Smoking bans: Public protection or lemon laws?
By Brian Tschiegg
The smoking bans that have recently been put in place in Maryland and Virginia have been hailed as a step forward in making the world safer for non-smokers, but do smoking regulations really solve the problem or do they make it worse? Smoking bans and regulations are supposed to protect non-smokers from secondhand smoke and the health dangers associated with smoking. Smokers are now cloistered to smoking areas located outside of buildings and restaurants.Of course, any smoker will tell you that these regulations are unfair, and who can blame them? Lighting up in the middle of December can be an ... Read More
The latest marijuana propaganda campaign
By Brian TschieggFlipping through the channels, a man in a pith helmet and a white mustache flashes onto the screen, asking you to join him in his hunt for the "mature stoner." It is yet another anti-drug commercial in the government-sponsored ad campaign "Above the Influence." Filled with propaganda and falsified information, the series of four commercials chronicles the adventures of "Dr. Puck" and his assistant, Baldric. They watch "stoners" in their natural habitat: relaxing, going to school, and even driving. This series of ads perpetuates many of the myths associated with marijuana use.The first commercial opens with a monologue ... Read More
Rev. Jeremiah Wright, hatespeech and Barack Obama
By Brian Tschiegg"God Damn America." Not something you would expect to hear in the patriotic wave that followed the attacks of 9/11, but just two years after that day, Reverend Jeremiah Wright was delivering a sermon where he urged black Americans to sing just that.Why should you care about Rev. Wright? Well, he's been democratic presidential candidate Barock Obama's pastor for the last twenty years, performing the senator's marriage ceremony and giving Obama advice about his book, The Audacity of Hope. His remarks about 9/11 have landed Obama in hot water. Obama defended Rev. Wright, calling him an "uncle ... Read More
A fiscal look at marijuana laws
By Brian TschieggA police officer in Asheville, N.C. spots a car driving 10 miles-per-hour over the speed limit. The car is pulled over, and what started out as a simple traffic stop ends in a simple possession charge. Farther north, a man is arrested for drug trafficking. He was accused of moving hundreds of pounds of marijuana from California to West Virginia. What's the difference between these two cases? The drug trafficker was given a Presidential pardon recently.A student at UMBC, who wishes to be known as Ben, was visiting his girlfriend in Asheville. While his girlfriend was driving, a police ... Read More
Decriminalizing marijuana use one step at a time
By Brian TschieggRecently, legislation was introduced to the House of Representatives that would completely legalize the possession, use, and not-for-profit transfer of marijuana. The bill, known as the "Act to Remove Federal Penalties for Personal Use of Marijuana" or H.R. 5843, was introduced by Representative Barney Frank (D – MA) and is co-sponsored by Representative Ron Paul (R – TX). This bill is the first decriminalization bill introduced in 24 years.Twelve states already have decriminalization bills in place that eliminate criminal penalties for minor possession charges. According to federal statistics, the relaxed laws have not led to an increase in ... Read More
Smoking Bans: Public Protection or Lemon Laws?
By Brian Tschiegg
The smoking bans that have recently been put in place in Maryland and Virginia have been hailed as a step forward in making the world safer for non-smokers, but do smoking regulations really solve the problem or do they make it worse? Smoking bans and regulations are supposed to protect non-smokers from secondhand smoke and the health dangers associated with smoking. Smokers are now cloistered to smoking areas located outside of buildings and restaurants.Of course, any smoker will tell you that these regulations are unfair, and who can blame them? Lighting up in the middle of December can be an ... Read More
Iraq withdrawal plan doesn't address base problems
By Brian TschieggMany people think that the Middle East is a quagmire from which no U.S. forces could ever escape. In an attempt to polish its image, the Bush administration has been involved in a 10-month series of negotiations with the Iraqi government about setting a timetable for troop withdrawal. The slightly vague date is now the year 2011.While nothing is set in stone, Mohammed al-Haj Hammoud, the top Iraqi official sent to negotiate a timetable for troop withdrawal, said that it is their hope to remove all troops by 2011. He however is also quoted as saying that some troops could ... Read More
Reforming university drug policy
By Brian Tschiegg
The stigma against illegal drugs often does more damage than it prevents. Young adults and teenagers are often more affected by this stigma.According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), there are 5,000 people under the age of 21 who die as a result of underage drinking every year. Underage drinkers tend to binge drink, as defined as a BAC above .08, more often than drinkers of a legal age. This puts them at greater risk of an alcohol overdose. Underage drinkers are often hesitant to call emergency services because of the risk that they will ... Read More
Bolivian oil reserves cause for concern
By Brian Tschiegg
Although the Middle East contains some of the largest oil reserves in the world, the discovery of oil off the coast of South America could change many Latin countries fortunes.Brazil hopes that the wealth derived from their crude oil will help end poverty in their country and increase the quality of life. Facing social unrest, Bolivia is also on the edge of change.Currently dealing with massive protests and riots, Bolivian protesters took to the streets, raiding and looting government buildings. Riot police were forced to take cover as the situation quickly grew out of control. Anti-government protesters broke down the ... Read More
Baltimore's violence spreads beyond the city borders
By Brian Tschiegg
The red flags crowd the map, creating an effective censor across the city's name: Baltimore. This is the scene when you ask the interactive The Baltimore Sun's "homicide tool" (essentials.baltimoresun.com/micro_sun/homicides) for all the shooting homicides from the past year. Each of the red flags marks the place where a shooting homicide occurred.Even though the homicides tend to be focused in the inner city, the violence seems to be creeping out towards the county, slowly conquering areas such as Towson, where a 16-year old was shot during a robbery of his apartment. Aside from random thefts and belligerently drunk ... Read More
The benefits of decriminalizing marijuana use in Maryland
By Brian TschieggMaryland is one out of the 11 states to include provisions for the use of medical marijuana in their drug laws. In 2003, former Governor Robert Ehrlich signed the medical marijuana affirmative defense law which allows defendants to make a case based on their medical need. Although Maryland is one of the more progressive states to pass such a clause, it still has some of the harshest penalties for recreational use and medical marijuana users can only make their defense after an arrest.Despite the urging of President George W. Bush, Ehrlich signed the bill into law, allowing a defendant to ... Read More
A brief history of marijuana laws across America
By Brian Tschiegg"Marihuana is a short cut to the insane asylum," reads the article in the January, 1923 Examiner. "Smoke marihuana cigarettes for a month and what was once your brain will be nothing but a storehouse of horrid specters."There is no doubt that cannabis faces a harsh stigma in our country, but where did it all begin? After all, our founding fathers grew hemp and saw it as a cash crop, an opportunity for America. George Washington told the country to "Make the most of the Indian hemp seed. Sow it everywhere."Hemp (cannabis sativa) was first planted in America by ... Read More
Government should look toward hemp as a viable alternative fuel
By Brian Tschiegg
Do you feel your wallet shrinking as you drive your car? Many people are resorting to carpooling, public transportation, and many other forms of cheaper transportation, but some researchers have found a way for you to keep driving and save money: hemp. Hemp Global Solutions researches the use of hemp as a biofuel. They advocate hemp as a "potential solution to some of the major social and environmental challenges of the 21st century."Industrial hemp has a long history in America already. During World War II, Japan cut off America's supply of hemp. In response, Congress lifted ... Read More
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