UR POLICE DEPARTMENT CRACKS DOWN ON POT USE

Marijuana enthusiasts across the country will be reaching for their bongs,
blunts and Bics today in preparation for April 20, the de facto holiday for
marijuana users.

Yes, today, 4/20, the international day of blazing has arrived. But
before you puff that joint, be warned that marijuana possession at
University of Richmond is no laughing matter.

Despite its illegality, marijuana is the most popular drug on college
campuses aside from alcohol. "Alcohol and marijuana have been the most
popular drugs for years, since I was in college," University police
Lt. John Jacobs said.

Possession of marijuana in Virginia is still a serious crime, though
other states such as Colorado have decriminalized the drug. Virginia
law states that possession of marijuana, a misdemeanor crime, is
punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $500 for the
first offense. Secondary offenses carry greater fines and more jail
time.

"This semester we have had an unusually high number of marijuana
offenses," said Patrick Benner, assistant dean of Resident Life and
the dean in charge of sanctioning drug offenses. So far this year
there have been 14 arrests for marijuana possession, with 12 of those
coming in the spring semester, according to data obtained from the
Richmond College Dean's Office. There were 19 arrests involving
marijuana during the 2004-2005 school year, one of which involved
intent to distribute.

"I would not attribute the increase this semester to anything in
particular," Jacobs said. "Like DUI citations or alcohol citations, it
will vary throughout the year. There have been no changes in police
enforcement." Students caught with marijuana are subject to
administrative punishments as well as penalties at the state level,
Benner said.

The degree of punishment dealt by the university varies with the
circumstances surrounding the incident, Benner said. "Cut-and-dry
marijuana possession usually results in housing probation for a
minimum of one year whereas distributing marijuana has higher
sanctions that can include suspension and possible expulsion," he
said. The administration is forwarded the names of individuals who are
arrested for marijuana by the campus police department, Benner said.
Resident assistants who suspect drugs are being abused are told to
call police immediately, he said. RAs have a totally different
procedure for dealing with drugs than for dealing with alcohol, he
said.

The police investigate the incident and make a recommendation to the
administration about the severity of the situation, he said. "If a
large amount of marijuana is found or multiple smoking devices, that
usually results in a greater punishment," he said.

Parents are always notified if their son or daughter is caught with
marijuana, he added.

To charge a suspect, the police turn all evidence to the magistrate's
office, which decides whether the evidence is enough to issue a
warrant, Jacobs said. Not all students are charged because the
magistrate will not issue a warrant if there is insufficient evidence
or if it is unclear whom the marijuana belonged to, he said.

"It is different if you are caught with it in your pocket than if you
were in car where marijuana was present," he said.

Sophomore Stuart M. Ulman was caught smoking marijuana in the Greek
Theatre with five other students as a freshman, he said.

He took the blame for the drugs and was fined $50 by the university
and ordered to complete 20 hours of community service, he said. He was
told there would be no criminal charges.

Later in the semester, police contacted him and said they would charge
him unless he found out where to buy more, he said.

Asked if this was a common practice, Jacobs said police use all
options and possibilities when investigating crimes.

Ulman went home for Winter Break without contacting the police, he
said. While driving back to Richmond he received a phone call from his
roommate telling him the police were looking for him. That night he
awoke to a flashlight in his face.

"I had to sign the warrant for my arrest at 5 a.m. in my boxer shorts
in the hallway of Freeman," he said.

The police try to issue the warrants as soon as possible, Jacobs said.
After three trips to Richmond City courts, the charges were dropped
because the police officer had written the wrong birthday on the
warrant, making Ulman 18 when the crime was committed.

There is no one place on campus that is notorious for marijuana abuse,
Jacobs said.

"There have been arrests at the Greek Theatre, the lake and in dorms,"
he said. "It depends on where the person feels the most comfortable."