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  Students Push for More Lenient Drug Penalties
Posted by CN Staff on April 20, 2006 at 09:35:09 PT
By Matthew Abbott, The Dartmouth Staff  
Source: Dartmouth 

cannabis New Hampshire -- As part of a campaign to promote marijuana as a safer alternative to alcohol, groups of college students around the country are pushing for reduced penalties for marijuana possession.

Last Thursday, students at the University of Maryland passed a referendum in their student government elections that advocates punishing marijuana possession on the same level as alcohol violations.

While this vote is considered to be a message to administrators at the school, it does not actually change any of the current policies. Students caught with drugs who live on-campus at the University of Maryland almost always lose their housing.

Also, depending on the specifics of the violation, students face a one-year suspension, although minor violations may be treated less severely. In contrast, alcohol violations rarely cost students their on-campus housing or lead to a one-year suspension.

The referendum at the University of Maryland is the latest in a series of initiatives on campuses around the country seeking to present marijuana as an alternative to alcohol. To date, students at five universities have passed such a referendum.

The movement, spearheaded by a group called Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, emerged after student deaths from alcohol consumption at the University of Colorado and Colorado State University.

"SAFER does not encourage the use of marijuana," a statement on the group's website said. "Rather, it encourages the development and enactment of laws and public policies that recognize the simple, indisputable fact that marijuana is less harmful -- both to the user and society -- than alcohol."

While Dartmouth's Student Assembly has not yet considered such a referendum, a number of students interviewed by The Dartmouth were receptive to such an initiative.

"Blacking out or driving drunk is a much more relevant and common problem than being high, especially at Dartmouth," Matthew Chin '07 said. "With long-term effects still unproven, inability to overdose and a lack of physically- addicting characteristics, marijuana infractions should rarely be reprimanded more harshly than its alcoholic analogs."

In the 2004-2005 academic year, there were 467 alleged minor infractions under the College's Alcohol and Other Drugs policy. The vast majority of these cases dealt with alcohol violations, with only 36 students being found responsible for possession of drugs or drug paraphernalia.

At Dartmouth, students charged with public intoxication typically receive a $50 fine, a reprimand and are required to attend a group education program. A second offense carries another fine, College discipline and another group education program.

Underage drinking or possession of alcohol will typically warrant a warning for the first offense and a reprimand for the second offense. The College's drug policy is more ambiguous, and the circumstances surrounding the case play a large role in determining the punishment students receive. Sanctions vary from reprimands with a group education program to separation from the College.

Factors that play a role in determining the punishment include the way in which the violation was committed, the amount and type of drugs involved, the intent and degree of knowledge of the accused student, whether the drugs were delivered or attempted to be delivered and the accused student's past record.

Source: Dartmouth, The (NH Edu)
Author: Matthew Abbott, The Dartmouth Staff
Published: Thursday, April 20, 2006
Copyright: 2006, The Dartmouth, Inc.
Website: http://www.thedartmouth.com/
Contact: The.Dartmouth@Dartmouth.edu

Related Articles & Web Site:

Safer Choice
http://www.saferchoice.org/

U-Md. Students Vote to Soften Pot Penalties
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21731.shtml

SAFER Pushing To Legalize Marijuana Statewide
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21638.shtml


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Comment #2 posted by FoM on April 20, 2006 at 11:15:18 PT
SAFER
I like the way Safer is approaching our issue. When young people are in college they are becoming adults and adults should be allowed to decide about using cannabis or not.

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Comment #1 posted by whig on April 20, 2006 at 11:10:39 PT
SAFER
SAFER is on FIRE.

I love these guys. They really figured out how to sell this issue, in a way that any common sense person can understand.

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