A Purdue University student group believes it now has leverage that could lead to changes in the university’s residence hall marijuana policy.
By a vote of 2,970 to 2,567 – a 54-to-46 margin – Boilermakers voted in favor of making the punishment for getting busted for pot in campus housing on par with being caught with alcohol.
The nonbinding student referendum was included on ballots during the Purdue Student Government elections held March 30 through April 1. Results were released late this afternoon.
“Now that we have the results, we’re wanting to sit down and have talks with the residence hall council,” said junior Sara Wislocki, president of Purdue’s chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML. “… When we first contacted the residence halls, before speaking with us they wanted to know what proof we had that students would want this change.”
Currently, students caught with alcohol in residence halls face a range of penalties, which include referral to an alcohol education program or being kicked out of campus housing for continued violations.
But residence hall contracts are terminated the first time a student is caught with marijuana or other illegal drugs.
NORML worked with Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation, a Denver-based group that is pushing colleges to reconsider policies around student marijuana use.
“We’re looking at it from the angle of marijuana being safer than alcohol,” Wislocki said. “Students causing the majority of problems are the ones who are too intoxicated. As a woman, I’d rather be around men smoking than those who are drinking – they have less aggressive behavior.
“Yet the university’s policy is more lenient toward alcohol.”
Let’s not forget that for Purdue students under age 21, a boilermaker is just as illegal as a bong hit. Nobody ever thinks of underaged drinking as “using illegal drugs”, but that is exactly what it is. It is illegal for a minor to even possess alcohol, let alone use it. Yet our society thinks of underaged drinking as some sort of “rite of passage”. “Senior keggers” in high school are given a pass by many parents. College drinking game parties are a must for new freshman and returning sophomores who are rarely 21 years old. And every semester, some college near you reports the sad death of a student from alcohol poisoning or a DUI crash. It’s time to let our young people make the safer choice of intoxicant – marijuana – and maybe save a few young lives in the process.
I’m not surprised you used marijuana. 51.3% of people your age have. 28% of you are smoking this year and 11% will smoke more than 100 times this year.
You express yourself well, but there are some flaws in your reasoning.
#1) In America, we don’t punish people based on what they may potentially do (except in Tom Cruise’s “Vanilla Sky” and sex offenders), so kicking out a 1st time toker, but not a 1st time underaged drinker, because the next time the toker will be a felon is unAmerican.
#2) If you feel Purdue’s laws should not deviate from state and federal laws, why then is the underaged drinker given a slap on the wrist at Purdue? According to the code you cite, underaged alcohol possession is punishable by up to a 60 day jail term and $500 in fines. By definition, underaged drinking is “abuse of alcohol”, and according to IC-35-50-3-1 “if the court finds that the use or abuse of alcohol… is a contributing factor… the court may place the person on probation… for a fixed period of not more than two (2) years.”
#3) If you think that “marijuana use > underaged drinking in the eyes the law” means Purdue should match state and federal law, that suggests there is no need for Purdue to have a separate set of laws, period. If you really believe that Purdue has an obligation to set its penalties to align with state and federal law, then do you think states have an obligation to set their penalties to align with federal law?
Of course marijuana penalties = alcohol penalties is out of line with Indiana and federal – that’s the point. The idea is for young people to show their greater understanding of relative harm from both activities and regulate them accordingly. It’s the future leaders of the country rejecting the status quo and establishing a more fair system.
Holy hell. I’m a 41-year-old man trying to convince a young college man to “fight the power”. What the hell happened to this country’s college campuses? Back in the day college kids would’ve stormed the Dean’s office, issued demands, and made top story on the evening news. Now it’s a struggle to just get them to vote for an alcohol=marijuana code in the student bylaws
I will try to address all of the issues that you raised in the first paragraph with a further explanation of my viewpoint.
I do not feel that a minor that gets caught with alcohol will stop drinking either. But when you get caught a second time drinking underage in Indiana, it is still a class C misdemeanor. If the two strike system were implemented for marijuana as well, then the people who get caught once, but continue to use are potential felons. Whereas the minors who get caught once with alcohol and then continue to use are not potential felons. I feel it is not a valid argument to say that since they are both illegal, they should have the same punishment when in the eyes of the law, the punishments are not equal. (There is a potential difference of 305 days of jail time and $4,500 in fines. (IC 35-50-3-2 and IC 35-50-3-4))
And just for a clarification, pushing for the decriminalization of marijuana means that I don’t feel that second time tokers should be felons. Until the law is changed they still are in Indiana.
Now to address your second set of questions. I agree with the point that you are insinuating. Marijuana is no doubt a safer (but not completely safe) drug. That is the underlying reason that I feel it should be decriminalized. However, Purdue is a public university and I feel that it’s policies should not deviate from state and federal laws. The punishments put forth by the Purdue policies are on par with the punishments put forth by Indiana laws. By law, you get a slap on the wrist for underage alcohol, but a much more severe punishment for even first time marijuana users. Do I feel this is right? No. But do I feel that Purdue should change their policies to be more lenient than the laws? Also no.
Side point, although mostly irrelevant: The bulk of Purdue dorms are actually designed (placement of heaters and air conditioners) to vent underneath the doors into the hallways. This means that when one person decides to smoke marijuana, cigarettes, or even burn Mac’ ‘n’ Cheese in their dorm room, the entire floor smells like it. I smoked a pack a week freshman year of college (cigarettes) and I even thought it was annoying when someone was smoking cigarettes in their room. It is really disrespectful to everyone on the floor. My underlying philosophy is you can do whatever you want, just don’t make it everyone else’s issue.
Yet another side note, although also pretty irrelevant: A good number of RA’s turn a blind eye to alcohol in the dorms, as long as it is not a problem (no vomiting, excessive noise late at night, etc). These same RA’s also turn a blind eye to marijuana, unless it becomes a problem. So it is not like Purdue is on the hunt for tokers.
And to answer your last question, I have used marijuana. Honestly, I think a staggering majority of people have used marijuana. Not to mention, I’m pretty convinced that most (if not all) people in politics have smoked if not smoke marijuana. Further evidence for the decriminalization of marijuana.
I guess to sum up my opinion here, as long as marijuana use and underage drinking are not equal in the eyes on the law, Purdue should not treat them equally.
Do you believe that the minor caught in possession of alcohol will not drink again until he/she turns 21?
You’re just playing with words when you say “Purdue University is not in the business of harboring potential felons.” By your own citation of Indiana Code, the student caught with marijuana, first offense, is not a felon. For the less-than-21-year-old student, possession of alcohol or marijuana are both misdemeanors, so why does the drinker get a mulligan but the toker gets kicked out? You say you support legalization of marijuana, which implies that you don’t believe people who possess marijuana are felons.
Another set of questions for you: How many students at Purdue have died from alcohol overdoses? How many have died from marijuana overdoses? So why did you vote to punish more severely the students caught with the demonstrably safer drug? Have you ever used marijuana?
“…a boilermaker is just as illegal as a bong hit.”
I would like to correct this misconception. Indiana Code 7.1-5-7-7 states that minors who posses, consume, or transport on a public highway (without their parent or legal guardian) alcohol commit a class C misdemeanor. Indian Code 35-48-4-11 states that any person who knowingly or intentionally posses, grows, or fails to destroy (on their own premises) marijuana commits a class A misdemeanor which becomes a class D felony on the second offense.
The Purdue Residence Hall’s policy on alcohol is the first offense will get you a referral to the police (unless you are 21), generally alcohol classes, and a warning. Second offense will terminate your contract. The first offense with marijuana terminates your contract and also requires referral to the police.
I (personal opinion) don’t believe that many people who are caught once with marijuana will decide to discontinue use of the drug, and Purdue University is not in the business of harboring potential felons.
Despite my support for the legalization of marijuana, I voted in the 46%.
[...] I believe marijuana will be legalized in my lifetime, and I believe that despite the best efforts of people like Allen St. Pierre, we still must voraciously protect our children from potential poisons like tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and any other borderline toxin that can easily be ingested. Allen, and his organization NORML support the responsibile use of marijuana, and defend their stance through their website and town meetings and by word of mouth. They are serious about marijuana and it isnt like they want it growing on every street corner and entering lunch boxes, if marijuana is abused it can be as dangerous as any other substance, alcohol included. [...]
Go Boilermakers!!!!! Russ change that HEADline.
psst… headline: Purdue.
Would hate for that to be the linked headline on other sites. (“Stupid stoners can’t spell.”)