Matt Miller: What made you want to come to UH?
Walker Wilkson: I was born in Houston, and I’ve lived here basically all of my life.
Miller: Why did you choose to major in philosophy?
Wilkson: I’m hoping that it will give me some ethical guidelines by which to live my life.
Miller: What are some of your favorite musical artists?
Wilkson: I like a lot of local artists…. Devin the Dude is one of my favorites. Anyone who raps about driving a crummy car and being too broke to buy pot is my kind of guy.
Miller: Do you support the legalization of marijuana?
Wilkson: Absolutely. Eventually the government and the rich people in this country are going to realize they can make more money taxing it than fighting it.
Miller: Do you think the public service announcements on television portray marijuana in a false light?
Wilkson: I don’t think they portray it accurately, but like with anything, moderation and responsible use are the keys. You don’t eat five hamburgers a day or else you’re going to get fat.
Miller: What types of detrimental effects are associated with smoking marijuana?
Wilkson: If you are responsible about your marijuana usage, you shouldn’t see any serious effects.
Miller: What medicinal uses could marijuana provide?
Wilkson: It could be used for cancer patients. A lot of people who undergo chemotherapy lose their appetites and are in a lot of pain and the synthetic drugs they receive make them nauseous and don’t help with their pain. Also the synthetic drugs have worse side effects than marijuana.
Miller: Do you think a main reason marijuana is illegal is because people tend to not have common sense and are abusive users?
Wilkson: No. One reason has to do with paper. William Randolph Hearst printed on regular paper instead of hemp, even though (hemp) was cheaper. He didn’t want the competition, and it was basically an economic issue.
In the 1930s, the American Medical Association did research that concluded there weren’t any really good reasons for marijuana to be outlawed. One of the first drug commissioners totally disregarded the AMA’s findings.
