CONFERENCE EMPHASIZES MARIJUANA LAW REFORM

UConn's branch of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) held a
conference on Saturday supporting state senate Bill 349, which
proposes decriminalizing minor possession of marijuana.

The conference, called "Decrim Makes Cents," went from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m., featured a host of guest speakers. They included Micah Daigle,
SSDP's field director, and Eric Sterling, president of the Criminal
Justice Policy Foundation and advisor to SSDP.

The event featured panels on decriminalization, group discussions and
workshops on organizing groups.

Don Halas, an 8th-semester environmental science and natural resource
major and president of UConn's SSDP chapter, was excited by the
opportunities the conference presented.

Halas said the conference was a chance to engage students in dialogue
about an issue relevant to them.

A common theme echoed by SSDP members was the money spent on the war
on drugs, versus the money could be made from decriminalizing marijuana.

Lucien Stroie, a 4th-semester finance and actuarial science major,
said that the decriminalization bill would create a $1.3 million
surplus for the state. This money would come from the reduction in
money spent on the current process of dealing with marijuana
offenders, as well as the funds generated by fines for possession.

SSDP members went to Hartfordl last week to support bill 349, where
they encountered what they described as a disconnect with the
legislature on the idea of legalizing marijuana.

Amanda Stauble, an 8th-semester political science major and member of
SSDP, said that a matter of particular concern was their interaction
with state representative Chris Coutu, one of the youngest state
representatives.

She said that a discrepancy exists with politicians who want to
protect children from drugs, but do not say what happens when those
children reach the age of majority and are able to make their own decisions.

Stroie compared the accessibility of marijuana and alcohol in high
schools, saying that it is easier to procure marijuana because it is
illegal.

Decriminalization and eventually legalization would make it harder for
minors to procure marijuana because it would be regulated by the
state, according to Stroie.

Halas reiterated the economic standpoint that decriminalization and
legalization will create funds for the state of Connecticut in hard
economic times.

Halas also supported an overall policy of harm reduction. He called to
attention the distinction between drug use and drug abuse, and said
that education and decriminalization are two effective policies that
will reduce harm.

Stroie said that the harder the war on drugs is fought by law
enforcement, the harder it is fought by those on the other side. The
money spent on current law enforcement procedures could be greatly
reduced by decriminalization.

"The harder we fight, the harder it fights," Stroie
said.

Halas said that he hoped people who attended the conference would
leave educated and motivated. He also hopes that people will push to
have public opinion voiced, heard and recognized. Halas wants to use
education and motivation to create change.

"Students are responsible for their own interests," Stroie
said.

Stroie said that students get kicked out of college for violating drug
policy, so the student body needs to work towards correcting the
effects of the policies that harm them.

"Decriminalization is the best path Connecticut can take," Halas said.