AUTHOR CRITICIZES MARIJUANA POLICY

Ricardo Cortes, author of a controversial children's book about
marijuana, led a discussion at Terrace Club Friday night on the
importance of balanced drug education, in an event hosted by Students
for a Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP).

The book, "It's Just a Plant," has attracted widespread attention
over its blunt portrayal of marijuana use. The New York Post called
is a "pothead parent's dream come true" and Entertainment Weekly
labeled it "outrage of the week." It was even denounced on the floor
of the House of Representatives, when Indiana Republican Mark Souder
said it taught children "how to smoke pot."

Though Cortes claims not to advocate the use of marijuana by
children, he argues that pot is an appropriate experience for
responsible adults and that the drug war is a failure. "We believe
there is a way to safely educate children about drugs by satisfying
their curiosity but without piquing their curiosity to try them," he
wrote on his website, www.itsjustaplant.com.

The 48-page book begins when the main character, Jackie, "smelled
something funny in the air" and found her parents smoking a marijuana
joint. The next morning, Jackie and her mother discuss the use of the
illegal drug over a bike ride, and meet various users and cultivators.

Although the book is not strictly realistic, Cortes said he hopes
families will have similarly open discussion about marijuana, whether
or not the parents have tried pot.

While doing research for his book, Cortes said he was shocked by how
many parents were afraid to talk to their kids about drug abuse. Open
discussion about drug use won't necessarily encourage kids to engage
in it, he argued.

Both Cortes and the SSDP, which was founded last spring by Reona
Kumagai '06, advocate a "more sensible" education policy with
well-informed parents as influential role models. Cortes believes
that parents can use "It's Just a Plant" to jumpstart discussion
about drugs and deter illegal usage by offering factual information.

In contrast, the government's prosecution of marijuana users has been
a flop, Cortes and SSDP members said. Rather then reducing the number
of addicted children, they argued, the war on drugs breaks up
families and prevents legitimate medical uses of marijuana.

Kumagai said the SSDP does not condone or condemn drug use. The club
was started to promote sensible drug policies that are neither racist
nor overly harsh. "I think people shouldn't get arrested for doing
drugs," Kumagai said. "The punishment for the crime shouldn't punish
people more than the addiction would. Drug abuse is bad, but drug use
isn't necessarily a bad thing."

After writing the book, Cortes said he could not find a publisher,
and decided to publish it on his own. Of the three thousand copies he
printed, only one hundred have not been sold. He said he reordered
more for next year, with changes to the illustrations and some of the text.