cannabisnews.com: Bake Sale To Promote Legalizing Marijuana





Bake Sale To Promote Legalizing Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on October 26, 2005 at 07:16:40 PT
By Melissa Santos
Source: UW Daily Online
Washington -- Herb-friendly stickers will pepper the HUB lawn today during the UW's first-ever Legalize Marijuana Bake Sale.The UW chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) organized the bake sale with the campus Libertarians to show support for marijuana decriminalization, said Leoule Goshu, co-president of the ACLU at the UW. Members of the two organizations will sell brownies (no, not "those" brownies) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
In particular, members of the ACLU at the UW feel the federal government should legalize the use of medical marijuana, which can be used to treat the side effects of illnesses like cancer, multiple sclerosis and glaucoma, according to the National Institutes of Health. Washington and 10 other states have already legalized the use of marijuana with a doctor's prescription."It's mostly about the privacy between a doctor and a patient," said Kate Sawatzki, co-president of the ACLU at the UW. "We support that a doctor who went to school and has all the experience to be a practitioner will know better than a politician when medical marijuana is appropriate."The brownies will be pot-free, but sprinkled with dried mint leaves "to get the illusion," said Don Rasmussen, president of the Libertarians of the University of Washington. The Libertarian Party feels the war against marijuana has been more damaging than actual use of the drug, he added."Ninety-five to 100 million Americans have admitted to using marijuana," Rasmussen said. "The effect of marijuana criminalization is to label one-third of all Americans as criminals."Goshu said he feels marijuana should be "regulated and heavily taxed, but not banned."Proceeds from the bake sale will go toward Pakistani earthquake relief, which Goshu feels has received too little attention in the media. The organizations also plan to provide recipes for homemade "special brownies" that can be baked from scratch."As the government says, 'Knowledge is power'," Goshu said. Source: UW Daily Online (WA)Author: Melissa SantosPublished: October 26, 2005 Copyright: 2005 The Daily University of WashingtonContact: opinion thedaily.washington.eduWebsite: http://www.thedaily.washington.edu/ACLUhttp://www.aclu.org/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on October 27, 2005 at 19:12:01 PT
Rainbow
It's really good to see you. I hope all is well.
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Comment #4 posted by Rainbow on October 27, 2005 at 19:02:20 PT
Been there
When I went to the UW I was in a frat - please not heckling. The mayor of the city came to our frat house. He was an alum of our frat. He said that he was more worried about the alcohol that we served in our well supplied bar than any cannibis.Wow I said this guy is cool.I wonder what happenned to Wes and way other politicians are so suck in the mudCheers,
Rainbow
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Comment #3 posted by runderwo on October 27, 2005 at 10:00:42 PT
heh
""It causes brain damage, and leads to other drugs too," said freshman Ai Okamoto. "I think it's being used in moderation while it's illegal, and legalizing it would make it more easily available.""Ignorance truly is our biggest foe, if this is the most "reasonable" objection they could locate for print.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on October 27, 2005 at 07:03:14 PT
Related Article from UW Daily Online
'Biggest Bong on Campus' Attracts Students To Bake Sale 
By Melissa SantosOctober 27, 2005 A smoking, five-foot-tall bong attracted students to the HUB lawn today as part of the campus's first Marijuana Freedom Baked Sale. Members of the American Civil Liberties Union at the UW and the Libertarians of the University of Washington sponsored the event, selling brownies to promote marijuana decriminalization. The groups sold more than 300 brownies between 10 a.m. -- 2 p.m., and said proceeds will go to Pakistani earthquake victims. To attract passersby, members of the two organizations set up an oversized bong in front of their table. Dry ice inside simulated smoke, and a rubber chicken with a fake joint in its beak straddled the bong's carburetor. Don Rasmussen, president of the Libertarians of the UW, called the structure "the biggest bong on campus."Though the ACLU at the UW emphasized the legalization of medical marijuana, talk quickly turned to the drug's more recreational uses. "Marijuana's less dangerous than alcohol, and that's legal," said Josh Johnson, a junior urban studies major. "Are people more likely to get into a car accident after drinking or smoking?"Other students felt marijuana laws waste government funds."Let's put some logic into our government," said sophomore Arj Narayan. "We're spending millions of dollars on the drug war. It's filling up three-fourths of the prisons. If cigarettes and alcohol should be legal, so should pot."UW administrators should also legalize marijuana use on campus, Narayan added, because "people smoke it everywhere."UW staff also showed up to support the groups' cause.Diana Dean, administrative coordinator at Hall Health, said national decriminalization should have happened years ago."When I was in college, people smoked a lot, and it wasn't a huge deal," Dean said. "It's inconceivable that it's still an issue, and people can't get it when they need it as medicine."A few students said they thought people might overuse the drug if it was decriminalized."It causes brain damage, and leads to other drugs too," said freshman Ai Okamoto. "I think it's being used in moderation while it's illegal, and legalizing it would make it more easily available."Jordan Edwards, a member of the UW College Republicans (UWCRs) who tabled near the bake sale, said the event was innovative, but had one complaint."I challenge their claim, that it's the biggest bong on campus," Edwards said. "I'd like to see some clarification on that." 
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Comment #1 posted by runderwo on October 27, 2005 at 00:07:21 PT
"bake sale"
No pun intended.
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