The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 23, 1972, Page Page 7, Image 7
- Legaliz4
NORML is a non-profit organization
dedicated to achieving legislative reform of
the current marijuana laws, on both the
state and federal levels. We do not advocate
the use of marijuana. But we know of no
medical, legal or moral justification for
sending those to jail who do use it. We
believe the present marijuana laws cause
more harm to society than the substance
* they seek to prohibit. As best stated by John
Kaplan, Professor of Law, Stanford Law
School, (author of Marijuana, The New
Prohibition), the costs to society of the
present system of prohibition are far
greater than any benefits which might
result from suppressing the use of
marijuana.
The current laws are severe, often im
posing long prison terms for simple
possession of marijuana. For sale and
distribution, some states permit such
* penalties as life imprisonment and even
death. These laws have resulted from
several decades of emotionalism and
misinformation. Beginning in the 1930's,
marijuana was erronenously dubbed "the
killer weed" and was blamed for all sorts of
violent crimes and deviant behavior. Out of
this emotionally charged atmosphere grew
the ill-conceived Federal Marijuana Tax
Act and a welter of equally harsh state laws.
By attempting to enforce the marijuana
laws, significant segments of our law en
forcement personnel and resources are
diverted from areas where their need is
greatest: violent crimes and the trafficking
in drugs known to be harmful, such as
heroin, cocaine and LSD. For example, in
California there were 69,000 persons
arrested for marijuana offenses in 1970 and
71,000 in 1971. Approximately one quarter of
all that state's felony complaints were for
violations of the marijuana laws. The ad
dition of this number of cases to an already
overburdened criminal court system
complicates greatly the judicial processes
and contributes significantly to the court
backlog. And the growing financial drain on
the state to enforce these laws, estimated
by Kaplan at $72,000,000 for California in
0
UNTIVE RSITV UNT ON
Veco>tate a pumpkin and ente
PumpkiZn Contet to be hetd
Ocobe1't 27 at 8:00 PM.
Enttees wilU be judged on
and o>tignalty.
Pumpkinu wilU be s,
RuaseU Hou.
F
marijua;
1968, means that other, more constru
programs remain short of needed fun
The estimated 24 million Americans
have broken the law by smoking marij
generally consider it the functii
equivalent of drinking alcohol. They r<
the fact that 80,000,000 fellow citizens f
partake of alcohol - their recreational
- but deny them the right to do some
they believe to be less harmful - si
marijuana.
There are very convincing reasons
alcohol is considered by many to presi
far more serious health hazard
marijuana. The President's Commissii
Law Enforceqient of Justice, Task F
Report: Drunkenness, 1967, estimated i
are 6,000,000 alcoholics in the U. S.
also found that 30,000 deaths and
1,000,000 severe injuries occur on the
way each year associated with alcohc
per cent of the people in state m
hospitals are there because of alco
consumption; and one-third of all ar
are for drunkenness. Yet the society
whole apparently feels this is a lev
menace to the public health and we
which can be accepted. Following th
famous "great experiment", alc
prohibition was ended. The drinkers an
non-drinkers alike concluded that thi
paralleled growth of organized ci
violence, wholesale bribery and corru
within the government, and the genera
of respect for the law were worse thai
evils associated with alcohol.
It would be difficult to overstate
parallels between the current prohit
and the prohibition of alcohol undei
Volstead Act. In both instances, I
segments of the population openly viol
the law. And those who break these lav
so with the belief that it is the laws m
are wrong - not their conduct. The ov(
effects of continuing to enforce sucr
popular laws tend to weaken respect fo
law in all areas.
The Tenth Staff Report of the Nat:
Commission on the Causes and Prevei
of Violence, a Presidential study gi
PRESENTS:
AT
a it n the G4ea.t
zt the Co6tuAme BalU on
nea-tne4 , appea>a4nce
Zi n the
se on Octoboxt 23.
ia Part 1
:tive came to this conclusion:
ling. Until and unless evidence is forthcoming
who of harmful or addictive effects of
iana marijuana-and to date the evidence is all
nal to the contrary-no rational basis exists
sent upon which to resist arguments in favor of
eelv modifying the Draconian statutes
drug penalizing possession of marijuana. As long
hing as tobacco and alcohol are lawfully sold
noke "poisons", there is scant justification for
absolutely prohibiting the sale and use of
why marijuana. Moreover, the effect of this
nt a heavy-handed prohibition in eroding
than respect for law among young people in
n on today's world may be widely un
orce derestimated.
here By breeding contempt and disregard for
rhey the present legal system, the current laws
ever are credited by many with increasing our
ugh- growing crime problem in this country. A
1; 20 recent publication of the National Council
ntal on Crime and Delinquency, a sixty-year-old
iolic national service agency incorporated to
ests promote the rehabilitation of juvenile and
as a adult offenders, came to this decision:
,l of The present policy of the federal and state
fare governments toward marijuana should be
3 in- amended. Existing research on its effects
Dhol and acknowledged consequences of
I the prohibition should be utilized to provide a
un- more enlightened, rational and humane
ime, approach to the problem. Insistence on
ition proscription, the criminally severe
loss penalties, and the harassment of marijuana
the users by law enforcement are out of
proportion to the issue's importance.
the The National Commission on the Reform
ition of Federal Criminal Laws, a Congressional
the study group, recently concluded that the
wrge current laws relating to marijuana render
ated laws relating to more dangerous drugs less
s do effective:
hich ...(The recommendation to eliminate any
r-all criminal penalty for simple possession of
un- marijuana) is based on the view that
the available evidence does not demonstrate
significant deleterious effects of marijuana
onal in quantities ordinarily consumed; that any
tion risks appear to be significantly lower than
oup, those attributable to alcoholic beverages;
that the social cost of criminalizing a
substantial segment of otherwise law
abiding citizenry is not justified by the, as
yet, undemonstrated harm of marijuana
use.
DIAMONDS AND WATCHES
EXPERT WATCH AND JEWELRY
REPAIRING
2024 Devin. Street, 5 Points
Columbia, S.C. 29205
Telephone 252-3161
NOW SERVING WEEKDAYS
BREAKASASTm
BURGER
7:30-9:30 KING
COLLEGE & SUMTER -M