Spring Break
Students: Marijuana should be legal
By: Natalie Younts
Issue date: 11/20/03 Section: News
Seventy students gathered in Rudder 701 Tuesday night to watch a former High Times magazine editor and a former narcotics agent debate about legalizing marijuana during a live satellite broadcast.
Marijuana should be legalized because it is "part of my culture" and "locking people up for substance use or abuse is not a good thing in my opinion," said Steve Hager, who edited High Times magazine about marijuana usage, for 15 years.
Robert Stutman, a former U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency agent, said marijuana should not be legalized because it "contributes significantly to accidents" by harming depth perception.
Dr. Billy Martin, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Virginia Commonwealth University, attempted to set things straight with a non-biased scientific perspective. He pointed to a 1999 report from the Institute of Medicine called "Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base."
"For most people the primary adverse effect of acute marijuana use is diminished psychomotor performance," the report says. "It is, therefore, inadvisable to operate any vehicle or potentially dangerous equipment while under the influence of marijuana, THC, or any cannabinoid drug with comparable effects."
While Hager argued that marijuana is useful in the treatment of cancer, Stutman said it may actually lead to cancer.
The report states that marijuana smoke, like tobacco smoke, is associated with increased risk of cancer, lung damage and poor pregnancy outcomes, Martin said.
"If you're intelligent, the way to consume it today is to vaporize it, drink it as a tea, or put it in brownies," Hager said.
Stutman said marijuana causes dependency and "interferes with one's ability to think at times."
"Although few marijuana users develop dependence, some do," the report states. "A distinctive marijuana withdrawal syndrome has been identified, but it is mild and short-lived."
Elhindi Al-Barazi, a junior accounting major, said he enjoyed the seminar and would like to see a pro-legalization student organization at A&M.
Marijuana should be legalized because it is "part of my culture" and "locking people up for substance use or abuse is not a good thing in my opinion," said Steve Hager, who edited High Times magazine about marijuana usage, for 15 years.
Robert Stutman, a former U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency agent, said marijuana should not be legalized because it "contributes significantly to accidents" by harming depth perception.
Dr. Billy Martin, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Virginia Commonwealth University, attempted to set things straight with a non-biased scientific perspective. He pointed to a 1999 report from the Institute of Medicine called "Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base."
"For most people the primary adverse effect of acute marijuana use is diminished psychomotor performance," the report says. "It is, therefore, inadvisable to operate any vehicle or potentially dangerous equipment while under the influence of marijuana, THC, or any cannabinoid drug with comparable effects."
While Hager argued that marijuana is useful in the treatment of cancer, Stutman said it may actually lead to cancer.
The report states that marijuana smoke, like tobacco smoke, is associated with increased risk of cancer, lung damage and poor pregnancy outcomes, Martin said.
"If you're intelligent, the way to consume it today is to vaporize it, drink it as a tea, or put it in brownies," Hager said.
Stutman said marijuana causes dependency and "interferes with one's ability to think at times."
"Although few marijuana users develop dependence, some do," the report states. "A distinctive marijuana withdrawal syndrome has been identified, but it is mild and short-lived."
Elhindi Al-Barazi, a junior accounting major, said he enjoyed the seminar and would like to see a pro-legalization student organization at A&M.
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