New campus organization forms to change marijuana laws through grassroots activism |
| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Apr 08 2009 at 3:10 PM |
Photo by Josh Moody
Sophomore Freddie Arnold and junior Matthew Cass are among several students working toward the establishment of NORML as a student organization. Currently NORML has student organizations at 45 campuses across the U.S.
By Josh Moody
Antelope Staff
Since the inception of NORML (National Organization for the Reformation of Marijuana Laws) in 1970, the group has had one general focus - lobbying for the decriminalization and legalization of marijuana.
Though based out of Washington D.C., NORML works on a local level, encouraging grassroots activism. Presently there are 113 chapters of NORML in the U.S. and Nebraska will soon join that list.
Matthew Cass, Freddie Arnold and Kathleen Doyle plan to form a chapter of NORML as a student organization becoming official at the beginning of the fall semester.
Having spoken with members of administration, the students have a volunteer for faculty advisor and have received the green light to start the organization. The "unofficial-for-now" group plans to hold a few informal meetings before the end of the current semester to plan the direction of the organization.
Cass, a junior from Tekamah majoring in political science and economics, takes the role seriously. 'This is by no means going to be an organization for people to get together and do drugs. This is an organization for people to get together, inform each other and host events where we can educate the campus and the community at large - and even the state - as to the reality of marijuana," Cass said. "We're going to try to inform people about the facts of marijuana, not the stereotypes and let them form their own opinions."
Opponents of the argument for the legalization of marijuana often argue that it will lead to more widespread use. Arnold, a sophomore education major from Fairbury, believes this argument is invalid. "I don't think it's going to change at all. People who would use it, do use it," Arnold said.
Interestingly, this claim corresponds with evidence from The Netherlands (the most marijuana-friendly country) showing that Dutch youth on average consume marijuana with far less frequency than their counterparts in other industrialized nations.
Though marijuana has been largely decriminalized throughout the U.S., the social impact from the enforcement of the laws remains. Advocates for policy change argue the impact is more harmful than the substance itself.
"One thing that impacts college students is that if you have a possession charge you're no longer eligible for financial aid; which, to a lot of college students, means losing their education," Cass said. "Our prisons are overcrowded with marijuana offenders who aren't bad people, who aren't violent criminals, but their records are being tainted and they're being incarcerated. This is ruining their future and their eligibility to rejoin society after they leave the prison system."
Cass said the group plans to hold a kickoff event in the fall when they will recruit new members. Those interested in grassroots activism are encouraged to join.
"We would like for all the people who are going to be members of the NORML chapter to start petitions and send letters to local and state officials to show them that it's time for a change in Nebraska," Cass said. "I don't believe that the state and local officials have heard anyone complain about this. I think if we start telling them our concerns about the laws they will take us seriously."
