By Nathan Yadgar

Recently, as covered in the latest edition of The Chronicle, SGA passed a new club available to students, NORML, the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws. As an SGA senator, I voted for the club to be established; however, I voted for the club only on the grounds that there were no constitutional conflicts with passing a club like this, and I would not vote down a club solely on my personal disagreement with its ideals. I am concerned, not about what this club stands for, but for what it does not stand for.

According to the NORML Web site, “NORML supports the right of adults to use marijuana responsibly, whether for medical or personal purposes.” It is an undeniable fact that many students at Hofstra and at all universities smoke Marijuana, but based on this fact we have two paths we can follow. We can take NORML’s path and come to terms with the fact that students are abusing this harmful drug (and yes it is harmful). Yet, we can also take a path of education and programming to prevent the use of Marijuana. If we know something harmful is occurring, why would we not discourage it?

NORML takes the stance that they in no way encourage marijuana use, but is not the refusal to discourage something wrong a form of encouragement? If we go through life accepting realities due to the fact that the majority does it, we are due for a bad future. The majority is not always right. Look back to the rise of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi regime in Germany, the vast majority supported him, were they correct in their support? I realize that this is an extreme case, but it shows what can happen when we accept a harmful reality based on the majority.

Let’s not waste our energy on the decriminalization of marijuana, let’s focus our energy on the prevention of marijuana use. Many advocates for NORML like to argue that by decriminalizing Marijuana we will be spending less tax dollars on cracking down on it. In addition, they say that we should be focusing on true criminals, and the jail cells should be reserved for them.

I agree whole heartedly that we should not be wasting tax dollars on busting users of marijuana, and that our jail cells should be used for criminals. But why can we do this through criminalization and not Education? The more we educate against the use of marijuana the less people we have to punish for it.

I hope to be able to discuss further my reservations with the leadership of the NORML club on campus, because this is the wrong approach. As an SGA senator I hope that next year we can put out more educational programs and more time and effort into the rehabilitation of marijuana use and the prevention of it. Let us educate and be out there so that Hofstra Students know the ills of Marijuana use.

There are many students who will not appreciate marijuana prevention or rehabilitation, and that is why NORML is so much more appealing, it appeases a wrongdoing, but that is not the answer and the students must be aware. As Aristotle once said, “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” Let’s bring the fruit to the University.