cannabisnews.com: UT Group Fights Pot Penalty










  UT Group Fights Pot Penalty

Posted by CN Staff on February 13, 2006 at 07:12:20 PT
By Karen Brooks, The Dallas Morning News 
Source: Dallas Morning News 

Austin, Texas -- Students at the University of Texas at Austin are asking administrators to ease campus penalties on smoking pot and put them on par with alcohol offenses, saying the school has a responsibility to discourage alcohol-related deaths by taking the stand that marijuana is the safer choice. "If our elected officials in Texas want to impose harsh penalties for the use of marijuana, that is their decision, but the university does not have to pile on," said graduate student Judie Niskala, 25, who coordinated a referendum effort on campus and runs Texas NORML, which works to liberalize marijuana laws.
Students will vote on the measure, which is not binding, at the end of the month. It's part of a wider effort to target marijuana rules on campuses and in college towns. It's already drawing opponents, who say that while it may be easy to argue the relative safety of marijuana compared to alcohol, the university shouldn't be sanctioning lawbreaking. "We can argue all day and all night which is more dangerous, but the fact remains that alcohol is not illegal and marijuana is," said Ben Fizzell, director of the Young Conservatives of Texas chapter at UT. "If that [legal status] needs to be changed, that's different. ... [But] that would be UT saying, 'We do not view marijuana as illegal, and we won't treat it as such.' " UT rules allow for a student's suspension for drinking on campus or at a UT event, but students cannot be punished for off-campus drinking. For marijuana, a student can be disciplined or suspended for use anywhere. But the university rarely pursues off-campus pot users. Both alcohol and pot are banned in campus dorms, regardless of a student's age. So the referendum is largely a symbolic statement on what supporters see as the hypocrisy of wider marijuana laws. Snipped:Complete Article: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/texasgroup.htmSource: Dallas Morning News (TX)Author: Karen Brooks, The Dallas Morning News Published: Monday, February 13, 2006 Copyright: 2006 The Dallas Morning NewsWebsite: http://www.dallasnews.com/Contact: letterstoeditor dallasnews.comTexas NORMLhttp://www.texasnorml.com/CannabisNews Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml

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Comment #19 posted by potpal on February 14, 2006 at 15:40:47 PT
stacked deck
Yeah, truth on one side, lies on the other.A lie cannot live forever. 
MLK
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Comment #18 posted by Lehder on February 14, 2006 at 15:12:29 PT
Off Topic: "Deadeye Dick" Cheney on Weed
A year or two ago television addicts were treated to a public service message from the Office of National Drug Control Policy. They saw two young men smoking weed, smoking, smoking, smoking away. Then one of them picked up a pistol and shot his friend in the head. In Texas the other day Dick Cheney shot his friend in the head. Is is possible he was smoking marijuana, or do the media lie to us about the effects marijuana? Some say Cheney was drunk. I say everyone connected with Cheney or with ONDCP is a damn liar. 
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Comment #17 posted by potpal on February 14, 2006 at 13:46:06 PT
Go Kinky
Attn: Texans - Vote Independent!http://www.kinkyfriedman.com/multimedia/_video/kinkytoon_02/
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Comment #16 posted by Hope on February 14, 2006 at 08:40:12 PT
Calvina's appearance
Well...if she didn't have "the deck stacked" against her, she probably said something like. "Save the children...arrest their parents."
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Comment #15 posted by potpal on February 14, 2006 at 05:19:36 PT
Texas Gov
I would think if Kinky Friedman is elected governor the bill will not get vetoed! http://www.kinkyfriedman.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinky_FriedmanGo Kinkster!
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on February 13, 2006 at 16:38:00 PT
Graehstone 
I have a hard time remembering to watch Fox at all. I stay on CNN and sometimes MSNBC but mostly CNN. They seem to be covering issues more honestly on CNN then Fox.
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on February 13, 2006 at 16:36:01 PT
Off Topic: Video On The Gun Incident
McClellan Fields Cheney Media Blitzhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/13/AR2006021301303.html
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Comment #12 posted by Graehstone on February 13, 2006 at 16:31:16 PT

FoM I missed it too
Dag nab it, and I really wanted to watch that, I even had a bucket sitting next to the couch just in case I needed to throw up. ;)
Alas I passed out on the couch and was only just now awakened by one of my birds making a ruckuss.
But I would be interested in what went on as well.
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Comment #11 posted by siege on February 13, 2006 at 14:48:47 PT

YANKS COCK UP THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH
Pick up your gun, use up your Virgin air miles and go shoot those fundamental religious fanatics who've just suppressed a 62-year-old knight of the British realm's right to express himself.I'm talking about Sir Mick Jagger having two songs censored by American TV networks during Sunday's Super-bowl, for fear they would upset the country's dominant Christian right. Did he call Jesus gay or Mary a whore? No. He mentioned a grain-eating farmyard animal. http://tinyurl.com/cyv47
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on February 13, 2006 at 14:37:30 PT

Graehstone
I missed it. I forgot and only turned the channel to Fox when there was only 5 minutes left. If anyone saw it please say how it went.
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Comment #9 posted by Hope on February 13, 2006 at 14:08:00 PT

Mt. Everest
It is like that, isn't it. Storms...cloud cover...avalanches...slipping and missteps...lack of oxygen. Even, Abominable Snowmen (Prohibitionists).Even now...there's hope that Runruff is being dug out of an avalanche. It's got to be done though. It's got to be done.
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on February 13, 2006 at 13:49:34 PT

Taylor121
I know what you are saying. This whole issue seems like we are trying to climb Mr. Everest. We'll get there sooner or later. I sure wish it would be sooner though.
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Comment #7 posted by Taylor121 on February 13, 2006 at 13:39:31 PT

Texas Governor
Although I'm confident that the overall tone towards our marijuana laws are slowly changing in Texas, I know that our governor would veto in a state bill sent to him approving medicinal or decriminalization of an ounce or less. It doesn't mean we should give up though. This effort has nothing to do with the governor, and will send a symbolic message. This movement keeps gaining momentum, it's quite exciting. I just wish New Mexico would have worked out.
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Comment #6 posted by unkat27 on February 13, 2006 at 11:26:29 PT

More Lying Word-Games
>> But the university rarely pursues off-campus pot users.But the police do, and the penalties for pot-use are usually higher than alcohol and include suspension from college and loss of benefits. The ones who suffer the most are always the poor ones that depend upon financial aid. But of course, that's the way the bratty young repugs like it.
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on February 13, 2006 at 09:55:13 PT

Graehstone
Thank you. I will check out Fox at 4. I never watch that channel but will make an exception today.
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Comment #4 posted by Graehstone on February 13, 2006 at 09:48:47 PT

That ... Faye person is ...
... going to be on TV today?
http://www.drugpolicy.org/homepage.cfm
http://www.foxnews.com/fnctv/index.html
4pm eastern
Should be lots of fun to watch. Arrrrgh!!! :(
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on February 13, 2006 at 08:29:07 PT

News Article About MADD
MADD Chapter Takes Root***By Jimmy Nesbitt, Courier & Press staff writerFebruary 13, 2006A meeting is planned for Feb. 25 to discuss the new Southwestern Indiana Mother's Against Drunk Driving chapter. The meeting, set to begin at 10 a.m. at Evansville's Central Library, is open to the public. Organizer Sallee Barnett hopes to generate members from Vanderburgh, Warrick, Posey and Gibson counties. The last meeting was in November. The chapter, technically known as a community action site under new MADD guidelines, will eventually have monthly meetings, Barnett said. Membership is free. Barnett has a personal connection to the cause. Her husband's cousin, Michael Barnett, 34, was killed Feb. 10, 2005, by a drunken driver, who also tested positive for marijuana and methamphetamine. "They always call it an accident," Barnett said. "It's really not an accident. When you go out and drink and drive, you know what you're doing." 
 
 
In 2004, 947 people died in accidents on Indiana roadways, and 299 or 32 percent were caused by drunken drivers, according to MADD. "When I started reading the statistics ... it just really opened my eyes," Barnett said. For more information on the meeting, call Barnett at 454-4536. Copyright: 2006 The Evansville Courier Co.http://www.courierpress.com/ecp/news/article/0,1626,ECP_734_4462328,00.html
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Comment #2 posted by OverwhelmSam on February 13, 2006 at 07:38:50 PT

If The Problem
is that marijuana is illegal, then simply legalize it. Then there won't be a problem. The overly heavy handed federal government can't be everywhere at once.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on February 13, 2006 at 07:37:12 PT

Texas
I hope this happens in Texas. It would be such a good thing.
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