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by EDWARD SZTUKOWSKI
News Reporter
The student American Civil Liberties Union partnered with the Campus Anti-War Network to hold a discussion about the War on Drugs Monday.
The event was initially intended as a debate, but the plan went up in smoke because the police could not make it to the event.
Three members of the community led the panel discussion. Mathew Robinson and Renee G. Scherlen, both associate professors in the government and justice studies department, led the discussion for decriminalization.
On the other side
of the room Charlie Byrd, assistant district attorney for Watauga
County offered input and answered questions from the audience regarding
legal aspects.
The discussion began with facts about the War on Drugs, including history and monetary figures.
According
to figures from the Office of National Drug Control, ONDCP, policy,
Robinson said there are five goals set, and the ONDCP has failed in all
five areas.
“We fail
across the board, liberals and conservatives agree,” Robinson said. “We
are focused on relatively harmless drugs…the ONDCP says marijuana kills
people, which is both true and false.”
Robinson
said between 1979 and 2005, there were 1.5 deaths per year attributed
to marijuana in the District of Columbia, Robinson compared the amount
of deaths attributed to tobacco with the deaths attributed to marijuana.
“In
American, 70.9 million people smoke tobacco, and the Centers for
Disease Control [and Prevention] cite the deaths at 438,000 per year.
14.4 million people smoke marijuana, resulting in 1.5 deaths per year,”
Robinson said. “The math shows us tobacco is 59,328 times more deadly
than marijuana.”
The topic shifted to the difference between decriminalization and legalization, which the panel was split on.
Robinson favors decriminalization because it would mean adults could use marijuana in their homes, but not in public.
He feels legalization would allow large stores to market the drug to children.
“Tobacco
and alcohol ruthlessly target children. Logic tells me if we legalize
marijuana, companies will market it to children,” Robinson said. “I
don’t want a Joe Camel type character selling marijuana.”
Scherlen said the idea of drug use needs to be looked at for legalization to be viable.
“…I think in the United States we view drug use as abnormal when it’s not,” Scherlen said.
Byrd commented on legalization, bringing up the important question of driving under the influence.
“I’ve
seen too many lives ruined after just consuming alcohol and getting
behind the wheel of a car,” Byrd said. “To say that you’re going to
allow people [to] light up at the bar and also drink? You can’t do
that.”
Byrd brought up points of how marijuana is not a high priority for most judges.
He said Watauga County has in the past focused on methamphetamine, and has now shifted its focus to cocaine.
At the
end of the discussion, both professors recommended students who want to
advocate decriminalization talk with their state representatives and
members of congress, who are responsive to letters.
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