POT AND POLICY

Knock, knock. "Who's there?" "It's the police, and you're in trouble."
I hope you weren't expecting a knock-knock joke because this
all-too-common scenario at the university isn't funny at all. Whenever
resident assistants think they smell marijuana, they're instructed to
contact the police without conducting any further investigation or
warning students to refrain from smoking.

Perhaps this excessive policy is one reason why the university ranks
eighth in the nation in arresting its own students for drug
violations, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. Too often,
police haul away university students in handcuffs for simple
possession of marijuana. But being arrested isn't just an one-night
inconvenience; it can ruin students' lives.

Because marijuana possession is a Section A violation of Resident
Life's Community Handbook, these students immediately lose campus
housing. Section B violations - such as weapons possession,
destruction of property, threats and harassment - don't levy such a
penalty from the university. Students caught with marijuana may also
have to miss classes to attend court dates and meetings with lawyers.
This stress can be detrimental to one's academic performance. Further,
the university subjects these students to random drug testing for two
years. Just one positive test can result in expulsion from school.

Under state law, first-time possession of marijuana is punishable by
up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. Additionally, many
students must participate in community service and work extra hours to
cover the cost of legal fees, which detract considerably from study
time.

Perhaps the most atrocious collateral damage associated with a drug
arrest is the possibility of losing access to college altogether.
Under a 1998 provision of the Higher Education Act, students convicted
of drug offenses lose federal financial aid. Without this aid, many
students can't afford tuition and must drop out of school. Since this
law was enacted, more than 157,000 students nationwide have been
denied aid because of drug convictions.

Five years ago, the Student Government Association passed a resolution
calling for repeal of the HEA Drug Provision because of its
detrimental effects on education. So why is the university still
adamant about arresting students and subjecting them to policies that
unnecessarily ruin their lives?

Too many of our peers are forced out of education and into cycles of
failure. That's why I'm introducing a new resolution to SGA that calls
upon the university to change its draconian policies. The Community
Handbook should be revised so students arrested for marijuana
possession aren't immediately evicted from the dorms. Further, RAs
should be instructed to call the police only if a resident or
situation presents an immediate threat or danger to students or property.

Students should never be subjected to harsh penalties that are more
harmful than the behaviors they are intended to prevent. No one could
reasonably claim that marijuana use is completely harmless, but
kicking students out of school only increases the harm associated with
the drug. Closing the doors to education does nothing to help students
solve their drug problems. By subjecting students to a litany of
punishments, the university's "solution" is far worse than its problems.

The university should strive to ensure more students remain enrolled
here, not fewer. While misguided policies like the HEA Drug Provision
remain on the law books, campus leaders must support sensible policy
changes that protect access to education by reducing the likelihood
that students will receive drug convictions.

This weekend, students from across the country will gather in Stamp
Student Union to discuss the harms caused by the war on drugs and
share strategies about how to bring about real policy change at the
university, state and federal levels. I encourage all who are
interested in enacting more reasonable drug policies to attend the
Students for Sensible Drug Policy national conference. A full schedule
and registration information can be found online at
www.DAREgeneration.com.

If we don't work to change unjust university policies, who will?