As the stoner’s favorite holiday, April 20, quickly approaches in 2019, a year after the legalization of marijuana in California, it is important to look at the policies surrounding cannabis on the California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) campus.
Although the use of marijuana is legal for recreational and medical use in California, it is not allowed on the CSUMB campus or any campus for several reasons. The main reason for the ban is that CSUMB complies with two federal laws – the Drug-free Workplace Act and Drug-free Schools and Community Act.
CSUMB must comply with the acts in order to continue to receive federal funding “which includes financial aid, work study and federal grants,” according to a frequently asked questions webpage on proposition 64 for students on the CSUMB website. “Since marijuana is still illegal under Federal law, it remains an illegal substance to possess, sell or use. CSUMB must, therefore, continue to prohibit its use, possession or sale on campus,” continues the web page.
This means use of marijuana for recreational use is prohibited on campus, even though many believe there would be a difference for those who use marijuana for its medicinal purposes. However, the web page addresses medical use of marijuana saying the federal laws CSUMB complies with “do not distinguish between medical and non-medical use. Because of this, CSUMB, like all colleges and universities, prohibits any marijuana use on campus, regardless of a student’s medical status.”
The web page also outlines the school’s policy on growing cannabis plants, which is strictly prohibited in all campus housing contracts. CSUMB’s university police department was unable to respond in time to this article regarding potential punishments for using marijuana on campus.