Disappointment was surely felt at watch parties in Little Rock Tuesday as supporters watched Issue 5 narrowly fail. For at least the last 15 years, advocates have been trying to get the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act on the ballot. Arkansas ballot Issue 5 called for "the medical use of marijuana legal under Arkansas state law" and "established a system for the cultivation, acquisition and distribution of marijuana for qualifying patients through nonprofit medical marijuana dispensaries," according to the ballot proposal's text. [continues 582 words]
Issue Five, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act failed by a razor thin margin, only able to garner 49 percent support at the end of the night. Early results were better than expected; the issue was leading in early vote tallies, sometimes gaining 52 percent of the vote. Janine Parry, a UA professor and Arkansas Poll Director predicted before the election that if the measure got more than 40 percent support, it stood a good chance of passing again. Arkansans for Compassionate Care raised and spent significantly more than their opponents on TV advertising in the campaign for medical marijuana. The group reported that they raised $419,000 in October alone, most of which was donated by the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington and spent on ads running in favor of the issue. [continues 338 words]
Mary Grace walked through a dark living room to the bedroom in the back. There's an air conditioner in the front living room window blowing smoky, musty air throughout. With every wall being made of cinder block painted grayish-white, it doesn't take much imagination to see this place for what it was 30 years ago, a chicken house. Junk clutters every surface. Mary Grace has had her name changed for privacy. "Hey Mary," Mark the dealer greeted, pausing his attention from an episode of "Futurama," while lying on his bed, that also serves as a joint rolling station. Grace, 28, strode silently to the bathroom, shut the door and vomited. There was silence while she put herself back together. The water ran for a moment and then she came out. "What's up?" she asked. [continues 1164 words]
Medical marijuana has been an incredibly controversial topic for years. Many government officials believe that because marijuana is perceived as addictive, it should stay illegal in the U.S. On Nov. 6, Arkansans will be able to vote on Issue Five, otherwise known as the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Question, to ultimately decide if Arkansas should legalize marijuana for medical use. Whether or not you personally would benefit from medical marijuana, it is an important decision to make nonetheless. If Arkansas legalizes marijuana, the national government would be one step closer to saving up to $13.7 billion per year by not having to enforce the current prohibition on the drug and adding a tax at the rates similar to alcohol and tobacco, according to the Huffington Post. [continues 471 words]
The group Sensible Fayetteville has gathered enough signatures to put a measure on the Nov. 4 ballot that will make a misdemeanor possession of marijuana the lowest priority for law enforcement. Many have mixed feelings about the effect this ordinance could have on the city: Jacob Holloway, field organizer for Sensible Fayetteville, said an initiative like this sends "a message that we will no longer accept inaction," while City Attorney Kit Williams said the ordinance essentially would have "no effect" on Fayetteville residents. [continues 147 words]
The registered student organization Students for Ron Paul hosted the "Rock for Ron Paul" concert from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Chi Omega Greek Theater. A variety of musicians performed to promote political awareness. In addition to music, testimonials were given by individuals both in support and opposition to the Ron Paul movement. Portions of his speeches were also viewed via YouTube. The concert was sponsored in part by Qdoba's Mexican Grill, which provided free chips and salsa to those in attendance. [continues 467 words]
Four students were referred to the UA Judicial Board after they were discovered to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana Oct. 27, according to a UA Police Department crime log report. The students were not arrested, said Gary Crain, public information officer for the UAPD. There are three courses of action an officer can take upon discovering an offense in the case of students, Crain said. These courses of action are left to the discretion of the officer. Every time a student is arrested, they are also referred to the judicial board. In some cases, the officer will not arrest the student but refer them to the judicial board or the officer will issue a warning, Crain said. [continues 339 words]
The president of the UA chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws spoke to the student senate on behalf of a resolution designed to better define the UA policy for punishing students who have abused alcohol or marijuana. Jordan Dickerson, president of NORML, came prepared to the Associated Student Government Senate session Tuesday. Armed with a binder of articles, charts and graphs, he succinctly answered questions with facts and statistics in a straightforward manner. "We believe that marijuana is safer than alcohol, and it should be treated as such," he said. "Marijuana has not been responsible for one death in recorded history." The same cannot be said for alcohol, according to the resolution. The Centers for Disease Control reported 20,067 alcohol-induced deaths in 2003. [continues 956 words]
A UA NORML resolution, sponsored by two ASG senators, supporting a more lenient enforcement of marijuana laws on campus has been put on hold because of a negative response from UA Administration. "What this [bill] would in fact do is raise the level of alcohol punishment to that of marijuana," said Megan Bright, an ASG senator sponsoring the resolution. "If it passes in ASG, it will not do what they want it to do." Bright met with Dayna Wolek, ASG advisor, and NORML representatives Charles Mcclure and Chris Carter yesterday afternoon to discuss the UA Adminstration's response to the possibility of the resolution passing in ASG. [continues 336 words]
Stoners and squares alike packed the Alltel Ballroom Thursday night as the heads battled the feds in a debate over the decriminalization and legalization of marijuana, with as many as 600 people in attendance, according to Matt Heath, the University Programs Cultures and Concepts Committee chairman. Bob Stutman, who had been one of America's top drug busters, represented the side of the Feds, arguing against the decriminalization and legalization of marijuana. Steve Hager, former Editor of High Times magazine, represented the heads and called for an immediate end to the United States' war on pot. [continues 744 words]
In 1998, Rep. Mark Souder, R-Indiana, authored an amendment to the Higher Education Act delaying or denying financial aid eligibility to any individual convicted of a state or federal drug offense. As it stands, the amendment enforces a policy in which drug possession convictions result in ineligibility for one year for a first offense, two years for second offense and indefinitely for a third; drug sale convictions warrant ineligibility for two years on a first offense and indefinitely for a second offense. Ineligibility applies to all forms of federal financial aid, including grants, student loans and work-study. [continues 452 words]
Associated Student Government passed a resolution Tuesday that will allow the organization, along with several other institutions, to lobby Congress with to repeal an amendment made to the Higher Education Act of 1965, which currently denies students with past drug offenses financial assistance. Resolution 41 states that Congress passed an amendment in 1998 authored by Rep. Mark Souder that denies federal financial aid to any student with a drug conviction. "Judges already have the discretion, on a case-by-case basis, to remove the student's eligibility for federal funding," said Sen. Jason Polk, author and sponsor of Resolution 41. "The provisions of the [legislation] are unfair, discriminatory, and counterproductive." [continues 406 words]
Once again, this page feels obligated to revisit the sacred boundaries that separate church and state. As we have argued before, religious beliefs have no place in the structuring or maintenance of state and federal laws. Legal foundations must have absolutely no affiliation with any religious backing, regardless of whether those beliefs represent a majority. Likewise, laws should not interfere with religious practices, despite arguments that some aspects might be considered dangerous or against government interests. Federal law requires a governmental group to present a "compelling interest" before attempting any religious constraints on another group, but officials may manipulate a situation, giving them the upper hand when forced to present that interest. [continues 501 words]
The question of medical marijuana is an easy answer for most people, and it is either yes or no. Both sides have strong feelings for their beliefs. According to Denele Campbell, executive director of Alliance for a Reform of Drug Policy in Arkansas (ARDPARK), the most recent polls show that 66 percent of Arkansans are in favor of the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Polls were conducted by the University of Arkansas Political Science Department, and later an independent research firm from New York. [continues 652 words]
Is it me, or is the war on drugs just silly? There are only advantages to legalizing drugs (and not just marijuana, but things like speed, MDMA, cocaine, heroin etc.). And there are only disadvantages to keeping illicit narcotics illicit. I call this "The Prohibition Effect" which comes from the amendment to ban the sale of alcohol. When alcohol was illegal crime ran rampant and criminals became extremely wealthy. And wealth, in turn, influences government. So we would have criminals moving our legislation in directions that would most benefit them. [continues 538 words]
