GOING UP IN SMOKE

It Turns Out Mary Jane Is The Most Popular Student At Marshall.

"Marijuana is the drug of choice on the Marshall campus, next to
alcohol," Marshall Police Chief Jim E. Terry, said.

In 2003, 50 citations for controlled substance use were issued at
Marshall and about 17 have been issued since January. In 2002, 15
citations and eight arrests were made for the possession of controlled
substances.

"I think marijuana is used in movies, music and on television,
exposing younger people to marijuana earlier in life, making it
thought of as casually as a cigarette," Sergeant Darren Francis of the
West Virginia State Police Crime Lab, said.

The Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students
(BASICS) is available for students who want to examine their alcohol
and drug use in a neutral environment. BASICS is a grant that provides
funds to the MUPD, Huntington Police Department and Cabell County
Sheriff's Department to help combat underage drinking.

Since August 2003, BASICS has put more officers on the streets more
often and expands the enforced areas to find underage drinking. By
lengthening the reach of the police, BASICS has helped net marijuana
users on and around the Marshall campus.

"Getting any drugs off the street helps the effort," Terry said.

The number of controlled substance citations has risen this year but
could be a reflection of a more intense focus on the part of local law
enforcement.

Terry said just because the main goal of the BASICS operation is
alcohol, that doesn't mean other crimes such as marijuana will be
ignored when officers are out on patrol.

A West Virginia State College student was arrested on charges of
possession of 158 grams of marijuana in February. MUPD officers have
said the amounts of marijuana being seized have been going up lately,
with the numbers reflective of a national trend, Terry said.

"We'd love to wipe it out, but until you get out there working it, you
don't know how widespread it is," Matt Hoke, coordinator for the FBI's
Drug Task Force, said.

The Task Force, comprised of officers from the Huntington Police
Department, Barboursville Police, Cabell County Sheriff's Department,
West Virginia State Police and FBI, targets suppliers of drugs. Hoke
said the city of Huntington has about 300 dealers and Marshall is near
high-drug trafficking areas of the city.

"In all reality, on a campus that promotes itself as drug free, any
marijuana is too much," Joe A. Depto, a political science and English
sophomore from Glen Dale, said.

Marshall's Student Code of Conduct states that students could be
suspended for unauthorized possession or use of drugs or narcotics, a
violation that includes any drug without a valid prescription.

"We just want everyone to be safe, it's like they're all my children,"
Dr. David Ridpath, the director of Judicial Affairs, said.

Ridpath said the penalties outlined in the Code of Conduct are thought
of as the maximum punishment. He said that a student is rarely, if
ever, suspended for a first violation.

"It's heartening to find that most of the time, the students have
already notified the parents before I get to them," Ridpath said.
"Usually the kids are smart enough to come clean and save themselves
the hassle."

For first-time marijuana offenses, the student gets a letter from
Ridpath and Judicial Affairs. It does not imply the individual is
guilty, but he or she must talk with Ridpath about the situation. The
student is then usually placed on probation, if there are no other
offenses in the student's history, and does not have to report or
check in, but Ridpath said the probation is an agreement that the
student needs to start making better choices.

A letter is then sent home to a parent or legal guardian and the
student is asked to attend Alcohol Awareness classes with Student Health.

"We don't see a lot of people twice, and I'm not as nice the second
time around," Ridpath said. Students may be in violation of the Code
of Conduct, but also need to pay fines or even spend a night in jail
for breaking the law, and if the offense happened in a residence hall,
then Residence Services can give disciplinary points.

If a person is found guilty of selling drugs on campus, the penalty is
enhanced because it is on school property.

"If you have any drug other than marijuana, we will take you into
custody right away," Terry said. "If there is any amount of crack,
we're sending it straight to the Drug Task Force."

Ridpath also said that he is a great deal harder on dealers and with
any drugs more serious than marijuana.

"Working in the dorms, I notice a large amount of people that are
high," Courtney M. Nichols, a criminal justice senior from
Moundsville, said. "I can smell it, and I think it's ridiculous that
they can get away with something illegal like that. I don't think the
police are doing enough to stop drugs on campus."

Jeanne Saunders had a different take on the situation.

"I don't really run into it on campus because I don't live on campus,"
Saunders, an undecided sophomore from Charleston, said.

According to the 2003-2004 MU handbook, the university is in
compliance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 and also the
Drug-Free Schools and Community Act Amendments of 1989.

The handbook says that possession, use, manufacture or distribution of
any illegal drug is prohibited on property owned or controlled by the
University.

"We at Marshall are not in the business of putting people in jail,"
Stephen W. Hensley, dean of students, said.

The MU Handbook states the University is committed to preventing the
use of illegal drugs and will use educational strategies as the
primary approach to substance abuse.

Students who seek abuse or addiction treatment may be eligible for a
medical withdrawal from the university without academic penalty.