UNIVERSITY BANS MEDICAL MARIJUANA ON CAMPUS

Students who are prescribed marijuana under the new D.C. law
permitting the drug for medicinal use will not be able to possess or
use the drug on campus under the current GW student conduct policies,
a University official said in August.

Although medicinal marijuana was approved by the D.C. Council in July,
GW's Code of Student Conduct currently prohibits "possession or use of
illegal drugs or controlled substances," making it a violation for
patients who attend GW to use the drug on campus.

"At this time GW Policy does not permit students to possess or use
marijuana for any purpose," Assistant Dean of Students Tara Pereira
said in an e-mail. "We are aware that a new District of Columbia law
permits physicians to recommend the use of marijuana for patients with
certain medical conditions, and we will be studying this issue further
as the District Government takes steps to implement the new law."

If a student is caught using marijuana on school premises, the first
offense of possession or use of marijuana can lead to a $50 fine,
participation in a drug abuse education program and loss of housing.
Reports of suspicious odors in dormitory rooms can culminate in an
administrative housing search of the premises.

Other universities in states where marijuana has been legalized for
medicinal purposes - there are currently 14 - have taken creative
approaches to mediate the differences between state law and university
policies.

The University of Colorado, for example, bans use of the drug on
campus, but is waiving freshman patients from its on-campus housing
requirements. The University of Montana also releases some students
with medical marijuana cards from housing, but maintains its drug
policies for fear of losing federal funding.

The contradiction between federal and state laws also led Rutgers
University to turn down an offer from New Jersey Governor Chris
Christie to become the provider of New Jersey's medical marijuana,
after the state legalized the drug earlier this year.

On the other side of the spectrum in Los Angeles, where there are more
than 600 dispensaries according to the Los Angeles Times, the
University of Southern California's policy is "to conform to all
applicable laws and follows the current stance of the medical and
mental health professions regarding the use of other psychoactive
substancesaE& including marijuana." However, the school maintains a
smoke-free policy in its buildings and enforces state laws about
marijuana possession and use, USC's student newspaper the Daily Trojan
reported

Susan Mottet, committee counsel for Councilmember David Catania, I-At
Large, who introduced the bill to legalize medicinal marijuana in the
District, said in January that universities must balance policies with
practicality.

"I would imagine universities would allow students to also [smoke
medical marijuana] on campus somewhere because laws and policies can't
say you can use some medications and not other medications. At the
same time, they are going to be wary about allowing students to smoke
marijuana in a dorm room with a roommate," Mottet told The Hatchet in
January, when the bill was first introduced. "I imagine they will have
to revisit their policies that relate to that."

Although cards have not yet been issued, according to the new D.C.
law, District physicians are now licensed to recommend medical
marijuana to patients with HIV/AIDS, glaucoma, conditions
characterized by severe and persistent muscle spasms, cancer, any
condition that cannot be effectively treated by ordinary measures or
to "mitigate the side effects of some medical treatments," according
to a statement from D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty.

Fenty released proposed regulations Aug. 6 that must undergo a 45-day
public comment and D.C. Council approval period before they can be
enacted. Medical marijuana will be regulated by the Department of
Health, the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration and
Metropolitan Police.

"All District residents deserve access to the full slate of medical
treatments available," Fenty said. "My administration will work to
ensure that medical marijuana is dispensed safely and
efficiently."

On the day the medical marijuana bill became law - Congress allowed
the bill's 30-day review period to expire without objection - Eleanor
Holmes Norton, D.C.'s non-voting delegate in Congress, said the law
will be tightly regulated. She also commended the council for passing
the legislation.

"We have faced repeated attempts to re-impose the prohibition on
medical marijuana in D.C. throughout the layover period," Norton said
in a statement. "Yet, it is D.C.'s business alone to decide how to
help patients who live in our city and suffer from chronic pain and
incurable illnesses."