MARIJUANA ISSUE SUBJECT OF DEBATE AT CONFERENCE

For decades, college campuses have served as an open forum for the issue of
marijuana use and its potential legalization. Recently, the topic has gained
more attention on a national level.

Bob Stutman - former head of the New York office of the Drug Enforcement
Agency - and Steve Hager - editor in chief of High Times magazine - brought
the debate to Busch campus Tuesday and challenged students to weigh the
issues of the controversial drug.

Hager began by attacking the American government and big businesses, saying
political and economic motives led to the enactment of strict anti-marijuana
laws.

Hager said although the magazine Popular Science listed over 20,000 products
that can be made out of hemp, the government has made the substance illegal.
One of the most publicized uses of marijuana, specifically the chemical
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is its medicinal benefits.

Although Hager and Stutman share opposite views on the controversial
subject, they stated in the beginning of the debate they were "close
personal friends" who would not personally attack each other. This debate,
titled "Heads vs. Feds," was put together by the Rutgers College Program
Council.

Stutman jokingly declined Hager's offer to go on an all-expense paid trip to
this year's upcoming Cannabis Cup convention in Amsterdam to smoke pot with
Hager because he "didn't want to spend Thanksgiving in Amsterdam with a
bunch of 53-year-old hippies who can't get it on without smoking a joint."

Pharmaceutical companies, Hager said, spread a misconception of the drug
because it is a natural and cheap alternative for many medications on the
market. "[Pharmaceutical companies] have synthetic chemicals that they'd
like you to use instead of marijuana," he said.

Hager questioned the opposition to marijuana when other potentially
dangerous substances, such as Prozac and Ritalin, are some of the most
widely prescribed medications in America.

Hager also said anti-drug organizations, such as the Partnership for a
Drug-Free America, receive much of their funding from pharmaceutical
companies, primarily Johnson & Johnson.

Stutman argued if pharmaceutical companies were trying to prevent people
from producing their own natural remedies, then people would also produce
other natural medications, like penicillin and digitalis. Stutman said
although penicillin is completely natural, it continues to be the single
largest moneymaker for pharmaceutical companies.

Stutman said although the medicinal benefits of marijuana are still
contested, it is not the real issue to most legalizing supporters. "Most
people who want to legalize marijuana want to legalize it because it's their
recreational drug of choice," he said.

Legalizing the drug, Stutman added, will only increase the number of users
and cause many more social problems. Specifically, Stutman pointed out the
dangers of inhaling carcinogens in marijuana smoke.

Hager discounted these arguments, claiming there are safer methods for
marijuana use - such as consuming the drug through a vaporizer or tea. In
addition, Hager said dependence alone is an invalid argument because
cultural acceptable activities, like drinking coffee and engaging in sexual
activity, can also cause dependence.

The crowd at the Multipurpose Room consisted of mostly Hager advocates,
although Rutgers College junior Greg Hail stepped to the microphone during
the question period after the debate and agreed with Stutman.

"I expected a lot of people to side with Steve. I wanted to come to make the
debate balanced," Hail said. "Just because Robert's side seems unpopular to
this audience, it doesn't mean that his side shouldn't be addressed."

Although the two speakers disagreed on most issues, they both warned against
letting substances such as marijuana conflict with more important
responsibilities.

"It's not appropriate to be intoxicated when you're parenting your children,
sitting in class or studying for an exam," he said. "Make getting an
education the number one priority while you're here."