PROGRAM BOARD HOSTS MARIJUANA DEBATE

On Friday, March 19, almost 200 students gathered at the Program Board's
"Heads vs. Feds: The Great Debate on Marijuana."

Arguing for the legalization of hashish was Steve Hager, former
editor-in-chief of High Times, a New York-based cannabis culture
magazine. Opposing his claims was Robert Stutman, a drug enforcement
street agent of 17 years who became the director for New York City's
Drug Enforcement Administration.

The two perform regularly on college campuses to provoke thought about
U.S. drug laws. Sometimes called "the Odd Couple of cannabis," Stutman
and Hager told the audience that they are actually great friends that
happen to disagree about this issue.

Hager offered five reasons why he believes marijuana should be
legalized. The first, he said, was that marijuana is a good medicine.

"The healthcare system is broken," Hager said. "I know one thing about
it: it doesn't like marijuana." Hager asserted pharmaceutical
companies oppose medical marijuana because it is so easy to grow that
the corporations would have a hard time making a profit from it.

Hager blamed the rapid growth of U.S. prison systems on the
prohibition of marijuana. Since marijuana is a criminal offense, its
possession carries a mandatory minimum sentence.

"Being locked up with violent psychos doesn't rehabilitate people,"
Hager said.

Hager also informed students of the environmental benefits of
hemp.

"There were 20,000 products made of hemp, but now they are made of
petrochemicals," Hager said. "The first American flag was made of marijuana."

Hager's final point was that the prohibition of marijuana destroys the
alternative culture. Hager said, "Cannabis is the true sacrament of
our culture. Laws have done nothing to dampen our spirits."

Stutman began his argument by saying that Hager's points were mere
opinions, not based in facts.

"If you believe that," Stutman said, near the beginning of his
arguments. "I got a good bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you."

Stutman said he would guess that most people do not care about
healthcare or a hemp revolution.

"It is just the drug of choice," he said.

Stutman refuted the common belief that since marijuana is natural, it
must be good. He said, "Arsenic is also natural. Just because God made
it doesn't make it good.

"Any doctor that tells you, 'you're sick, go smoke something' is a
fool." He said cannabis has only two chemicals that have actually been
proven to help; 433 of its accessory chemicals just make patients high.

Stutman was not totally against Hager though; he agreed that marijuana
should not be a criminal offense.

"The day a scientist says it is good medicine, legalize it," he said.
"The day the courts say it is legal, legalize it. The day the majority
of the American public wants it, legalize it."

During the open question segment, it became obvious that most students
there were on Hager's side.

One student asked what young people can do to help legalize marijuana.
Hager answered by saying, "If you are doing breakfast bong hits then
going to take a calc test, you are not helping legalization; you are
the greatest enemy."

The event was sponsored by Program Board.

T-shirts have been approved and are available for purchase in Student
Life.