Jacob Irving was born with spastic quadriplegia. The laws on the books say he’s entitled to treatment in the form of medical marijuana, but the government hasn’t taken steps to establish an infrastructure by which he can receive it.
“The law was passed in 1991, and I was born in 1992, but doctors can’t prescribe it to me,” said Irving, a mass communication junior. “I don’t have a time machine, but I can’t help but wonder what might have happened if I could have gotten the treatment.”
Irving may not have the support of the state government, but he does have the support of the student body.
A crowd of eager students gathered Thursday on the Parade Ground for a concert in support of the establishment of this infrastructure and for the legalization of marijuana.
The five-hour “Spring Greening” concert was organized by the University’s chapter of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a national group committed to the decriminalization of drugs and the reformation of American legal proceedings as they pertain to the so-called War on Drugs.
The concert began with a funky and well-received set from the group’s own musicians — the SSDP Funk Squad. As the night pressed on, local acts Moon Sugar, Funkin’ Fierce and Rhode delivered loud, crowd-pleasing songs that had audiences roaring with fierce support.
But the students weren’t just enthusiastic about the music. When club personnel came on stage to discuss the potential benefits of medical marijuana, the crowd erupted with the loudest display of appreciation they’d shown all night.
Chris Ambrogio, political science senior and founder of the University’s chapter of the club, said this was no accident. Ambrogio said more than 80 percent of college students and 65 percent of voters support the legalization of marijuana, and with states like Washington and Colorado leading the charge, it’s only a matter of time before it’s
decriminalized everywhere.
“We’re at a tipping point in terms of drug policy, and it has overwhelming support with college-aged people,” Ambrogio said.
The concert was arranged to raise awareness for the various drug-related bills introduced to the Louisiana legislature last week. The group distributed pamphlets that explained how to engage congressional representatives and ask them to take a stand on drug policy reform.
Measures debated during the legislative session included a series of decriminalization bills and a reduction in the severity of the habitual offender laws. The proposed reduction would remove marijuana from the list of drugs for which a person would receive a harsh minimum sentence if they were found to be in possession of it.
Ambrogio said he and the group lobbied to get similar statutes passed on a University level, including a medical amnesty law, which would allow people who overdosed on hard drugs to seek and obtain medical assistance without fear of being convicted for possession-related crimes. The measure passed with the approval of 98 percent of the Student Government Senate.
“It’s been proven to save lives,” Ambrogio said. “There’s no reason for these ideas to be shut down in the legislature.”
Ambrogio said Louisiana is the prison capital of the world, and the majority of inmates are convicted for non-violent drug-related charges.
Meanwhile, Colorado has received more than $4 million of revenue from the taxation of marijuana alone. Much of this money has been funneled into schools, road reconstruction and other public works.
Medical marijuana is used to treat seizures, chronic epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and cancer, among other harmful and life-threatening diseases.
“These are things we’re in desperate need of in Louisiana, not more prisoners,” Ambrogio said.
“We’re at a tipping point in terms of drug policy, and it has overwhelming support with college aged people.”