HIGHER EDUCATION: HOW TO DO DRUGS IN BOSTON

If you choose to partake, at least do it right

The leaves are changing color, and it's not because you ate a special
mushroom pizza. The air is crisp, the nights are getting longer, and
you're drinking coffee at 4 am. It's fall, and time to go back to school.

Before you set up your new MacBook and stake out your dorm room claim,
take a moment to educate yourself on the local drug scene. You don't
want to get kicked out of a head shop, land in the local lock-up, or
buy crappy drugs.

Unspoken rules

Marijuana is decriminalized in Massachusetts. That means you can
possess up to an ounce of marijuana and you can't be arrested for it
- -- though you may be slapped with a $100 ticket, and your pot and gear
could be confiscated. So don't mess it up. Be nice to the cops. Don't
have that ounce in more than one bag, and don't carry a scale with it
- -- you don't want to make them think you're a dealer. And for
goodness's sake, don't sell it to an undercover officer.

Pot might be decriminalized, but there's a good chance your school has
a different idea about it. Every college has a student guide or
handbook with the rules you're supposed to follow. So before you think
you can flaunt that ounce on your campus, learn the rules. You might
not get arrested, but you could get suspended. Same goes for drinking
alcohol on campus, even if you are over 21. Read your student handbook!

Paraphernalia is not legal. That means when you go into a store that
sells bongs, you must refer to them as "tobacco water pipes." In other
words: never say you are going to use something for illegal drug use.
If you do, you'll get kicked out of the head shop, and maybe even
arrested. The paraphernalia laws in Massachusetts are based on intent:
your intended use makes the crime. And it goes beyond pipes and bongs
- -- it applies to spoons, balloons, and blenders, too. So keep your
verbalized intent in check.

Do not dose your friend without their consent and full knowledge of
what you are giving them. If they've never taken the substance before,
tell them the good, the bad, and the ugly, and let them decide if they
want to do it. If you decide to surprise them, or dose them with out
their knowledge, it is mind rape. Not cool. Not funny. Don't do it.

Do not drive or bike under the influence of alcohol, or anything else
that disrupts your perception of
time-space-motion-speed-balance-relation-to-the-box-truck-next-to-you
continuum.

Know what you're taking -- that means knowing your dealer and asking
questions. You'll want to know the purity of the drug you're taking,
what it's been cut/sprayed/made with, and if there are any warnings
your dealer has. Potency is also good to know. If your dealer doesn't
have the answers, gets sketched out by your questions, or if you
suspect you've been given tainted or altered drugs -- find a new
dealer! You can also check out ecstacydata.org to learn about MDMA
(ecstasy) pill quality, and go to erowid.org to learn about all sorts
of different mind-altering substances, how they work, and user
experiences.

Be aware of drug testing. Consider if you're willing to be drug tested
for a job, or for your future career. If you are not prepared to let
anyone judge you by your urine rather than the quality of your work
and content of your character, the National Workrights Institute can
help at workrights.org.

Places to shop

The Hempest (two Boston-area locations at Harvard Square in the
Garage, and at 207 Newbury Street) has an amazing selection of hemp
clothing products -- fashionable stuff that isn't too burlapey. They
also carry a selection of other things hemp, including accessories,
oils, and even shoes.

Buried Treasures (two Boston-area locations at 28 Haviland Street,
Back Bay, and 377 Cambridge Street, Allston) has a select offering of
quality counter-culture attire, knick-knacks, and accessories. They
also have an array of functional glass art and for-tobacco-use-only
products.

Lucy Parsons Center (549 Columbus Avenue, Boston) carries eye-opening,
mind-expanding books, newspapers, and magazines you won't find at
Barnes & Noble or the Coop. They also sell T-shirts, pins, posters,
and bumper stickers. And they host events -- including music, movies,
readings, and discussions. Oh, and they're a volunteer-run collective,
so their prices are cheap and no one will yell at you for hanging out
all day.

Things to do

Check out the MassCann Awards, Friday, September 17, at the Middle
East Downstairs, sponsored by High Times magazine, NORML, and Stingray
Body Art. Featuring Onyx and Prospect Hill. Must be 18-plus, and
buying tickets in advance is recommended. Sure, the party's all about
pot, but don't smoke in the club! Do your thing before you go in or
duck out to a place where you won't disturb the neighbors.

Every cannabis enthusiast must attend the largest pot fest on the East
Coast -- the 21st annual Boston Freedom Rally, held on Boston Common at
high noon on September 18. Roll your joint in advance, leave your
pipes at home, and be aware that you can be given a ticket for
possession of an ounce or less -- so keep only a small amount
(one bag) on you.

Volunteer with the Criminal Justice Policy Coalition. Their mission is
the "advancement of effective, just, and humane criminal-justice
policy in Massachusetts" -- that includes drug policies. Good.

Join your school's chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. This
is the largest student organization in the world devoted to
drug-policy reform. If there's not a chapter on your campus, start
one!

HELP

Sober up

You think you might have a "problem." You've been snorting a lot of
Adderall, prepping for the MCATs while taking 21 credits. You haven't
slept in four days and the Ambien has stopped working. Or maybe you
live a block away from a hipster-laden bar, and somehow your hangovers
have taken precedence over your 8 am molecular-biology class.

If you're alleviating the stress of being a student with recreational
drug use, or using high amounts of pharmaceutical drugs to expand your
brain power and get your work done, and that use is interfering with
your health and school work -- it might be time to get some help.

There are 12-step programs located throughout the city, and even if
you don't think you have a problem, it might be beneficial to check
out a meeting.

* Alcoholics Anonymous: 617.426.9444 or aaboston.org.

* Narcotics Anonymous: 866.NA.HELP.U or newenglandna.org.

* Marijuana Anonymous: marijuana-anonymous.org.

If you don't want to go the 12-step route, most schools have
counselors with whom you can speak.

* MIT - Office of Mental Health Services: 617.253.2916.

* Harvard - Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Services: 617.496.0133.

* BU - Student Health Services: 617.353.3569.

* BC - Alcohol and Drug Education Program: 617.552.3470.

It is important that you do your own research to find the help that's
right for you. We offer some suggestions here -- but you are ultimately
responsible for your own treatment. If one system or call does not
work for you, keep looking until you find one that does!

Get out of jail

You had that ounce of pot in seven different bags, and the cops busted
you with a triple beam too. Now, you need an attorney. The National
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws has an excellent legal
referral service.

You can also check to see if your campus has a student legal
assistance program.

MIT refers students to Mass Legal Help at masslegalhelp.org. Harvard
refers students to the Harvard Defenders, 617.495.4413, or the Criminal
Justice Institute at Harvard Law: 617.496.8143. BU has a Legal
Assistance Bureau, while not specifically for students, they may
offer you some direction: 781.893.4793. BC has a number for students
to call for legal help: 617.353.2326.

Like substance abuse, legal help is a personal decision. Make sure to
find an attorney you trust and with whom you are comfortable.