OUTSPOKEN STUDENT FUELS HEMP DEBATE

If you spend enough time on campus, you have probably seen the "MOHEMP"
car. The owner of this conspicuous car is none other than Elyse Max, an
outspoken sociology major and member of Students for a Sensible Drug
Policy. Max joined Julie Meyers for an interview about censorship, freedom
of speech and student activism, called "Culture Under Fire," last Wednesday
on 90.1 FM KKFI.

"The most interesting topic covered in the interview was the government's
policy on marijuana and then the hemp car," said Max. "The Higher Education
Act, passed by the government, takes away financial aid from students who
have been caught for drug possession. But rapists, murderers and other
criminals aren't punished in this way."

Max said the fact that marijuana was made illegal has very little to do
with any concern for the public.

"Marijuana first became illegal when Mexican workers were coming into the
United States and the government needed some excuse to crack down on them.
Also, the paper and plastic industries did not want any competition from
products made from hemp, and they pressurized the government to make it
illegal to grow it."

Hemp is the male plant; it is the female plant of the species that is the
source of marijuana. "People were not aware that if growing marijuana was
made illegal, it would also destroy the hemp plants as well," said Max.

Even though many research articles point to the harmful effects of using
marijuana,

Max does not believe that smoking it can have any negative side effects.
She pointed out that alcohol, cigarettes and Fen-Phen pose much more
serious health hazards than marijuana does, yet they are legal. "Nixon
appointed a commission which found that marijuana doesn't affect you
cognitively and does not cause criminal behavior. It's not addictive and
can never kill you," said Max.

Many official sources like the Narconon of Southern California, a drug
rehab center, would disagree. "The smoke actually contains higher
concentrations of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) than
tobacco smoke. Marijuana smokers generally inhale more smoke for longer,
depositing more than four times as much tar on their lungs as cigarette
smokers."

As far as the cognitive effects, the center claims, "Marijuana affects many
skills required for safe driving. Under the influence of marijuana,
students may find it hard to study and learn. Young athletes could find
their performance is off. Drug users also may become involved in risky
sexual behavior. Drug craving and withdrawal symptoms can make it hard for
long-term marijuana smokers to stop using the drug."

Max said that despite the controversy surrounding potential harmfulness of
marijuana, there are more reasons to legalize it than to prohibit it. "I'm
not saying that the drug is good or bad, but the policies surrounding the
drug are bad," said Max.

Max does not approve of the criminalization of marijuana users. Nor does
she approve of laws against hemp, which, according to her, is simply a
harmless plant with many potential benefits. "Our constitution was written
on hemp. It's part of our heritage."

Max said that her car is an example of the benefits. The "hemp car" is an
'84 Mercedes turbo diesel that runs on imported hemp seed oil she obtains
through the mail from Canada.

"Any diesel engine car can be run on hemp," Max said.