ORLANDO — The University of Central Florida Golden Rule Review Committee voted today on a new campus policy that would equalize school punishments for student alcohol and marijuana use. The vote resulted in a tie (3-3 — one voting member left early), with the opponents’ primary concern being a desire to spend more time considering the policy. The proposal will be brought up for consideration again early next semester.

“We are very glad to see UCF giving such strong consideration to this proposal to address dangerous student drinking,” said Brendon Rivard, the spokesman for the UCF chapter of NORML. “We look forward to meeting with the committee members and addressing any further concerns they might have. Given such strong student support for this measure, we hope to see it become policy early next semester. It makes no sense for the university to be steering students toward alcohol — which contributes to so many serious problems — and away from a much safer substance: marijuana.”

The proposed policy establishes equal campus punishments for student alcohol and marijuana use, so that the use of alcohol — which is far more dangerous and causes far more problems than marijuana use — is no longer a more acceptable form of intoxication under campus policy. If the committee approves the new policy next semester, it will be sent to the UCF administration for final approval and implementation.

The policy is based on the recommendations of a task force of student leaders and administrators, which formed after a large majority of the student body approved a campus referendum on equalizing marijuana and alcohol punishments. Approximately 57 percent of student voters approved the measure, which was sponsored by the UCF chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). The referendum received endorsements from the campus newspaper and both student body government presidential tickets, and it has since received endorsements from a variety of other student groups.

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