Extremely frustrated

I attend a major, reputable research univeristy that despite it's rigorous academics, has a serious drinking problem (hint: It get's worse around mardi gras.) I drink, but am not a particular fan of a substance that has ruined many members of my family by means of addiction. So instead, I choose to smoke marijuana, which I see as being the responsible choice, albiet an illegal one. I will admit I have overused the plant in the past but, as with all things, responsibilty and moderation are the key to happiness. I smoke on a weekly basis, usually in the privacy of my own home, and rarely drive under the influence.

So now I'm in college. By virtue of culture, I have been drinking a lot more over the past few days than I usually do. I have found almost complete indifference to public underage drinking on the part of the pocile. In fact and I quote "I'd rather see you stumbling around covered in vomit than smoking dope" (New Orleans police officer)
At the start of the month, before classes had even started, I went out and got fairly drunk. I walked back to my dorm when a girl I was asked if I wanted to smoke a bowl with her. To be honest, I wanted to go to bed but everyone in the group was really enthusiastic about it so she ran upstairs and got all of her stuff.
Mistake 1: we smoked fairly close to the dorm. Not as if the smell was a problem but unbeknowst to me it is where the police basically live. I was too tipsy to really care. So we sat down and people start passing the bowl around. It hasn't even gotten to me when two cops in bikes drive up
Cop 1: "Put it out!" (keeps riding)
Cop 2: "What the hell are you kids doing!?"
Cop 1: "Just keep going."
Cop 2: "You kids smoking some dope?"
Cop 1: "Don't do this."
There were only two guys there. He searches me and finds nothing. Keep in mind I have never even touched the weed. He threatens to take us all to prison unless someone fesses up to providing the weed. He is staring at me and not really talking to the group. Since girls never smoke or buy weed it had to be me, so he sat there staring at me.
Mistake 2: I smiled at him
Cop 2: "you think this is funny you little shit? (exact words) You know I could search your room right now if you don't fess up."
Fortunately the girl fessed up. The cop seemed deflated.
He writes us up citation and sends the girl to prison for 4 hours before releasing her. No bond paid, he just decided that a few hours sitting in the corner wearing a dunce cap would be enough. Cop one approaches me later. I talk with him for a while because he's cool. He hates marijuana use and users but says he's looking forward to the day when it's decriminalized and he doesn't have to waste his time dealing with petty possesion cases. I could respect that. He told me "just don't smoke next to the dorm. Go on broadway, we could care less."
So I had to go before the discipline board and I now have 20 hours community service, disciplinary probation, a health evalustion, and parental notification (the worst). I don't disagree that smoking on campus was a stupid decision. I knew the risks and did it anyway. But what really irks me is the fact that I am being punished for being in the presence of an illegal drug, the same as if I had actually possesed it, or it I had illegal possesed alcohol... on 3 seperate occasions.
THE POINT!!!
I want to know how to combat this. I've already given about $50 to NORML and joined the campus NORML group but I believe more must be done. The current group leaders are too lazy to get anything done and I want to hold a protest.
I'm interning as a DJ at the campus radio station and am going to try to broadcast as many facts about marijuana over the airwaves as I can get away with. I'm still pissed off though. What have some of you fine people done as far as activism goes?

Activism is difficult by yourself. Perhaps consider this idea: find a local coffee shop/pub type place where the owner supports you. Organize a cannabis info session there. This will help you make contacts and a chance to hand out your brochures. Have the next meeting planed already so you can put the date on the brochures. Make lots of brochures and ask your contacts to help distribute them.

Have these info sessions on a regular basis as you plan for your main event.

Record a decent public service announcement to promote your cannabis info sessions and ask your fellow dj's to play it. Make it reasonable and point out the importance of being educated and knowing the facts, without really going into them so much on air. Let people come and listen to you in your own venue where you would have more freedom. Having a website is important.

Me? I'm doing my part by helping to promote our next year's 2008 Hempfest. I'm pretty good with web development. I'm working on an unofficial website for our next year's 10th annual event. Check it out at Hempfest 2008! August 21-24

I'll be finishing that one off when the organizers give me more info as the event draws a little closer.

I'll be working on a local 420 club website for my town in the near future. Prob gonna have message boards, photo gallery, local news and stuff.

If you need help setting up a website, let me know. I could prob help you get set up.

Anyway, I don't want to go on too much. Good luck with the event planning!

:rastabanna:

What have I done in the way of activism? I'm 60 and you'd never think I smoke pot. I work as a teacher's aide in special education. If it were known that I toke, I'd lose my job. So I have to be quiet locally.

But this doesn't stop me! OK, so I'm quiet around home. But I compiled a 40-something page list of medical studies for cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids. Click the link in my sig. I continue to add to it and will repost it around New Year's. The latest is that it may stop Mad Cow disease! (See Norml's bulletin - cannabisnews.com: NORML's Weekly News Bulletin - September 13, 2007 )

So far about 8,000 people have looked at my "Birthday" post. Many have given the info to doctors and friends who could use cannabis. One person sent it to his sister, a med student, who promised to spread it around at school. This means there will, in a few years, be a group of doctors who are, at least, aware of the medical benefits of cannabis. I'm hoping that all of you will send at least a couple of pages and the URL of my post to your doctors! 41 cents for a stamp is darn inexpensive activism!

You don't always have to be out there, "singin' songs and carryin' signs"- there's more than one way to be an activist!- Granny:hippy:

Probably the easiest thing to do is just bring the subject up to anyone you happen to talk to. If I get into a conversation I try to bring up the ridiculous pot ban at some point.It takes time but eventually everybody gets comfortable with talking about it and they begin to see how many of there friends,neighbors and coworkers are indulging in the practice and they say "Hey these people don't seem like the crackheads I see on tv all the time.Maybe there is nothing wrong with smoking a little weed".
What we really need is an initiative at the federal level giving the US voters a chance to vote on this subject.