Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
The question of whether to legalize marijuana took center stage Wednesday night in a spirited debate at the Student Union at UCF.
About 400 people attended the "Dreads vs. Feds: The Great Marijuana Debate" at the Cape Florida Ballroom, an event sponsored by UCF's chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
NORML invited Kris Krane, executive director of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, to argue for the decriminalization of marijuana against Kevin Sabet, who holds a Ph.D. in social policy from Oxford University in England and was a speechwriter on drug policy in the Clinton and Bush administrations.
The director of public relations for NORML at UCF, James McIntyre, 20, said it is a very polarizing issue. "We want to give these kids an opportunity to form an opinion of their own."
Some issues that were debated were the use of medical marijuana, the dangers associated with the drug and the prevention of abuse and addiction. But marijuana law enforcement was the hot topic of the night.
The crowd roared when Krane, asked what the most harmful thing about marijuana is, said, "The laws enforcing it. It's a big scarlet letter hanging around you for the rest of your life. That is by far the greatest harm."
Sabet, however, didn't skip a beat. "If we were arresting small-time marijuana users, you wouldn't be sitting here," he rebutted.
NORML president Brendon Rivard, 21, made it clear that NORML does not advocate breaking the current marijuana laws. "The organization advocates adult use in a legal scenario," he said. "People shouldn't sacrifice a productive lifestyle."
News Hawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Orlando Sentinal
Author: Carmen Villafane
Copyright: 2008 Orlando Sentinal
Contact: Site Services -- OrlandoSentinel.com
Website: Debate to legalize marijuana draws large crowd -- OrlandoSentinel.com
About 400 people attended the "Dreads vs. Feds: The Great Marijuana Debate" at the Cape Florida Ballroom, an event sponsored by UCF's chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
NORML invited Kris Krane, executive director of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, to argue for the decriminalization of marijuana against Kevin Sabet, who holds a Ph.D. in social policy from Oxford University in England and was a speechwriter on drug policy in the Clinton and Bush administrations.
The director of public relations for NORML at UCF, James McIntyre, 20, said it is a very polarizing issue. "We want to give these kids an opportunity to form an opinion of their own."
Some issues that were debated were the use of medical marijuana, the dangers associated with the drug and the prevention of abuse and addiction. But marijuana law enforcement was the hot topic of the night.
The crowd roared when Krane, asked what the most harmful thing about marijuana is, said, "The laws enforcing it. It's a big scarlet letter hanging around you for the rest of your life. That is by far the greatest harm."
Sabet, however, didn't skip a beat. "If we were arresting small-time marijuana users, you wouldn't be sitting here," he rebutted.
NORML president Brendon Rivard, 21, made it clear that NORML does not advocate breaking the current marijuana laws. "The organization advocates adult use in a legal scenario," he said. "People shouldn't sacrifice a productive lifestyle."
News Hawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Orlando Sentinal
Author: Carmen Villafane
Copyright: 2008 Orlando Sentinal
Contact: Site Services -- OrlandoSentinel.com
Website: Debate to legalize marijuana draws large crowd -- OrlandoSentinel.com
