Marijuana activist sweeps into Jupiter promoting pot reform
By Kit Bradshaw
staff writer
February 13, 2005
Jupiter High
Loretta Nall, the "news anchor" for Pot-TV.net makes it very clear: she wants to keep drugs out of the hands of kids and to do that, she feels marijuana should be treated like tobacco and alcohol, by regulating it, taxing it and controlling it.
The Alabama woman who may run against Judge Roy "Ten Commandments" Moore in the 2006 gubernatorial election as part of the Libertarian Party, wants to see marijuana legalized and then controlled. What she says she doesn't want to see is cops posing as students in schools for drug busts.
"I don't think it is fair, it is completely immoral and downright evil to put police officers posing as students in high school, then trick kids into breaking the law and giving them a 15-year sentence," she said, standing along Daniels Way waiting for Jupiter High School students to leave for the day.
"Youthful experimentation is a human trait," she said, "and we need a sensible drug policy that deals with the issue from a helpful social standpoint.
"If we legalized marijuana, we could release 21,000 people from our prisons in Alabama tomorrow and the drug wars as we know it would be over, because marijuana makes up the bulk of people arrested for any illicit substance in the United States."
A handful of Jupiter High School students stopped to talk to Nall who was doing interviews and shooting her own video for a Pot-TV Webcast.
Quintin Evans, 18, a senior at Jupiter High School from Riviera Beach, told Nall he still was worried about the Jan. 27 drug bust by undercover police.
"I still think there are cops on campus," Evans said. "I have no trust in anyone since that drug bust, and unless I've gone to school with someone for several years, I don't think I'll trust them at all."
Marc Falzon, 17, a junior at JHS said there has been repercussions in the school among the students since finding out that there had been undercover police at the high school for six months.
"I think it had a negative affect on the students," Falzon said, "because it breeds mistrust. You don't know who you are talking to.
"I think the key to stopping drugs with kids is to educate the little kids, the younger ones. I don't think the way to fight it is to make students feel insecure."
Other students disagreed, and said they thought the undercover operation dubbed Old Schoolhouse was a good idea.
"I don't do drugs, and I think if they can help keep drugs off the streets by these kind of drug busts then it's a good idea," said JHS sophomore Ian Berge, 15. "But," he added, " I think that it will have a small effect on the drugs in school."
Nall, who travels throughout the country for Pot-TV, said she became an activist for marijuana reform two years ago, after being charged and convicted of marijuana possession, a charge she denies. She said the experience led to the creation of the Alabama Marijuana Party, and there are now 37 chapters throughout the country.
"I travel throughout the country to gather news about activities related to marijuana, from events to drug busts such as this one," said the 30-year-old Nall. "I also speak on college campuses.
"I've been invited back to this area next month, where I'll be speaking at Florida Atlantic University."
- kit.bradshaw@scripps.com
staff writer
February 13, 2005
Jupiter High
Loretta Nall, the "news anchor" for Pot-TV.net makes it very clear: she wants to keep drugs out of the hands of kids and to do that, she feels marijuana should be treated like tobacco and alcohol, by regulating it, taxing it and controlling it.
The Alabama woman who may run against Judge Roy "Ten Commandments" Moore in the 2006 gubernatorial election as part of the Libertarian Party, wants to see marijuana legalized and then controlled. What she says she doesn't want to see is cops posing as students in schools for drug busts.
"I don't think it is fair, it is completely immoral and downright evil to put police officers posing as students in high school, then trick kids into breaking the law and giving them a 15-year sentence," she said, standing along Daniels Way waiting for Jupiter High School students to leave for the day.
"Youthful experimentation is a human trait," she said, "and we need a sensible drug policy that deals with the issue from a helpful social standpoint.
"If we legalized marijuana, we could release 21,000 people from our prisons in Alabama tomorrow and the drug wars as we know it would be over, because marijuana makes up the bulk of people arrested for any illicit substance in the United States."
A handful of Jupiter High School students stopped to talk to Nall who was doing interviews and shooting her own video for a Pot-TV Webcast.
Quintin Evans, 18, a senior at Jupiter High School from Riviera Beach, told Nall he still was worried about the Jan. 27 drug bust by undercover police.
"I still think there are cops on campus," Evans said. "I have no trust in anyone since that drug bust, and unless I've gone to school with someone for several years, I don't think I'll trust them at all."
Marc Falzon, 17, a junior at JHS said there has been repercussions in the school among the students since finding out that there had been undercover police at the high school for six months.
"I think it had a negative affect on the students," Falzon said, "because it breeds mistrust. You don't know who you are talking to.
"I think the key to stopping drugs with kids is to educate the little kids, the younger ones. I don't think the way to fight it is to make students feel insecure."
Other students disagreed, and said they thought the undercover operation dubbed Old Schoolhouse was a good idea.
"I don't do drugs, and I think if they can help keep drugs off the streets by these kind of drug busts then it's a good idea," said JHS sophomore Ian Berge, 15. "But," he added, " I think that it will have a small effect on the drugs in school."
Nall, who travels throughout the country for Pot-TV, said she became an activist for marijuana reform two years ago, after being charged and convicted of marijuana possession, a charge she denies. She said the experience led to the creation of the Alabama Marijuana Party, and there are now 37 chapters throughout the country.
"I travel throughout the country to gather news about activities related to marijuana, from events to drug busts such as this one," said the 30-year-old Nall. "I also speak on college campuses.
"I've been invited back to this area next month, where I'll be speaking at Florida Atlantic University."
- kit.bradshaw@scripps.com
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