cannabisnews.com: NIC Approves Marijuana Club





NIC Approves Marijuana Club
Posted by FoM on April 26, 2000 at 16:36:04 PT
By Alison Boggs - Staff Writer
Source: Spokane.net
Coeur d'Alene: The Legalization of Marijuana Club received official recognition Tuesday as a student organization at North Idaho College."They've fulfilled all the requirements for recognition," said Bridget Burns, the student body vice president and leader of the Intra-club Council. 
The council is made up of representatives from every club on campus and decides whether to accept new clubs.The club's goal is to draft a statewide initiative aimed at legalizing marijuana. Placing it on the November ballot will require gathering 38,000 signatures by June 4.The Coeur d'Alene City Council disapproves of the new club. The council sent a letter to NIC's board of trustees that probably will be discussed at the regular meeting tonight.The letter says the city has worked hard to educate young people about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and that the club adversely affects those efforts."I just think it's bad for you," Councilman Ron Edinger said. "I think it's addictive. It leads to other problems."NIC board President Barbara Chamberlain said she doubts the board would take any action to interfere with the club."I don't think we'd be on constitutional grounds if we started picking and choosing clubs based on their content," she said.The club was unanimously approved Tuesday, making it eligible for student fee money. However, one member of the Intra-club Council expressed concern that the Associated Students of North Idaho College would be forced to take a stance on the controversial issue."It puts ICC and ASNIC in a spot to defend what they're doing," said Eric O'Brien, who represents the Ski Club. "The one problem I see is using ICC funds to fund a political agenda."But Burns disagreed, saying clubs that promote political agendas already exist, such as the Republican Club and the Human Equality Club."We are not saying, `This is something we believe in.' Rather, we are approving their status," Burns said.Donovan Arnold, representing the Human Equality Club, agreed."It is a matter of freedom of speech," Arnold said. "They've met the rules. Since they've met the rules, we should allow them to have freedom of speech," Arnold said. The new club had its third meeting Tuesday. It says it has 50 members and raised $115 last week by having a bake sale.Club members say they have made progress in drafting legislation. Their goal is threefold. They want to legalize industrial hemp as a crop for Idaho farmers. They want to create a system of state-regulated marijuana stores, similar to the state's liquor dispensaries. And they want to legalize marijuana for personal use, under a state-licensing program.Drug dealers will no longer have control over marijuana if it is regulated by the state, club President Dan Sheckler said. Marijuana is seen by many in law enforcement as a drug that leads to other, more dangerous drugs, such as methamphetamine and cocaine.Sheckler said legalizing and regulating marijuana will remove it from that illegal drug culture."By legalizing it, you break that link," Sheckler said. "You're breaking the gateway connection between marijuana and hard drugs. Our current way of dealing with the (drug) problem is not working. It's time we try something new."Since the club was formed, it has received national attention. An article has appeared in USA Today, and Sheckler said he has been contacted by CBS news.Alison Boggs can be reached at (208) 765-7136 or by e-mail at alisonb spokesman.comPublished: April 26, 2000Copyright: Spokane.netRelated Article:NIC Club Formed to Fight for Legalization of Pothttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread5451.shtmlCannabisNews Articles On Legalization:http://google.com/search?lc=&num=10&q=cannabisnews+legalization+site:cannabisnews.com
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Comment #2 posted by MARY JANE on May 04, 2001 at 10:40:01 PT
WEED
DO YOU WANNA GET HIGH, DO YOU WANNA GET HIGH WITH ME?!
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Comment #1 posted by MARY on May 04, 2001 at 10:37:40 PT
MARIJUANA
SMOKE WEED EVERYDAY
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