Earlier this week there was a Quick E on the front page that said because of the crack-down on drinking on campus, everyone should smoke more pot. On each of the next two days, another Quick E was printed to the same effect. After I read the first one Monday, I knew there would be an article following it.

Vicki Larsen’s article “Is marijuana use on the rise?” is one of the most naive articles I have read in this paper. There isn’t an increase of people using marijuana, there is simply an increase in people getting caught. John Tinker of the DPS said “People need to get away from this. It does nothing but cause a lot of problems.” For who? When was the last time anyone got really high and started a fight or destructed property? The problem marijuana creates is for the police, trying to catch people with it. Because of this, students really aren’t concerned with the consequences. Students quoted in the article say that both drinking and marijuana are serious issues, but drinking is the big problem. People who smoke rather than drink on weeknights are also less likely to miss class with a hangover.

In Iowa City, the city and university are much more lenient on drinking because they know that for underage people, drugs are easier to get than alcohol. Experts say marijuana is the gateway drug, but if it is used with moderation by responsible individuals, it is not a large threat. I am sure there are more people throughout the country that dropped out of college because of drinking problems rather than drugs.

I am not supporting the use of marijuana, but university officials should be prepared to deal with the consequences if they continue to crack down on drinking. Use of both will go on no matter what the police or the university try to do, but a more liberal policy is sure to make both students and officials happier.

Kevin Burds

Freshman

Forestry