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The Orion

Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

Weed arrests double this school year

Published 2008-04-30T00:00:00Z”/>

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Katy Sweeny

Marijuana arrests made by University Police have doubled this academic year compared to last year.

Within three hours of moving into Shasta Hall last semester, a student decided to smoke with his buddy. Resident advisers smelled the marijuana and called University Police, said Cpl. Eric Partika of University Police. The student called his parents, told them to turn around and help him move back out.

He was one of several students kicked out of the dorms for smoking weed, said Lizanne Leach, coordinator for resident hall student conduct.

Out of 34 arrests made for possession of marijuana this year, 11 were on campus as of Saturday, Partika said. The other 23 were within about the one-mile radius of campus University Police patrols.

People are more open about smoking marijuana, driving around campus with smoke floating in the air and smoking in their dorms, he said.

<strong>Students rely on medical marijuana cards</strong>

Some students think medicinal marijuana cards protect them. People had to go out of town to get the cards in the past, but now Chico doctors prescribe them for about $100 if students say they have migraines or are unable to focus, Partika said.

“Whether they have the card or not, it’s not allowed on campus – period,” he said.

Medicinal marijuana laws don’t allow cardholders to sell their supply or carry more than their daily-prescribed amount, according to the Butte County medicinal marijuana guidelines.

More people are growing marijuana in homes, said Kevin Hass of the Street Crime Enforcement Unit in the Chico Police Department. But police are more worried about the increase in home invasions of legal and illegal growers, which happen mostly on the west side of campus.

Sometimes neighbors notice plants and word gets around to “bad guys” who break in and steal medicinal marijuana, sometimes holding residents at gunpoint, Hass said. The Chico Police Department is focusing on people who cultivate marijuana because it can lead to violence.

“We’re not going after the people riding their bikes with little bags of weed,” Hass said.

<strong>Users face consequences if caught</strong>

Students are kicked out of dorms for smoking marijuana, Partika said.

“If you’re not providing to this positive campus environment, we’re gonna ask you to leave,” he said. “Actually, we’re going to tell you to leave.”

Student users are sent to Student Judicial Affairs, referred to the Campus Alcohol and Drug Education Center and may face charges, Partika said.

University Housing and Food Service and judicial affairs refer students to CADEC to take a marijuana education class. CADEC had fewer referrals for marijuana, 30, this academic year compared to 45 during the last year, said Amy Robinson a peer educator.

Students referred to CADEC must pay $55 and pass a three-hour marijuana class with a grade of 70 percent or higher, she said. Sometimes students must also do community service.

About 25 percent of freshman who took the AlcoholEdu test last year used marijuana two weeks prior to the test, according to the report.

Students receiving federal financial aid at the time of a drug offense can lose eligibility, said Kentiner David, interim director of financial aid.

They can go to rehab to regain eligibility. If not, students convicted of possession are ineligible for one year. Students caught selling are ineligible for two years, David said. He doesn’t support this policy because people commit worse crimes without losing eligibility.

“It doesn’t make people in those situations make their lives any better, he said.”

<strong>Student, professor debate motives</strong>

Junior Kayla Dennis doesn’t feel sorry for people who get caught with marijuana, she said.

“Everybody knows, whether they’re smoking it, growing it or selling it, that it’s against the law,” she said. “So it’s just a risk they take.”

Some people don’t realize it’s dangerous having large amounts of marijuana that can attract criminals, she said. She doesn’t think smoking recreationally is as dangerous.

Students have the perception that it’s OK to use marijuana, said Roland Lamarine, a health education professor who also teaches “Drugs in Our Society.”

Most marijuana users don’t need it for medical reasons, he said.

“You’ve got 22-year-old students who have bad knees and bad backs,” Lamarine said. “It sounds like a crock.”

He was surprised some of his students have medicinal marijuana cards, he said.

“I don’t have any students that appear that ill,” he said.

Katy Sweeny can be reached at <a href= “mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]</a>

<strong>Related links</strong><a href= “http://buttecounty.net/da/215.htm”>Butte County medicinal marijuana guidelines</a><a href= “http://www.csuchico.edu/cadec/Drug%20Free%20School%20and%20Campus%20Comliance%20Links/index.shtml”>Campus Alcohol and Drug Education Center</a>

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