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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 1976)
(-,..d al ) Theater group slates weekend Salem show The Eugene Theater Company is one step closer to realizing its ambition of presenting a traveling repertory of Bicentennial plays. The company's performance of Joaquin Miller's “Forty Nine” will open in Salem this weekend. The play will be presented this Friday and Saturday at the Pentacle Theater, 352 52nd St. NW, in Salem. Tickets cost $3 and may be purchased at Stevens and Son in Salem or at the door. The perfor mance starts at 8 p.m. Dance scheduled tonight The EMU Program Committee welcomes all students back to the University with an evening of dancing and music — best of all, it’s free! A new Eugene rock entrourage. Shinola. will perform in the EMU Ballroom from 8:30 to 11 tonight. Learning center offers classes Flunk a course last term? Do poorly in several other classes? If one of your resolutions this year is to improve your study habits, the Learn ing Resource Center may be able to help you. Need to learn how to study for an exam? Do you have trouble spelling? A vocabulary class helps expand spoken and written verbal skills with small group discussions and light doses of reading. More information about all of these classes is available from the Learning Resources Center in Room 268 Condon Hall, or call 686-3226. WHY... JOHNNY PRINT O COPY SHOP ■ BECAUSE Johnny Print Copy Binding Graphic Art Collating Business Card Rubber Stamp Offset Print Wedding Stationery Shop WONT FIT ON A LETTERHEAD. around the corner.1219 Alder.345-4141 also .... 470 East 11th .... 484-2191 r EMU FOOD SERVICE SODA BAR & PIZZA-BURGERS open every day Noon 11 : 15 p.m Sat.-Sun. Jim Gregory Dennis Pfaff Greg Wasson Greg Clark Paul Waldschmidt Chris Story Bob Welch Jenifer Blumberg Jerril Nilson Jo Ann Fahlgren Jeff Nielson Rick Bella Patty Farrell Lois Lindsay Brad Lemley Walt Benson Jackman Wilson Kate Seigal Norris Adams Susan Harper Gayle Freeman Ted Johnston Editor Managing Editor News Editor Graphics Editor Editorial Page Editor Asst News Editor Sports Editor Entertainment Editor Wire Editor Asst. Graphics Editor Asst Sports Editor Associate Editors: Politics Admin. & Student Services ASUO Govt. & Agencies Features, In Depth Departments & Schools Community Production Manager Advertising Manager Classified Advertising Librarian Accountant Oregon Daily Emerald The Oregon Daily Emerald is published Monday through Friday during fall, winter and spring terms, except during exam weeks and vacation periods During summer session the Emerald is published Tuesday and Thursday during the eight-weak term and on Thursday the last three weeks at the eleven week term. The Oregon Daily Emerald is published by the Oregon DaPy Emerald Publishing Co., Inc., at the University at Oregon. Eugene. Oregon 97403 Subscription rates: (1) University ot Oregon student and faculty-staff subscription rales are baaed on annual contracts the Emerald makes wtth the Associated Students of the University ot Oregon and with the Univer sity administration. The subscription rate is $3.52 a parson. (2) Special subscriptions for parsons not in category (t) are available for $15 a year (12 months) or $6 a term. The Oregon Daily Emerald offices are in the north wing ot the Erb Memorial Union “'--ws editorial phone number is 686-5511. Display advertising is 666-3712 Classified advertising number Is 686-4343. The Oregon Daily Emerald is a member of Associated Press and College Press Service. Constitution may cover pot use The joint you are smoking may soon be protected by the U.S. Constitution, if a number of suits being filed in state and federal courts around the country are successful. Alaska has already given constitutional protection to pot use in the home. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), the nation's most suc cessful pot lobby, has filed suits claiming that the use of marijuana in the home falls under the protec tion of the constitutional right to privacy. NORML has filed suits in California, Illinois, Tennessee and the District of Columbia. The suits mark a major shift in NORMLs strategy, which has formerly concentrated its re sources on lobbying efforts in Congress and various state legis latures. NORML was instrumental in getting marijuana de criminalized in six states But the decision of the Alaska Supreme Court broke the ice on the constitutional issue and set a strong precedent that will be used in the other suits. NORML will now devote a much greater proportion of its resources to court battles than it had earlier, but will continue to lobby in legislatures as well. The Alaska Supreme Court, in its unanimous ruling, stated that there was no firm evidence that marijuana use was harmful to the user or would constitute a public health problem of any significant dimension. ..Mere scientific doubts," said the court, “did not warrant government intrusion into the privacy of the home.” Since the Alaska decision was based on a privacy clause in the state constitution rather than the U.S. Constitution, it cannot be ap pealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. That aspect is one of the advan tages of pursuing marijuana re form through the courts rather than legislative bodies, according to Keith Stroup, director of NORML. The court decision is not subject to the whimsy of politi cians. Once the decision is made in a state supreme court, based on the state constitution, it has fun damental protection that can only be changed by the court itself or by a constitutional amendment. A decision putting marijuana use under the protection of the right of privacy would also allow someone to cultivate the weed for personal use and to transport it as well. Under the Alaska decision, there is no constitutional protec tion for amounts of marijuana for sale rather than for personal use. But at the same time, there is no maximum quantity explicitly set for personal use and the court generally assumed that amounts of pot ranging from eight ounces to one pound are for personal use. This amount is much greater than that set in even the most liberal laws passed by state legislatures, which generally designate an ounce or less for personal use. In addition to the principle ar gument of the right of privacy, the suits also claim that current mari juana laws constitute cruel and unusual punishment for the of fense involved, and that the laws deny equal treatment under law, since alcohol and tobacco are not treated the same even though there is definite proof that they can post health hazards. Some of the arguments oppos ing constitutional protection for the private use of marijuana state that the substance has indeed proven to be dangerous and that constitutional protection would open the door for similar rulings for more dangerous drugs such as heroin. Peter Meyer, legal counsel for NORML, counters these argu ments on the grounds that the suit deals only with manjuana, that there is no positive proof of harm and that the burden of proof is on the state to prove that pot poses some significant threat to the indi vidual or danger to the public wel fare — a threat that has not been proven. The question is bound to reach the U S. Supreme Court. Since the District of Columbia lies under federal jurisdiction, the suit has been filed in federal court. An ap peal would go directly to the U S Supreme Court, and according to Stroup of NORML. either side that loses will definitely take it to the high court Former Attorney Gen eral Ramsey Clark will donate his time to argue for NORML s suit. r briefs The bnefs section is tor campus and commun ity announcements No bnef will be published tnat charges an admission or donation fee Howeve' classes that charge tuition or dinner events tnat otter a free program even to those wno do not buy a dinner wii be accepted All bnefs must be typed, tnpte-spaced in a 65-unit margin Handwritten bnefs will be given low priority Bnefs will be published one time only in any seven-day period as space permits The deadline for bnefs is 2 p m the day before publication MEETINGS The Incidental Fee Committee will hold rts first meeting of Winter Term Tuesday at 7 p m m the conference room of Suite V m the EMU The Committee will discuss procedural matters and as sign tag people for the budgeting process MISCELLANEOUS The Environmental Studies Center wil be open this wee* Wednesday. Thursday and Friday for people interested m working with us Winter Term Credit is available for this opportunity of enncnmg your environmental awareness and knowledge Many protects m conjunction with other environ mental groups awad you Drop by' 11 PLC) or give us a call (x5006; Jo«n us' A financial aid workshop will be held Jan 14 and I 15 m tne EMU to explain application procedures distribute 1976-77 application materials and ans wer student questions about financial a*d The Jan 14 workshop will be held from 2 to 5 p m and tne Jan 15 workshop from 8 to 11 am Room wiB be posted AJi students who may be applying for finan cial aid are urged to attend one of the sessions For students who cannot attend me workshops 1976-77 application materials wrff be available at the Finanoa. Aid office after Jan 15 Group experiences ottered by the Counseling Center this Quarter include a group for couples group training m assertive behavior and test anxiety reduction and seff-actualization groups utilizing en counter and rational-emotive techniques Groups are open to al students and University employes free of charge For information call x 3227 or come by 150 Susan Campbell Hall
