The passage of a law decriminalizing marijuana possession of an ounce or less is no reason for college students to abandon common sense, panelists at Northeastern University said Wednesday.
Northeastern hosted the discussion allowing students to talk about the new law’s implications and how it affects students. As of Jan. 2, possession of an ounce or less in Massachusetts is a civil suit, results in a $100 fine.
‘ ‘It is still illegal to possess any amount of marijuana,’ Middlesex County Assistant District Attorney Susanne Bines reminded students.
Civil offenses are public information and potential employers in any state have access to’ public record, Bines said.
Northeastern Public Safety Associate Director Jim Ferrier said students should be cautious when choosing what to post on the Internet. Suspicious Facebook images could prompt a police investigation into a student’s actions, he said.
‘Be careful about what you put on Facebook,’ Ferrier said. ‘If there is a bong or a keg of beer, is that who you really are?’
Students in attendance said they were concerned about Northeastern’s Code of Student Conduct, which lists possession of any amount of marijuana as a possible cause for expulsion. Northeastern Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution Director Valerie Randall-Lee said Northeastern’s current code reflects the legal standing of marijuana at the time it was written.
Students can expect revisions, if there are any, to be made in fall 2009, Randall-Lee said.
Decriminalization does not mean students are not responsible for their actions, Randall-Lee said.
Students should be honest and cooperative if they are ever confronted by the police, Bines said. Providing false information is still a criminal offense.
Northeastern freshman Alison McCallum said though it is easy for students to buy marijuana regardless of whether possession is a criminal or civil offense, the university should revise its own drug policy to reflect the new law.
‘If other people are able to realize having under an ounce isn’t an offense, I think the university should put that into consideration,’ she said.
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