By snoadmin
The use of medical marijuana in California is still a hot topic, and the legality of the drug is still a bit hazy. Certain cities are still trying to ban medical marijuana dispensaries entirely, and the federal government continues to shut down dispensaries left and right. Until the laws regarding medical use of cannabis are made clearer, the conflict will continue.
One rule on medical marijuana remains clear however. Cal State Universities have an official no-tolerance policy on marijuana, whether it is doctor-recommended or not.
That’s right, even if you have your official medical marijuana card you can be heavily disciplined by campus police for smoking on campus. This is in contrast to the University of California system, which has been willing to make accommodations on a case-to-case basis for people who absolutely need the drug.
The main issue here is that some Cal State schools require incoming freshman to live in the dorms. If an incoming freshman is a medical pot user, he or she would need to vacate campus to “medicate” themselves.
Some students have even lost housing scholarships just because they were found to be in possession of pot, which seems unreasonable especially if they have a medical excuse. People who are found drinking for the first time in the dorms often get no more than a slap on the wrist, so why should this be any different?
It makes sense why medical weed has not been accepted with open arms on campus. It is easier for the campus police to just punish every marijuana user than it is for them to check every person’s credentials when they catch them puffing away between classes. Also, pot smokers have a tendency to “share the wealth.” The school does not want full smoking circles popping up just because someone has their medical card.
The problem with medical marijuana regulation as it exists now is that the people who actually need it are mixed in with the people who are exploiting the system to get high legally.
Someone who uses pot to regain his appetite after chemotherapy might be in line right next to a 20-year-old college sophomore who faked having glaucoma. It is impossible to walk down Venice Beach without being propositioned 50 times by unofficial-looking people who want you to sign up for a medical card. As far as medical practices go, it is not run in a very official way.
Most 20-something college students are not going to have a legitimate reason for needing a medical card to enjoy smoking weed. It is reasonable for the school to keep its no-tolerance policy toward smoking pot on campus.
The dorms are a different story. If someone has documentation from their doctor saying that they need to be able to smoke weed, they should be able to do it near the place they live without fearing the cops breaking down their door.
The Cal State system should follow the UC system’s lead and make exceptions for the students who are not faking it and actually need medical marijuana.
Unfortunately, the fear that the Feds will withold funding to force compliance is very real. The closest example is the age for drinking alcohol. In 1984, Congress passed an act imposing a 10% highyway funds penalty for states that didn’t prohibit the purchase and public possession of alcohol by persons under the age of 21. Regardless of the political party in power, the Federal government has held fast on it’s policies toward alcohol and marijuana. Given the current budget situation, would you want a standoff with the Feds on this issue if you were an CSU administrator?