Discovering the truth about marijuana simply isn't simple.\nMarijuana's use and possession is against the law. Usually. In most places. And smoking it is unhealthy, unethical, unchristian and uncouth. Depending on whom you ask. Sometimes.\nFor much of last week, I caroused the portals of the information age -- imploring the Internet God's direction. It was a definitive answer I sought -- logical reasoning for an issue that simply isn't simple.\nFrom flaming liberals in San Francisco to neo-conservatives in the Oval Office, everyone seems to have an opinion. Each of them remains steadfastly dedicated, unwilling to budge an inch, incessantly terrified of lost footing on a pendulum of power that continues to teeter in courthouses and legislatures nationwide. \nPot's legalization is an international issue, really. Yet, most mainstream American politicians avoid this debate like the Avian Flu. Both God-fearing republicans and left-leaning democrats worry their morality will be brought into question.\nEven presidential hopeful Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, seems to go mum on the issue. Kucinich, who has already been condemned as too liberal for "The West Wing," ignores the issue on his Web site. The super progressive, who realistically has as much chance of winning the presidency as an illegal immigrant becoming governor of Texas, parallels his fellow democratic and republican contenders' silence about pot.
The real deal
As a college town, Bloomington is something of an anomaly on the spectrum of drug-enforcement laws. If caught, first-time offenders face minimal punishment. In fact, newbie lawbreakers caught possessing less than 30 grams of the substance usually aren't handcuffed, aren't booked and will have the option to have the misdemeanor charges dropped after a year. \nFor about 20 years, the Monroe County Prosecutor's Office has relied on this system, said chief deputy prosecutor, Bob Miller. Referred to as the pre-trial diversion program, it aims to educate offenders about the dangers of smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol (pre-trial diversion also includes minors convicted of consuming or possessing alcohol).\nEducation isn't free, of course. Getting caught typically costs about $400, Miller said. In addition, the accused participate in a substance-abuse class and often take part in two days of community service, he said. He acknowledged that there was a difference between alcohol and marijuana charges, though they were "similarly categorized."\nDrug arrests on campus have generally declined over the past few years. According to IUPD clery reports, there were 159 on-campus drug-related arrests in 2006 and 101 disciplinary referrals. In comparison, there were 313 on-campus arrests in 2002 and 94 disciplinary referrals.
Full-time activism\nGoogle the phrase, "the truth about marijuana." About 15,000 sites instantly emerge -- everything from njweedman.com to an array of government-operated Web sites. Some look official, while others appear downright ridiculous. Each competes for the knowledge-seekers attention, vying to demonstrate the "truth" behind their opinions. \nRecently, the federal government has been one of the leading propagandists against marijuana use. This is unlike a few other nations and some states in the U.S. that have curtailed punishments for pot possession in recent years. The executive branch has published reports online about marijuana's harmful health impacts. Still, the legitimacy of these reports might be questioned as much of the cited research comes from the government's own scientists.\nBeyond the health impacts, however, some Bloomington activists see the government's involvement in the issue as an infringement of rights. Max Hartstein leads the Bloomington Grassroots Alliance for Constitutional Empowerment. Hartstein, ironically a resident of Freedom, Ind., described America's marijuana prohibition as a government attempt to trample citizens' rights. \n"This is a travesty," remarked Hartstein, who isn't shy to recite lengthy passages of the Declaration of Independence. Especially those parts which he feels empower him to get high. "This is a slippery slope and we are going further down on it -- faster and faster," he said. \nHe described marijuana's legalization as directly in line with the Constitution. \n"The war on drugs is the American version of fascism and the police state," he said. And according to recent statistics Americans now, more than ever, will agree with him.\nIn 2005, Gallup released a report that found 36 percent of Americans supported the legalization of marijuana. This has tripled since 1969, when just 12 percent of Americans supported the measure, according to the report.\nAlready at the grassroots and local levels of government, activists in some states are winning out. Most notably, Denver's city council approved a citywide referendum, which will put into voters' hands, the fate of pot in their city. If approved this November, possessing small amounts of marijuana will become the "lowest law enforcement priority."\nAlthough neither Indiana nor Bloomington officials currently seem open to these more progressive options, Hartstein hopes to open a dialogue about the issue. It's a matter of living in fear of the police, he described. "The war on drugs is the taxpayers' subsidy," he said.
