't
yet taken effect and still imposes civil penalties.

Christine Leal, 18 of Wareham, and Sarah Rondeau, 18 of East Bridgewater,
said they discussed the ballot initiative in their freshman English class.
Most of the students seemed to favor the initiative, though a few raised
objections, they said.

"I think it's good because I think there are a lot worse things we should
be focused on," Leal said.

Rondeau, who also voted yes, said she avoids drugs but a lot of her
friends smoke marijuana, she said.

"I don't think there's any point to it. I don't think it's worth my time,"
she said of drug use.

Rondeau said she doesn't think the new law will have a big impact on drug
use. People who are determined to smoke will do it even if it's a criminal
offense, she said.

Farias agreed.

"A lot of people have already made up their minds whether or not they'll
smoke," Farias said.

Farias said he thinks there's a generation gap when it comes to marijuana.

A lot of young people don't view it as that big a deal, while older people
still see it as very serious, he said. He thinks there will probably be a
cultural shift in society's perception of the drug now that it has been
decriminalized, similar to the change in the perception of issues such as
race relations.

Pot will come to be viewed as more like alcohol than heroin, he said, not
necessarily good for you, but without the stigma, Farias said.

"Younger people want a change," he said.