EMU seeks to ban medical marijuana on campus
Eastern Michigan University is looking to ban medical marijuana use and possession on campus, a move that will put the college in line with other state institutions who have barred the drug, including Michigan State University and the University of Michigan.
Eastern Michigan University will decide today whether to ban medical marijuana use on its campus.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
Because EMU receives federal funding, it is subject to the federal act, the school asserts.
The matter will be put to a vote at EMU's Board of Regents meeting today.
Doug Ordway, owner of the Green Bee Collective, a medical marijuana dispensary in Ann Arbor, says he is disappointed by EMU’s push to ban the substance.
“They’re dependent on federal funding and it’s hard for them to support medical marijuana without getting in trouble,” he said. “But I’d like them to, at the minimum, be neutral on it because they’re going contradictory to the will of the people in Michigan.”
Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.
Comments
BhavanaJagat
Wed, Sep 21, 2011 : 3:24 p.m.
What is Truth? My concern is not about making Marijuana legal. I am concerned about the health and well-being of the student community at Eastern Michigan University and the larger social community to which I belong. The Regents of EMU must stop behaving like the three proverbial monkeys that see no evil, speak no evil, and hear no evil. I need to know the truth about the use of Marijuana at EMU. What is the prevalence rate? How many are using? How often they are using? How long they have been using? I need basic information to know and understand the truth about this matter. EMU and other Universities being the Centers for Higher Education must always seek the truth and reveal the nature of reality. EMU must not accept Federal Financial Aid and Research Grants if in reality its members, the students and the faculty members are using illegal drugs that are prohibited by Federal Laws. I want the Regents of EMU to function in a transparent manner to uphold the principles of honesty and integrity. To demonstrate true compliance, EMU must sanction conducting of laboratory testing by an independent agency and prove the fact that the recipients of Federal Grants and Funds are truly Drug Free. I am not impressed by this proposed rule about use of prescription Marijuana as it does not reveal the truth about the use of Marijuana on the University Campus. It needs courage and conviction to accept the truth and address issues with Character.
treetowncartel
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 4:42 p.m.
Legalize it, regulate it and tax the crap out of it.
craigjjs
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 6:42 p.m.
Agreed. But don't do an end run by telling voters they are voting for compassionate treatment for seriously ill citizens when you are just creating a sham dope for bucks system.
ICanSeeClearlyNow
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 4:27 p.m.
Lets not forget that MM is nothing but a fraud anyway. It doesn't take much of a reading of the pro-pot comments on this site to demonstrate that. The MM concept was just a scam to make pot abuse semi-legal. The pro-pot commentors here are pushing full legalization. The huge loop holes in this bill make the bill's true intent very obvious. There is no valid use of pot as medicine and if you ask for supporting evidence otherwise, all you'll get is links to pro-pot legalization sites, and Wikipedia. If the person you ask has actually taken the time to look at the reference links on one of these sites, they might send you a link to an article on promising studies of pot's effects on mice. Maybe you'll get a link to an article where a person was administered pot and the user enjoyed the high so much his perceived ailment magically went away. You will not get any kind of controlled study results that scientifically show that pot is an effective treatment for even one of the very long list of ailments and diseases on the MM bill's approved treatments list.
ICanSeeClearlyNow
Wed, Sep 21, 2011 : 11:25 p.m.
Rrrodney, Who are you trying to fool? Psychosis in many forms such as recurring hallucinations, is directly caused by smoking pot. Your simple statement otherwise should fool no one. Here is a link to a peer reviewed article in the British Journal of Psychiatry about pot's damaging effect on humans. bjp.rcpsych.org/content/178/2/116.full You will not find any scientific studies showing pot has any medicinal value. Please don't send the usual insulting links to pro-cannabis.com or Wikipedia or studies on mice or articles on how Joe got high and his lumbago went away.
ICanSeeClearlyNow
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 9:49 p.m.
Hmm, As with all dangerous drugs, I am for eliminating demand for the psychosis causing, carcinogenic escape from reality called pot. I know "reefer madness" right? That kind of smoke screen use of words reminds me of politicians when they use words like socialist, communist, or class warfare, etc. It is a highly reliable indicator of someone who doesn't have an argument to stand on.
cinnabar7071
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 7:13 p.m.
" Not a man made chemical." So is poison ivy. Whats your point?
Hmm
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 6:39 p.m.
We want RELEGALIZATION, because it should never have been made "illegal" in the first place. I'm glad you are all for funding never ending drug wars who's sole purpose is to send minorities and poor people to prison, but some, actually most of us sane, freedom loving Americans will continue to oppose you and your kind till we win our fight!
BhavanaJagat
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 2:49 p.m.
A valid argument is presented by 'Pfroehlich2004@yahoo.com. How could EMU( or MSU or U of M ) prohibit a drug or substance that is obtained by a prescription. Many doctors and pharmacists may sell these prescriptions for addictive substances. But, that is a different problem. How could we control human behavior by using Laws? We have enough number of Laws to deal with the use or distribution of chemical substances and yet the problem is not going away. There are several other chemical substances that are legally sold and used for other purposes which have the potential for misuse and abuse. People are aware of problems like 'Glue Sniffing'. If EMU wants to represent itself as a place of Higher Education, it need to address the basic underlying problem. EMU must investiagte as to why its students want to use Marijuana. If the use of Marijuana is prohibited, what other alternative EMU has to offer?
Hmm
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 6:22 p.m.
Yeah doctors do not prescribe cannabis like they do xanax or oxy's they can only recommend that using it will help a patient. A prescription and a recommendation are two completely different things.
1bit
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 4:46 p.m.
"How could EMU( or MSU or U of M ) prohibit a drug or substance that is obtained by a prescription." The answer to this question is easy: Marijuana is illegal federally and remains illegal irrespective of Michigan laws. Moreover, very few physicians actually have legal prescribing power for Marijuana and risk their DEA licenses (and maybe more) if they write a "prescription" for it.
cinnabar7071
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 4:09 p.m.
"what other alternative EMU has to offer?" They will offer you a education, wanna party? Go to the bar, or dope house.
trespass
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 2:42 p.m.
In 1990 the University of Michigan lobbied for a law that would allow them to have their own police department. They got MCL 390.1511. People who were involved at the time have said that it was largely motivated by the fact that Ann Arbor Police would only ticket individuals for minor marijuana possession so UM got their own police department so that they could enforce federal law for marijana possesion. Here we have a Republican legislature and Governor but they will not stand up for States Rights.
Tom Joad
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 2:21 p.m.
Medical marijuana was presented as an alternative drug for the most grave diseases and debilitating conditions, yet an entire population of young people, including 20-something college students, gamed the system and obtained a script from a disreputable doctor's prescription mill all for the purpose of obtaining a legal right to smoke dope card. The Medical Marijuana Lobby should endorse measures to curtail this obvious abuse of the system that has noble medical purposes. The inevitable exploitation of this law has turned many people against medical marijuana, and the Federal Government is vigorously stepping in to enforce its supreme laws in that regard. Profiteers came out of the woodwork to establish an outrageous amount of illegal dispensaries to capitalize on the prolific use of marijuana by a significant population of young users whose medical necessity is questionable and often fraudulent. No one should have to breathe another's cigarette or marijuana smoke on a public campus.
hut hut
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 4:46 p.m.
Please tell us how you define "an entire population" Do you mean 100% What is an "outrageous amount" of dispensaries? Stop the Reefer Madness and stop making things up.
A2guy1979
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 4 p.m.
wah wah wah.
Michigan Man
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 1:16 p.m.
Solid move by EMU - they have been an educational leader for decades and responsible decisions like this assure the continuation of this well deserved student focused reputation.
jinxplayer
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 12:28 p.m.
Lol, about 100 years too late emu.
America
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 12:23 p.m.
The will of the people in Michigan is not to have all these people abusing a law, all these people bounding up the stairs to get their fix. That is not for whom the law was passed. The will of the people also can't overrule the law of the land. It is insane that this would even be a debate. Illegal drugs being banned on a college campus is no-brainer (pun intended).
A2Woman
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 12:10 p.m.
@Steve Sorry, they aren't taking their cue from the state government, this is the federal government dictating this. This is because EMU's Alcohol and Other Drug Policy for students, faculty and staff operates under federal law, which still mandates that marijuana is illegal, even for medical use. In short, AOD Policy follows federal law.
A2Woman
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 1:24 p.m.
They will not jeopardize their federal funding. IMHO, I don't think this vote today is about showmanship. Commenters here can debate (and will) MMJ until we are blue in the face, and never agree, but that's not the issue today. It's federal $$'s.
Steve in MI
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 12:53 p.m.
Quite true from a policy perspective. And in a political vacuum, your analysis is 100% right. From a political perspective (and university actions ARE political), this still has the feel of being more about showmanship than policy. EMU has many, many serious problems. Medically licensed pot ranks low on the list.
The Picker
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 12:06 p.m.
Sounds like the Universities have a Monkey on their backs !
cinnabar7071
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 12:06 p.m.
Marijuana and education dont mix, ask any parent of a high schooler who has recently started using. The dumbing down of America has to stop. Theres a reason they call it dope.
A2guy1979
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 3:57 p.m.
That's funny, I seem to remember getting my MBA from EMU and passing all of the CPA exams while smoking pot EVERY SINGLE DAY. I consider myself rather intelligent, and as a 17-year veteran of smoking pot I completely disagree with your statement. Marijuana is not to blame, it just seems like an easy scapegoat for a parent of a sub-performing child.
hut hut
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 1:35 p.m.
Great soundbites from the 70's! The dumbing down America didn't start with marijuana.
hut hut
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 12:03 p.m.
Prohibition will always fail.
pfroehlich2004@yahoo.com
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 11:54 a.m.
But of course, EMU will continue to respect the rights of students to possess and use medical methamphetamine (Desoxyn), medical heroin (hydrocodone, oxycodone, fentanyl, morphine, etc.), and any other type of potentially deadly or addictive drug that can be purchased at a pharmacy. Marijuana is bad, mmmkay?
ICanSeeClearlyNow
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 11:28 p.m.
What possible point could you be hoping to make by mentioning these other drugs? Their abuse is as much covered EMU's ban as is pot. How can the abuse of other drugs justify the abuse of pot?
A2Woman
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 11:44 a.m.
The Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act states that an institute of higher education that receives federal funding "must certify that it has adopted and implemented a program to prevent the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees" or risk forfeiting its eligibility for federal funding. EMU, like the University of Michigan and Michigan State, must comply with federal law to receive federal funds for programs such as financial aid and research grants, there isn't much room for debate.
hut hut
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 12:09 p.m.
If the Drug Free Schools program, a worthy concept, states that the schools "must certify that it has adopted and implemented a program" it has already failed because THERE IS NO WAY that illicit drug use can be prevented on a large scale, except to put ALL drug users in jail and we can't afford to build that many jails.
Steve in MI
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 11:23 a.m.
I'm sure this ban will be as successful as their bans on recreational pot, underage drinking, and the other popular drugs on campus. EMU is taking their cue from state government: use a culture war issue or two to deflect attention from the serious, meaningful, and difficult problems.
A2comments
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 11:22 a.m.
Michigan Medical Marihuana Act of 2008 Spelling?
Steve in MI
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 11:28 a.m.
That is actually the way the ballot initiative spelled the 2008 law.
Basic Bob
Tue, Sep 20, 2011 : 10:42 a.m.
It's too hard to distinguish medical marijuana from the recreational marijuana smoked freely on campuses across the country.