MEDICAL MARIJUANA RIGHTS FIGHT COMES TO UMAINE

Medical marijuana and the stereotypes it derails was the topic of the
final Socialist and Marxist Studies Series lectureof the fall semester.

University of Southern Maine professor Wendy Chapkis discussed her
experiences with garden growers who produced medical marijuana and how her
perception of the drug has changed.

Chapkis, a professor of gender studies, said she decided to explore the
topic after she found out her friend, Valerie Carrel, smoked marijuana to
relieve the pain she endured from cancer. Chapkis initially shrugged it
off, thinking it was an excuse.

"During these times [1980s and 1990s] everyone [in California] smoked
marijuana. I thought [Carrel] was using [cancer] as an excuse to use [the
drug]," Chapkis said.

A movement grew from word of mouth in Santa Cruz in early 1992, she said.
It led Carrel to start an organization called Wo/Men's Alliance for
Medical Marijuana, distributing it to those who wanted it for pain relief.

Gay men helping the organization were some of the first to ask about
marijuana for medical reasons to counteract HIV symptoms.

Chapkis said the movement grew from there and eventually became one of the
only legal marijuana growing sites in the country. She said people who
used marijuana for medical reasons weren't the people she expected - the
elderly and those who were gravely ill.

She said many patients who seek this medication don't smoke the drug, but
ingest it through baked goods or pills. This organization broke many
stereotypes she had about the medical marijuana community, she said.

"I expected to see a bunch of people just sitting around smoking pot, but
I found people my age and older seeking medication through baked goods and
other forms," Chapkis said.

Rev. Kevin Loring of the Temple for Advanced Enlightenment applauded
Chapkis' work of helping raise awareness of the cause.

"It's a beautiful, beautiful book and an excellent discussion. She brings
up a lot of excellent points that people really need to stop and think
about when it comes down to it. The issue isn't punks out in alleyways
causing crime because they're smoking. This is old people that need our
help, that we promised we would be there for," Loring said.

Chapkis said WAMM, a nonprofit organization, doesn't ask its members to
pay for the product, some of whom help with the growing and harvesting if
they desire. She said there are "free riders," or people who come and
collect, but the majority of the members help the organization.

She said hope may be on the horizon for medical marijuana. WAMM won a
court case against the federal government in 2004, during which the 9th
Circuit Court of Appeals banned federal action against WAMM and its users.
Chapkis seems optimistic that the new presidency of Barack Obama may lead
to more state control instead of federal, though she feels this might not
happen because of the federal jobs tied to marijuana control.

"The DEA [Drug Enforcement Administration] has no purpose without the war
on drugs," Chapkis said.

Some wished Chapkis had addressed other issues regarding this topic.

"I'm surprised she didn't actually address the legalization of marijuana.
It seems like medical marijuana is going to be the catalyst toward
legalization, which I think is a much trickier issue," Nabozny said.

The Marxist Studies Series will return next semester. The lectures are yet
to be determined and will be decided in an early December meeting.