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ONLY ON NEWSCHANNEL 8
UMD Group Uses Cinco de Mayo to Support Drug Legalization
posted 05/05/09
5:41 pm
Reform supporters say the violence will end once lawmakers step in. With the recent string of violence in Mexico involving drugs, the group felt it was appropriate to use the holiday as a platform to get their message across to others.
"We have 36 balloons. Each balloon represents 200 people who have died from the Mexican drug war," said student Brandon Levey.
Students who walked near the center of campus couldn't help but notice the signs, the balloons and the message.
"Our drug policies are not working. Drugs should be legalized and regulated really to prevent the violence that is going on in Mexico."
Students for Sensible Drug Policy say legalizing drugs would strip cartels of their profits. "If the government can regulate them they can really make sure that they don't fall into the wrong hands."
The information reached other students, who had mixed feelings about the war on drugs.
"If someone decides to legalize something, I think you can't really predict what's going to happen until it actually happens," said student Zachary Wilson.
Another student said, "You could say eating a cupcake is a gateway drug to diabetes. It's all the same thing to me."
Some students believe changes to current policies would do more good than harm.
"In amsterdam, where marijuana is legalized and regulated, drug use has gone down and not gone up," said Levey.
Others stood by the group in solidarity, by supporting a petition. Most people who walked by said the rally got them thinking.
"It does show that a lot of people than I guess that I thought are trying to make a difference," said Wilson.
Students for Sensible Drug Policy is an international grassroots network. Its ultimate goal is to end the war on drugs. The group hopes policies will shift from treating drug abuse as a criminal justice issue to a public health issue.
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