Dr. Farnsworth Faces 35 Students In Amiable Debate Over Marijuana

Dr. Dana L. Farnsworth, director of the University Health Services, and about 35 students informally debated the legalization of marijuana last night.

Reclining comfortably in the Kirkland House Junior Common Room, the students engaged in a lively, general discussion of drugs. Farnsworth himself raised the question of legalization marijuana.

'A Total Revolt'

Because marijuana is non-addictive, Farnsworth declared that "medically, I don't see how we can say it should be interdicted." But on social grounds, he continued, legalization would mean a "move towards our becoming Alan Ginsbergs . . . and a total revolt against society."

From his own observation, Farnsworth said, marijuana takers "are generally a sad lot of people unless they back off from it."

Students countered that they saw no difference between the social effects of marijuana and those of alcohol. "There is nothing to say," declared one student, "that someone who takes pot is going to become an Alan Ginsberg anymore than someone who drinks is going to become a Sarah Churchill."

"I'm perfectly aware that in my arguments there will be a certain amount of inconsistency," Farnsworth said. "But I don't see how you can avoid it. I'm just trying to be as honest as possible."

LSD For Research

Farnsworth also discussed LSD and held out some possibility that the drunk might be useful in, the treatment of chronic alcoholism and of addiction to other drugs. "We are not opposed to the use of these drugs for controlled research, but we are compulsively opposed to their uninformed and irresponsible use."