ASUI passed a slew of legislation Wednesday and held its first meeting for spring semester senators, including supporting Boise State University countering sexism and legalizing medical marijuana.
ASUI introduced and passed a resolution supporting Boise State University students and their petition to investigate Professor Scott Yenor for sexist comments.
The petition comes after a video from the National Conservatism Conference in Florida surfaced in which Yenor commented that women should not be recruited into the fields of engineering, medicine and law as well as trade occupations.
Following the video’s surfacing, Yenor has since taken to Twitter. saying that there should be no “special efforts to recruit women into fields where they don’t seem to want to be.”
“BSU students are currently petitioning and protesting actively to have (Yenor) investigated for sexist grading and sexist evaluations of fellow faculty and staff,” Director of Safety, Health and Wellness Abbey Rode said.
ASUI also introduced and passed a resolution in support of Kind Idaho’s initiative that would legalize marijuana in the state for medical use.
The resolution, which was authored by Rode, noted that while Yenor retains the first amendment right to express his opinions, the sentiments expressed suggest that female students are being evaluated differently than male students. Boise State students are hoping to open an investigation to resolve this uncertainty.
Sen. Nguyen, who sponsored the resolution, noted that the FDA has already approved THC-based medications that have shown to be effective in treating chronic pain, nausea as well as individuals undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
Nguyen also said that the ability to prescribe marijuana in place of opiates would also provide a degree of relief in the opioid crisis.
“According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, nearly 50,000 people passed from opioid-related overdoses in 2019,” Nguyen said. “And according to the CDC, a fatal marijuana overdose is highly unlikely compared to an over opioid overdose prescribed.”
Nguyen said the benefits also extend to the economic sector as each state that has legalized medical marijuana has seen higher tax revenues and improved job creation.
Readdressing legislation discussed in the previous meeting, ASUI passed two previously proposed resolutions. One resolution showed appreciation for those serving in the U.S. Armed Forces as well as veterans. The other resolution called for UI professors to implement an inclusivity statement in course syllabi.
After the final meeting of the semester’s legislative body, ASUI held its first meeting for the spring semester, including the five newly-inducted senators.
The short meeting saw Sen. Cassidey Plum made senate pro tempore.
Royce McCandless can be reached at [email protected] or Twitter @roycemccandless
Brian Kelly
When a loved one is in pain, wasting away unable to eat, and needs this marvelous herb in order to increase their appetite, reduce the overwhelming pain, and live as as healthy and happily as they can with the time they have left, let’s have the compassion to allow them to have it. Stop treating Medical Marijuana Patients like second rate citizens and common criminals by forcing them to the dangerous black market for their medicine. Risking incarceration to obtain the medicine you need is no way to be forced to live. Support Medical Marijuana Now! “[A] federal policy that prohibits physicians from alleviating suffering by prescribing marijuana for seriously ill patients is misguided, heavy-handed, and inhumane.” — Dr. Jerome Kassirer, “Federal Foolishness and Marijuana,” editorial, New England Journal of Medicine, January 30, 1997 “[M]arijuana has an extremely wide acute margin of safety for use under medical supervision and cannot cause lethal reactions … [G]reater harm is caused by the legal consequences of its prohibition than possible risks of medicinal use.” — American Public Health Association, Resolution #9513, “Access to Therapeutic Marijuana/Cannabis,” 1995 “When appropriately prescribed and monitored, marijuana/cannabis can provide immeasurable benefits for the health and well-being of our patients … We support state and federal legislation not only to remove criminal penalties associated with medical marijuana, but further to exclude marijuana/cannabis from classification as a Schedule I drug.” — American Academy of HIV Medicine, letter to New York Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, November 11, 2003 “The National Nurses Society on Addictions urges the federal government to remove marijuana from the Schedule I category immediately, and make it available for physicians to prescribe. NNSA urges the American Nurses’ Association and other health care professional organizations to support patient access to this medicine.” — National Nurses Society on Addictions, May 1, 1995 “[The AAFP accepts the use of medical marijuana] under medical supervision and control for specific medical indications.” — American Academy of Family Physicians, 1989, reaffirmed in 2001 “[We] recommend … allow[ing] [marijuana] prescription where medically appropriate.” — National Association for Public Health Policy, November 15, 1998 “Therefore be it resolved that the American Nurses Association will: — Support the right of patients to have safe access to therapeutic marijuana/cannabis under appropriate prescriber supervision.” — American Nurses Association, resolution, 2003
Andre Leonard
Good to see this dialogue for medicinal cannabis legalization. It's hard work here in Idaho. We seem to be so far behind in allowing for some form of compassionate use of cannabis. 31 states have approved medicinal marijuana. It's time Idaho change with the times.