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DIRECTORS TACKLE MARIJUANA ISSUE

Debating the Merits of Question 7 at CSNU's 'Smoke the Vote' Event

Giggles, sighs, applause and statistics echoed through the student union theater Tuesday night during a public debate over the legalization of marijuana. 

The CSUN-sponsored event showcased advocates for and against Question 7 on this year's ballot. 

If passed, Question 7 would allow adults over the age of 21 to legally possess and use up to one ounce of marijuana. 

"Our marijuana laws don't work," said Neal Levine, campaign director for the Committee to Control and Regulate Marijuana.  "Anyone who wants it can get it ...  you lose all ability to control it."

Levine went on to say that if passed, the new law will double the penalties for those who sell marijuana to minors, isolate the selling of marijuana to state-regulated shops that are at least 500 feet away from schools and houses of worship and provide increased state revenue in the taxing of the drug. 

"Our hands are already full just dealing with the alcohol-related driving problems," said Sandy Heverly, executive director of Stop DUI in Nevada.  "Don't let Nevada become the experimental Petri dish of the nation."

Heverly said the passage of the law would not only increase the likelihood of fatal driver-impaired car accidents, but raise insurance premiums as well. 

As for potential revenue produced by the taxing of marijuana, Heverly made it clear that she and her organization saw it as more of a problem than a benefit. 

"They call it tax revenue," Heverly said.  "We call it blood money."

The audience, consisting mostly of college students who supported Question 7, could be heard laughing and scoffing at some of the points raised by Heverly. 

Moderator Ray Patterson even had to address the audience, saying that the laughter was disruptive. 

After Heverly brought up a statistic stating 29 out of the 3,000 annual DUI deaths are from those driving solely under the influence of marijuana, the atmosphere became heated. 

"You're laughing at the deaths of 29 people?" Heverly asked after giggles were heard in the audience. 

"It's such a small percentage," a man in the audience shouted back. 

Noticeably shaken, Heverly calmed down and the debate continued. 

During their closing statements, Levine and Heverly finally agreed. 

After both pundits stated that the issue was extremely important, they also encouraged everyone there to go out and vote in the quickly approaching election. 

That however, is where the agreement ended. 

"Unfortunately, we haven't really discussed Question 7 tonight," Levine said, adding that Heverly had resorted to straw-man arguments and unrealistic scenarios of what could happen. 

"We do not believe the legalization of marijuana would be good to any community or nation," Heverly said.  "Marijuana is already strictly regulated in Nevada.  It's called illegal."

Marijuana's legal future will be decided by Nevada voters on Tuesday Nov.  7 when Question 7 is taken from the debate forums and placed on the ballot.