NORML CHARTERING STALLED

Leaders of Loyola's potential chapter of the National Organization for the
Reform of Marijuana Laws say they've received significant student support
and are poised to become the largest student group on campus, but the
organization remained unchartered after Tuesday evening's congress meeting.
The deadline for any campus organization to be chartered this semester is
April 1.

NORML opposes marijuana prohibition and lobbies Congress and state
legislatures to reform marijuana policies. Loyola's NORML chapter will join
over 110 chapters nationwide, and some 200 to 215 students have already
expressed an interest in joining.

Arts and sciences representatives Melissa DeBarbieris, philosophy pre-law
junior, and Sarah Roy, politicial science senior, believe that many
students, who have diverse viewpoints and who are not "potheads," support
the organization.

"NORML is a special interest group, just like the College Republicans,
Student Democrats or Women's Issues," Roy said. "Almost all of the special
interest groups advocate a position contrary to the Catholic Church, and
they're allowed to remain on campus. Denying NORML's charter because smoking
pot is against the church would have been an illegitimate reason."

Political science Associate Professor and Chairperson Phillip Dynia will be
Loyola's NORML chapter advisor. Though Dynia stated that he does not support
or oppose marijuana legalization, he welcomes any organization that
discusses public issues.

The National Institute for Drug Abuse states that marijuana use can have
harmful effects on memory and learning, in addition to loss of coordination
and increased heart rate.

"Marijuana's primary ingredient, THC, impairs the immune system's ability to
fight off infectious diseases and cancer," according to the National
Institute for Drug Abuse.

The Drug Enforcement Administration states that marijuana affects driving
skills such as alertness, concentration and reaction time. The effects of
marijuana can last up to 24 hours after use.

NORML, however, emphasizes that " marijuana smoking is not for kids and
should only be used responsibly by adults ... driving or operating heavy
equipment should be prohibited."

NORML further supports marijuana's medicinal use as a pain alleviant. Eight
states have passed medical marijuana initiatives, and according to Roy, drug
legalization remains an important issue to libertarians and economists.

Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the NORML Foundation, said that the
university's chartering is reminiscent to students' past challenges toward
U.S. status quos.

"I think Loyola's cannabis policy is akin to its prior students who wanted
to organize in opposition to the oppression of women, minorities, gays and
the Vietnam War," St. Pierre said. "Marijuana abuse is bad, but marijuana
prohibition is decidedly worse."