cannabisnews.com: Experts Debate High Times and Crimes





Experts Debate High Times and Crimes
Posted by CN Staff on September 29, 2002 at 12:27:06 PT
By Robbs Ferris, Staff Writer
Source: Daily Trojan 
Straightedge and stoner were pitted against each other at the aptly dubbed "The Great Debate" in Taper Hall on Wednesday, where Drug Enforcement Administration veteran Robert Stuntman and counterculture journalist Steve Hager vehemently debated the merits and flaws of cannabis legislation.Though both men raised their voices continuously throughout the debate, sometimes growing red in the face, both swore they were close friends. "He may be counterculture, and I may be a narc, but we respect each other, and that is what is important," Stuntman said.
More than 350 students turned out for the debate, exceeding projected attendance by more than 100. Many students were forced to stand in the back of the lecture hall, said Marc Matoba, speakers director for Program Board, which sponsored the event. There are countless reasons for legalizing the use and cultivation of marijuana in the United States, including medical benefits, respecting marijuana's role in spirituality and subversion of the drug-smuggling industry, Hager said. Marijuana can help with physical and mental recovery of patients suffering from any one of several debilitating conditions, he said. "I'm not saying that marijuana is going to cure AIDS, cancer, glaucoma or epilepsy, but I am saying that it can help with the treatment of these diseases," Hager said. Evidence from the American Journal of Cancer, however, stated "marijuana use doubles the speed of death among AIDS patients because it damages the immune system," Stuntman said.Furthermore, people who smoke marijuana are five times as likely to suffer from mouth, throat and lung cancer than those who smoke cigarettes.Such evidence had less to do with the law and more to do with personal decisions about health, said Michael Wise, a freshman majoring in psychology. Both sides presented statistics and figures from different sources, which left some students disillusioned with the reliability of the evidence. "Both quoted their own statistics, each hoping to use one to disprove those given by the other, and it seems like it could go back and forth forever," said Brandon Guerrero, a senior majoring in business administration and entrepreneurship.People must be discerning when examining information on narcotics, said Mitch Earleywine, debate moderator and associate professor of psychology."We really have to pay attention to the marijuana literature," he said. "We can't rely on other people's opinions or interpretations of data. We have to look at the data ourselves."Hager accused marijuana of causing dependency and contributing to highway accidents by impairing depth perception. Hager lightheartedly extended Stuntman an invitation to Amsterdam to help change his mind on the issue. "Bob's a great guy, but we can see he's not in touch with things, that he doesn't really know what's going on, because he's never tried marijuana," Hager said. "All this depth perception stuff will just go away once we get him high."Though he did not believe in arresting and jailing people for using or possessing marijuana for personal use, legalization was far too drastic a step to take, Stuntman said.Worse, legalization of marijuana would lead to dramatic increases in use among Americans — especially among adolescents, as it has in Holland, he said. That was something Stuntman did not want to see, considering marijuana's detrimental effects, he said.Stuntman said he otherwise was not interested in following the actions taken in other countries toward decriminalization, as in Great Britain, Canada and Holland. "That whole thing about Holland was stupid," said Malusi Magele, a senior majoring in international relations and business economics. "He's only looking at the issue from a closed, American point of view. You have to incorporate many different perspectives."Stuntman said he would favor legalization when most Americans did, when scientists did and when the courts did."I think the policy we have today is stupid, but doubling or tripling the number of users is much more stupid," Stuntman said. The responsible use of marijuana is enjoyed by millions of Americans and does less harm than those that surround alcohol and tobacco use, Hager said. "I believe marijuana use would go up if legalized, but I believe tobacco and alcohol use would go down," Hager said. "What are the effects of marijuana? Less chuckle-heads walking around, less fist fights."The American prison system is so overcrowded and overdeveloped that legislators should start considering marijuana use as a victimless crime, Hager said.Such claims are exaggerations, as only one in 10 people arrested for drug-related crimes are convicted, and the average sentence is usually six to nine months, Stuntman said. Some said the debate was impressive to watch, and the personalities were magnetic but were not taken by the seriousness of the debate. "I think they were more preaching to the crowd than debating each other," said Tamar Shaham, a freshman majoring in psychology. "It was more of an interesting spectacle."Others were inspired by the civility of the players to each other."It was intelligent," said Jon Watson, a senior majoring in business administration. "It wasn't just bunch of stoners against a bunch of hard-liners. They actually had good information."Note: Controversy: Counterculture journalist and DEA veteran argue over use of marijuana.Source: Daily Trojan (CA Edu)Author: Robbs Ferris, Staff WriterPublished: Vol. 147, No. 22 - Sept. 26, 2002Copyright: 2002 Daily TrojanContact: dtrojan usc.eduWebsite: http://www.dailytrojan.com/ Related Articles & Web Site:High Times Magazinehttp://www.hightimes.com/Smoking Up The Debate on Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14237.shtmlSmoking Up The Debate on Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14234.shtml
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on September 29, 2002 at 19:30:53 PT
BGreen
Very interesting. Hopefully someone will write and ask why the errors. I firmly believe that writers have an obligation to do research and write what is correct. The only way a writer becomes reputable is if they know exactly what they are writing and reporting on and know it is the truth. We need truth.
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Comment #2 posted by BGreen on September 29, 2002 at 19:19:45 PT
I don't think this is right, either
"Hager accused marijuana of causing dependency and contributing to highway accidents by impairing depth perception."I don't think Steve Hager said that.Dang, what's going on with the college kids and their editing?
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Comment #1 posted by BGreen on September 29, 2002 at 19:15:17 PT
His name is Stutman, not Stuntman
The writer got it wrong.
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