College Libertarians of Towson Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- April 14, 2006

Contact: Alex Peak

Mail: TU Box 2446

Phone: 410-616-4804

E-Mail: allixpeeke@yahoo.com

Website: http://wwwnew.towson.edu/clt

FREE VIEWING OF THE DOCUMENTARY GRASS

BALTIMORE, Maryland – There will be a free public viewing of the documentary film GRASS, hosted by the College Libertarians of Towson (CLT).

This viewing will take place on Wednesday, April 26th, from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM, in room 238 of the Lecture Hall.  Free food and beverage will be provided.  All Towson University students and faculty are invited to attend.  The film is eighty-minutes long and there will be an open discussion following the film.

GRASS is a documentary film made in 1999 by Ron Mann, and narrated by Woody Harrelson.  The film takes a historical look at the U.S.’s war on marijuana in the twentieth century.  According to IMDb, “Fuelled by prejudice, hysterical propaganda and political opportunism undeterred by voices of reason on the subject, we follow the story of a costly and futile crusade against a substance with questionable ill effects that has damaged basic civil liberties.”

The Libertarian Party opposes the costly and ineffective prohibition of drugs and alcohol, as such regulation tends to create black markets and drive up violent-crime rates.  America would be a safer nation without the insane war on drugs.

In the words of former Libertarian candidate for President Harry Browne, “There are no violent gangs fighting over aspirin territories.  There are no violent gangs fighting over whisky territories or computer territories or anything else that’s legal.  There are only criminal gangs fighting over territories covering drugs, gambling, prostitution, and other victimless crimes.  Making a nonviolent activity a crime creates a black market, which attracts criminals and gangs, which turns what was once a relatively harmless activity affecting a small group of people into a widespread epidemic of drug use and gang warfare.”

The College Libertarians of Towson meet on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM in room 316 of the University Union.

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