SENATE BACKS MORE LENIENT MARIJUANA POLICY

The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate on Sunday passed a resolution
calling on the university to follow the lead of the state in assigning
relatively weaker penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana.

Two members of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and a freshman
senator submitted the resolution, which advocated eliminating
disciplinary action for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana.
The resolution passed in a vote of 16 11 with two abstentions.

The measure is an effort to align Tufts' marijuana policy with
Massachusetts state law, according to freshman Lauren Traitz, one of
the two SSDP members who submitted the resolution. A successful 2008
ballot question decriminalized possession of one ounce or less of marijuana.

Under current policy, the university places students found in
possession of a small quantity of marijuana on Disciplinary Probation
Level I, or "pro one," and refers them to Ian Wong, the director of
alcohol and health education. Students who meet with Wong within two
weeks of being placed on pro one can have their punishment reduced to
a warning.

The Senate resolution calls for the university to eliminate pro one as
a consequence for possessing small amounts of marijuana, a step that
would minimize the involvement of the Judicial Affairs office by
sending cases directly to the director of alcohol and health education.

The resolution did not advise changing university consequences for
students caught distributing marijuana or other related offenses.

An SSDP petition calling for changes to the university marijuana
policy collected 500 signatures in three days, according to Traitz.
Massachusetts law and the policies of other colleges in the state
inspired the policy, Traitz said.

"We're not asking Tufts to go against the law, just to correlate with
the state," Traitz said.

SSDP Co President Alex Baskin, a sophomore, added that worries about
the future repercussions of drug related disciplinary action also
inspired SSDP's call for change. Baskin, who was the other SSDP member
to submit the Senate resolution, expressed concern that placement on
pro one could affect students' admission prospects at graduate
schools. While pro one is never noted on one's academic transcript,
employers and graduate admissions counselors may ask job applicants
whether they had ever been subjected to disciplinary action.

"Disciplinary action is not necessary at Tufts because the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts agrees that being caught with small
amounts should not result in criminal punishment," Baskin said.

Under the terms of the resolution, students found in possession of
small amounts of marijuana are still referred to the Department of
Health Education. The resolution's backers felt that requiring a
meeting with department members would benefit students with legitimate
drug problems, according to Traitz.

"The policy should help people who need help," Traitz said, "not
punish people who don't."

Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman said Tufts' policy is already
lenient and that the Senate's initiative does not seem completely
thought out.

"If this is a fine like parking fines, lock outs, keg fines, etc.[,]
those that aren't paid go on a student's university account for
parents to pay," he said in an e mail. "Do students really want to do
this[?] It seems more severe than what we now have. I think we need
some more discussion." Reitman said that he did "not believe that any
student has been disciplined this year for marijuana."

Senator Joe Thibodeau, a freshman, voted in favor of the resolution.
He said yesterday that Tufts should try to subscribe to the laws of
Massachusetts.

"The university should recognize that we are adults living in
Massachusetts, and we are responsible now to make our decisions and
deal with the consequences," Thibodeau said.

Senator Yulia Korovikov said the resolution's failure to address the
issue of multiple infractions influenced her "no" vote.

"I am not against the concept of it," Korovikov, a sophomore, said. "I
just wanted to see more research done before I could formulate a real
opinion of it."

Now that the measure has passed, the Senate's Executive Board will
present it to the relevant parties across the university, according to
Senator Carolina Ramirez, a senior. She anticipated that the
administration would be slow to change its policy.

"I think they are going to do their own research and figure out what
other schools have done and figure out what is best for our campus,"
Ramirez said. "I think it will take a long time for Tufts to make its
own changes."

Thibodeau hoped that the resolution's passage will lead to a
discussion about drug policy between the administration and students.

"The next step is to start a conversation with the administration
about drug use and our social norms on campus," he said. "It is going
to sprout a healthy conversation." -Laina Piera and Amelie Hecht
contributed reporting to this article.

The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate on Sunday passed a resolution
calling on the university to follow the lead of the state in assigning
relatively weaker penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana.

Two members of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and a freshman
senator submitted the resolution, which advocated eliminating
disciplinary action for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana.
The resolution passed in a vote of 16 11 with two abstentions.

The measure is an effort to align Tufts' marijuana policy with
Massachusetts state law, according to freshman Lauren Traitz, one of
the two SSDP members who submitted the resolution. A successful 2008
ballot question decriminalized possession of one ounce or less of marijuana.

Under current policy, the university places students found in
possession of a small quantity of marijuana on Disciplinary Probation
Level I, or "pro one," and refers them to Ian Wong, the director of
alcohol and health education. Students who meet with Wong within two
weeks of being placed on pro one can have their punishment reduced to
a warning.

The Senate resolution calls for the university to eliminate pro one as
a consequence for possessing small amounts of marijuana, a step that
would minimize the involvement of the Judicial Affairs office by
sending cases directly to the director of alcohol and health education.

The resolution did not advise changing university consequences for
students caught distributing marijuana or other related offenses.

An SSDP petition calling for changes to the university marijuana
policy collected 500 signatures in three days, according to Traitz.
Massachusetts law and the policies of other colleges in the state
inspired the policy, Traitz said.

"We're not asking Tufts to go against the law, just to correlate with
the state," Traitz said.

SSDP Co President Alex Baskin, a sophomore, added that worries about
the future repercussions of drug related disciplinary action also
inspired SSDP's call for change. Baskin, who was the other SSDP member
to submit the Senate resolution, expressed concern that placement on
pro one could affect students' admission prospects at graduate
schools. While pro one is never noted on one's academic transcript,
employers and graduate admissions counselors may ask job applicants
whether they had ever been subjected to disciplinary action.

"Disciplinary action is not necessary at Tufts because the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts agrees that being caught with small
amounts should not result in criminal punishment," Baskin said.

Under the terms of the resolution, students found in possession of
small amounts of marijuana are still referred to the Department of
Health Education. The resolution's backers felt that requiring a
meeting with department members would benefit students with legitimate
drug problems, according to Traitz.

"The policy should help people who need help," Traitz said, "not
punish people who don't."

Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman said Tufts' policy is already
lenient and that the Senate's initiative does not seem completely
thought out.

"If this is a fine like parking fines, lock outs, keg fines, etc.[,]
those that aren't paid go on a student's university account for
parents to pay," he said in an e mail. "Do students really want to do
this[?] It seems more severe than what we now have. I think we need
some more discussion." Reitman said that he did "not believe that any
student has been disciplined this year for marijuana."

Senator Joe Thibodeau, a freshman, voted in favor of the resolution.
He said yesterday that Tufts should try to subscribe to the laws of
Massachusetts.

"The university should recognize that we are adults living in
Massachusetts, and we are responsible now to make our decisions and
deal with the consequences," Thibodeau said.

Senator Yulia Korovikov said the resolution's failure to address the
issue of multiple infractions influenced her "no" vote.

"I am not against the concept of it," Korovikov, a sophomore, said. "I
just wanted to see more research done before I could formulate a real
opinion of it."

Now that the measure has passed, the Senate's Executive Board will
present it to the relevant parties across the university, according to
Senator Carolina Ramirez, a senior. She anticipated that the
administration would be slow to change its policy.

"I think they are going to do their own research and figure out what
other schools have done and figure out what is best for our campus,"
Ramirez said. "I think it will take a long time for Tufts to make its
own changes."

Thibodeau hoped that the resolution's passage will lead to a
discussion about drug policy between the administration and students.

"The next step is to start a conversation with the administration
about drug use and our social norms on campus," he said. "It is going
to sprout a healthy conversation." .