Leaders of Loyola’s potential chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws say they’ve received significant student support and are poised to become the largest student group on campus, but the organization remained unchartered after Tuesday evening’s congress meeting. The deadline for any campus organization to be chartered this semester is April 1.
NORML opposes marijuana prohibition and lobbies Congress and state legislatures to reform marijuana policies. Loyola’s NORML chapter will join over 110 chapters nationwide, and some 200 to 215 students have already expressed an interest in joining.
Arts and sciences representatives Melissa DeBarbieris, philosophy pre-law junior, and Sarah Roy, politicial science senior, believe that many students, who have diverse viewpoints and who are not “potheads,” support the organization.
“NORML is a special interest group, just like the College Republicans, Student Democrats or Women’s Issues,” Roy said. “Almost all of the special interest groups advocate a position contrary to the Catholic Church, and they’re allowed to remain on campus. Denying NORML’s charter because smoking pot is against the church would have been an illegitimate reason.”
Political science Associate Professor and Chairperson Phillip Dynia will be Loyola’s NORML chapter advisor. Though Dynia stated that he does not support or oppose marijuana legalization, he welcomes any organization that discusses public issues.
The National Institute for Drug Abuse states that marijuana use can have harmful effects on memory and learning, in addition to loss of coordination and increased heart rate.
“Marijuana’s primary ingredient, THC, impairs the immune system’s ability to fight off infectious diseases and cancer,” according to the National Institute for Drug Abuse.
The Drug Enforcement Administration states that marijuana affects driving skills such as alertness, concentration and reaction time. The effects of marijuana can last up to 24 hours after use.
NORML, however, emphasizes that ” marijuana smoking is not for kids and should only be used responsibly by adults … driving or operating heavy equipment should be prohibited.”
NORML further supports marijuana’s medicinal use as a pain alleviant. Eight states have passed medical marijuana initiatives, and according to Roy, drug legalization remains an important issue to libertarians and economists.
Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the NORML Foundation, said that the university’s chartering is reminiscent to students’ past challenges toward U.S. status quos.
“I think Loyola’s cannabis policy is akin to its prior students who wanted to organize in opposition to the oppression of women, minorities, gays and the Vietnam War,” St. Pierre said. “Marijuana abuse is bad, but marijuana prohibition is decidedly worse.”
Lan Bui can be reached at [email protected].
