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Margot Gage, an assistant professor of sociology at ËÄ»¢Ó°ÊÓ, will be a speaker at the Texas Marijuana Policy Conference Labor Day weekend in Austin.

The Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, a broad, multi-partisan coalition with more 20 participating organizations, invited Gage to join a panel discussion on federal marijuana prohibition at the conference.

“A national and global movement for cannabis policy is occurring,” said Gage, a provost award recipient who pursues scholarship on medical cannabis research. “No matter what your personal view is, it is important that Texas is not left behind.”

The Texas Marijuana Policy Conference is the largest non-partisan conference in Texas. The conference seeks to “promote an honest, fact-based dialogue regarding marijuana use and the negative consequences of its criminalization.”

Gage plans to speak on the historic overview of the current federal marijuana prohibition, and as a researcher provide scientific evidence about the uses of cannabis.  

“I am not for or against legalization,” said Gage. “My goal for speaking at this conference and for researching medical cannabis at ËÄ»¢Ó°ÊÓ is to educate about the facts so that informed choices on the debate can be made.”