Wake up UR: Just say now

In June of 2008, President Emeritus of Middlebury College John McCardell launched the Amethyst Initiative at the Annapolis Group, an organization of 120 liberal arts colleges. The Amethyst Initiative, a movement to lower the drinking age to 18, has been signed by 135 college presidents across the nation.

To the presidents, the realization was clear and the goal made sense: America's current drinking age, 21, has driven teen drinking underground, and thus created an unsafe environment. While I strongly encourage President Ayers to get on board and sign the initiative, there is another matter in serious need of an open and mature dialogue: the legalization of marijuana.

Virginia's drug laws are draconian to say the least. Drug possession of any amount whatsoever, whether it be an ounce or residue in a bag, is a misdemeanor charge that carries a 30 day prison sentence and $500 fine. If it's your second time, you better get a cellmate that you like. The maximum sentence is one year with a $2,500 fine.

These punishments don't even take into account the costs of dealing with such an ordeal: legal fees, the emotional and psychological toll of the whole process and an extreme handicap in the job market -- just to name a few.

Why does a plant grown in the ground have such harsh laws against it? To be honest, I don't know myself. Contrary to what D.A.R.E. taught us in middle school, smoking a joint will not lead you down a path to addiction, violent behavior or an overdose.

Marijuana is less addictive than caffeine, nicotine and alcohol -- all legal substances. There has never been a single report of a marijuana overdose leading to death. The same cannot be said about alcohol. And how often is it that you see someone smoke some pot and get violent? Now compare that to the amount of times you've seen an alcohol-fueled fight.

Far too much time, energy and resources are spent on the war against marijuana. Jon Gettman, a respected drug policy analyst, estimates that prohibition of marijuana costs the American taxpayer $10.7 billion per year. That is $10.7 billion of your hard-earned money going up in smoke.

The United States continues to sink deeper into the red (current U.S. national debt is an astounding $13.4 trillion) due because of welfare warfare state. The war on marijuana is one that cannot be fought any longer.

As an institution of higher learning, the University of Richmond is the ideal place to nurture a genuine debate on the issue of legalization. President Ayers should use his position as president to initiate a conversation that affects so many young people.

The legalization of marijuana is an issue that cannot be ignored any longer. Had Nancy Reagan added one more letter to her most famous quote, she would have been spot on. Just say now!