STUDENTS, DOCTORS, PATIENTS GATHER IN SUPPORT OF MEDICINAL MARIJUANA

Students, patients and doctors gathered at a Brown symposium last weekend
to support the legalization of medical marijuana.

Drawing activists from all over southern New England, the Medical Marijuana
Symposium facilitated discussion and education about the regulation and
therapeutic value of the illegal drug.

Sponsored by the Brown Students for Sensible Drug Policy, the three-day
event, held in Carmichael Auditorium, included lectures, documentaries,
discussions and a press conference.

While maintaining a focus on education, the purpose of the event was to
rally for change in current medical marijuana policy, especially in states
such as Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut, which have pending
legislation, said Ben Kintisch '02.5, the event's spokesperson.

Legislative reform is a slow and tedious process, he said. Despite one
recent change in the regulation of medical marijuana in Maryland, Kintisch
said reform tends to die in committee in Rhode Island and other New England
states. "We're all in it for the long haul," he said.

Citing Canadian legislation on medical marijuana and medical research in
Great Britain on a marijuana chemical concentrate, Nathaniel Lepp '06, one
of the event organizers, called this a "pivotal year" for advocating the
legalization of medical marijuana.

The press conference included a brief speech by Ann McCormick, who said her
son, who used marijuana during treatment for cancer, is currently serving a
five-year federal sentence. "The marijuana allowed his body to fight the
disease on an even playing field," McCormick said.

"[The patients and their loved ones] have kept our mouths shut long
enough," she said.

Due to the lack of consensus among states, it is nearly impossible to
pressure the federal government for legislative change, said Bruce Mirken,
a longtime health journalist. As a result, reform must begin on a state by
state basis, he said.

T.J. Scaramellino, of Harvard's SSDP chapter, spoke out in particular
against federal legislation that revokes financial aid for students with
prior drug convictions. This legislation "caters to the fears of the middle
class," he said, and has caused "the institutions of democracy to falter."

All the individuals who spoke emphasized the importance of awareness,
education and advocacy in the fight for more effective and rational drug
policies.