IT AIN'T FAIR, JOHN SINCLAIR

This past Saturday and Sunday were dedicated to the annual
celebration known as "Extravaganja," an event organized by the
University of Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition. As in past
years, the event showcased local musicians, guest speakers and
vendors in the Amherst town common. In the rain on Saturday and the
sunshine on Sunday, an enormous crowd formed to show their support of
the CRC's views on marijuana legality and to smoke without worry.

The featured speaker at Extravaganja was John Sinclair, who became
famous after being arrested in 1969 for attempting to sell two joints
to undercover policemen and was sentenced to ten years in prison. His
official website explains that "Sinclair was released from Jackson
Prison when the 29-month campaign to gain his freedom climaxed in the
mammoth 'John Sinclair Freedom Rally' at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor,
Michigan on December 10, 1971, where John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Stevie
Wonder, Allen Ginsberg, Phil Ochs, Bobby Seale and others performed
and spoke at the eight-hour long event in front of 15 thousand people."

Perhaps most helpful in Sinclair's premature release from prison was
John Lennon's song "John Sinclair," which protested the grounds for
his arrest. He asked, "Was he jailed for what he done / Or
representing everyone? / Free John now, if we can / From the clutches
of the man."

Lennon's lyrics comment on the fact that Sinclair did what countless
others have; the only difference is that he was unlucky enough to be
caught. His actions were hardly deviant from our social norms, yet he
was given a wildly disproportionate punishment that enraged thousands
of people.

Sinclair's imprisonment only further encouraged him to protest the
laws against marijuana, and he became a well-known activist through
his speeches, poetry, and books.

He expressed his appreciation for the UMass CRC, saying, "I am
impressed with the UMass group and how the school has the sense to
accept that this is a part of campus life. Massachusetts has made
some great strides toward decriminalization, but the struggle is far
from over. In the end, all we really want to do is get high and treat
our medical illness and we don't want to be interfered with by the police."

I couldn't have said it better myself. When the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts voted for decriminalization, I was extremely pleased in
knowing that some progress was being made in the country's outlook on
drug use and personal choice. But I couldn't help feeling annoyed
that it had taken so long, and that there were still so many peoples'
minds to change about its legalization.

Of course it is understandable that people have reservations about
legalization, since it would be such a significant change. However,
all these hypothetical problems have solutions.

As with any drug, the use of it should be up to the individual. Any
health issues that could ensue can be prevented by the user instead
of the law. I think it's safe to say that everyone is aware of the
effects of drugs (and if they aren't, legalization would make them
even clearer with warning labels), so each person should be able to
make the decision of how much to smoke on their own.

Legalization would only encourage personal choice and responsibility
for one's own body, not unhealthy practices. Just as we cannot
justify banning unhealthy foods or cigarettes, the government cannot
justify making health choices for us.

As soon as the user breaks the law by endangering another person, it
is perfectly permissible to hold them responsible for their actions,
whether under the influence or not. But it is completely possible to
use this drug without harming anyone.

The bottom line is that the legality of drugs is an issue of personal
choice. What we do with our own bodies should be up to no one but
ourselves. The government should never be given this much control
over our lives to decide whether or not our health choices are legal.

We should all support the policies of the CRC and John Sinclair's
activism, because they are working hard to ensure that the people get
to personally make the choices that define them.