Legalize Grass

IN THIS time of unending racism, poverty and war it seems almost frivolous to devote editorial space to a discussion of drug laws. But the present archaic legislation on that subject- which in one state can send a first offender marijuana possessor to jail for life- is hardly a laughing matter.

It seems unnecessary to point out the absurdity of such legislation in a community where a large majority of undergraduates and hundreds of grad students, faculty and staff have sampled the evil weed; where the Dean of the College can provide a reasonably accurate estimate of the going price of an ounce of good dope; where President Pusey, at a Harvard House dinner last year, delivered his traditional speech while one table of students passed around a pipe full of glowing grass; where President-elect Bok sat last weekend at a dinner in Holvoke Center and watched the guests of honor pass a joint under his nose. It seems unnecessary when there has been no evidence to prove that marijuana is as debilitating as alcohol, without which this University and most of American society could not function.

But current marijuana legislation is not a joke. Dope laws are used selectively to punish political "criminals" like John Sinclair, a White Panther leader who has been locked away for several years on a very minor marijuana offense. The New York Times reports the suicide during a bust of an Alabama student who faced jail on a second marijuana offense. Sitting in our dorms it is often difficult to remember that thousands of other Americans are sitting in jail for committing the "crime" of getting stoned with their friends.

The real world intruded on our sanctuary briefly last week, when Cambridge police arrested a junior who had been so flamboyant as to display a marijuana plant in his window, highlighted by a heat lamp. For the rest of us the danger still seems minimal. But there is nothing to prevent the Cambridge police from staging a huge raid some night, as rumors have suggested every spring for three years.

The solution to the "problem" is not legalizing possession of small amounts of grass while tossing dealers in jail for long terms. Almost everyone who smokes dope more than once or twice acts as a dealer occasionally, according to the legal definition. Anyway, done smokers don't want dealers thrown in jail. Thousands of students here and millions of people across the country like to smoke dope, and don't want the supply dried up. Laws controlling the production, distribution and consumption of marijuana should be totally abolished. Then the government and independent agencies should begin thorough studies into possible harmful side-effects of marijuana. Even confirmed potheads would like to know about possible carcinogenic or other disastrous effects.

The solution to other drug "problems" is less obvious, but it should be clear by now that jail is a grossly inappropriate treatment for a kid badly strung out on something or other, or for his tranquilized parents.

It's hard to know what, if anything, we can do to help bring about a sane drug policy. We should certainly be prepared to stand behind people who are busted if they think our support would be helpful. Write letters to our Congressmen? Far out. And although by now we have learned to expect absolutely nothing but duplicity and waffling from our Harvard surrogate parents, it would be nice for the Faculty and Administration to tell the world that lots of people here smoke dope with no apparent harm except legal paranoia, and that grass should be socially and legally accepted as an equivalent of booze.