MARIJUANA IS A NUISANCE, NOT RECREATIONAL DRUG

As the parent of an MU student, the prospect of relaxing Columbia's
marijuana laws gives me great concern.

Marijuana is not the innocuous weed its proponents would like us to
think it is. It is known as a gateway drug, often leading to the use
of other, even more dangerous substances.

Campus pot aficionados, like others across the country seeking to
weaken marijuana laws, would like to slide this penalty-reducing
ordinance through on the back of purported medical benefits gained by
those who might use the drug for pain relief. If marijuana truly has
medical benefits, let's subject it to a thorough series of
double-blind clinical trials. And those who wish to legalize marijuana
should seek Food and Drug Administration approval, just like any other
legitimate therapeutic compound. If it has proven benefits, find a
manufacturer to produce and market it and the world will be a better
place.

While we're talking about substance abuse, let's toughen up the
drinking restrictions on Columbia's "dry" campus. On any given
weekend, and probably throughout the week as well, the beer taps are
flowing and the pop-tops are popping. All this occurs while the local
beer distribution moguls gleefully stand by.

A university campus should be a place where serious scholarship and
preparation for life takes place. Instead, it becomes a place where
some of our young people learn to imbibe and, in certain cases, toke
up. Campus officials need to speak clearly regarding these issues and
make our taxpayer-supported campuses safe learning
environments.

name withheld, Kansas City