In past presidential elections, the major issues have ranged from abortion and health care to education and the economy, but now the Penn State National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and Student 1st Step are working to make the legalization of marijuana a focal point.

"It is definitely an election issue," said Alan Gordon, Student 1st Step entertainment and events coordinator. "As we speak, (President) Bush is heading to an international drug conference in Texas."

The two-day conference -- before which Bush promised to step up efforts to choke off both narcotics supplies and the big U.S. demand for drugs -- will wrap up today in San Antonio.

Student 1st Step's adviser and two members will join hundreds of other activists from around the country to campaign for marijuana legalization across the street from the conference, Gordon said.

Todd Lippincott, College Democrats president, said that although he understands PS-NORML members want to make their cause known, there are more important issues.

"I object to (PS-) NORML focusing only on the legalization of marijuana and dominating the discussion with (U.S. Sen. Harris) Wofford and (U.S. Sen. Arlen) Specter. They didn't allow people to discuss more important issues," said Lippincott (sophomore-economics/international politics). Both Wofford and Specter have visited Centre County within the past several weeks to tout their political views.

"I definitely don't see it as an election issue. It is a very low-key issue," Lippincott added.

Political science instructor John Stewart, agreed, saying there are more important election issues than marijuana law reform.

"I don't think it's a national issue at all," he said.

But Stewart said he hasn't done enough polling on campus to know whether it is a sensitive local issue.

Deirdre Lee (freshman-science) said marijuana legalization isn't an important issue.

"I think it is a personal decision, but smoking marijuana is much worse than cigarettes," Lee said. "I don't think it should be an issue at all and should remain illegal."

Gordon clarified that although Student 1st Step is working with PS-NORML to get marijuana legalized, they are two independent organizations.

"(PS-) NORML is a single issue group while Student 1st Step deals with many other issues as well," Gordon added.

The purpose of PS-NORML in elections is to criticize candidates who don't do their jobs and to recognize those who do well, Gordon said.

Earlier this month, members from both groups went to the State Democratic Convention in Philadelphia to promote marijuana reform laws. PS-NORML and Student 1st Step were the only two issue groups represented at the convention.