UT STUDENTS FAVOR WEAKER POT RULES

Nonbinding Measure To Balance Marijuana, Alcohol Penalties Passes

AUSTIN - Students at the University of Texas voted overwhelmingly
this week to ask school officials to ease punishments for marijuana
use and make them equal to alcohol violations, opening a dialogue on
the Austin campus that is happening at universities across the country.

The referendum won the support of 64 percent of the 7,500 students
who voted in annual student government elections.

Campus officials have said they're willing to consider opening
discussion with the student body if the nonbinding measure passed.

"We, the students, have spoken," said Judie Niskala, a graduate
student who coordinated the campaign with a new state chapter of
Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, a Colorado-based group
pushing similar measures on other campuses. "Because marijuana is
less harmful than alcohol, this safety issue should be the
university's primary concern."

Opponents say the university shouldn't condone illegal activity.

"We wish to encourage people to live by the rule of law, rather than
encourage them to pick and choose which laws they follow," said Ben
Fizzell, director of the Young Conservatives of Texas-UT chapter.

For the university to change its policy, its vice presidents would
have to recommend such a change, and UT President William Powers
would have to approve it and seek the OK of university regents.

Neither Mr. Powers nor Vice President of Student Affairs Juan
Gonzalez could be reached for comment Thursday. Earlier this month,
however, Mr. Gonzalez said that if the measure passed he would
consider discussing the issue with students.

He also said university officials need to make sure that students
understand that even without a policy change, officials do not, in
practice, punish pot smokers more harshly than alcohol offenders.

UT rules allow for a student's suspension for drinking on campus or
at a university event, but students cannot be punished for off-campus
drinking. For marijuana, a student can be disciplined or suspended
for use anywhere. But the university rarely pursues off-campus pot users.

Both alcohol and pot are banned in campus dorms, regardless of a
student's age. So the referendum is largely a symbolic statement on
what supporters see as the hypocrisy of wider marijuana laws.