Pubdate: Wed, 12 Nov 2014
Source: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (AK)
Copyright: 2014 Fairbanks Publishing Company, Inc.
Contact:  http://newsminer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/764
Author: Jeff Richardson

MEMO: UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA UNLIKELY TO ALLOW POT USE ON CAMPUS

FAIRBANKS-Marijuana may be headed toward legalization in Alaska, but 
don't expect it to be welcome on the state's university campuses.

The University of Alaska indicated on Tuesday that it expects to 
maintain a restrictive policy toward pot, stating in a memo to 
students and employees that campus regulations and codes of conduct 
related to marijuana "are not likely to change."

The use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, will continue to 
result in disciplinary action, according to the memo from UA General 
Counsel Michael Hostina. University employees who are subject to drug 
testing may still be fired for pot use, even if it occurs outside 
work hours in accordance with state law.

Those policies are being restated amid the likely legalization of 
small amounts of marijuana in Alaska. An initiative that approves 
personal use of pot appears to be headed for victory following the 
Nov. 4 election - it leads by roughly 4 percent, although thousands 
of questioned and absentee ballots haven't been counted yet.

The state initiative that legalizes marijuana allows employers and 
schools, among other entities, to prohibit or regulate marijuana use 
on their property.

Federal laws that still prohibit marijuana, along with funding from 
federal sources, are dictating UA's approach. Laws such as the Safe & 
Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act and the Drug-Free Workplace Act 
are still in effect, requiring that UA policies fall in line.

"These laws require among other things that UA maintain and enforce 
policies prohibiting the use of illegal drugs," Hostina stated in the 
memo. "Failure to comply with federal laws and regulations regarding 
marijuana would jeopardize UA's continued receipt of federal funds."

UA spokeswoman Carla Beam said individual faculty members will be 
free to express their opinions and conduct research on Alaska's 
marijuana policy, as they are on a variety of issues. But there won't 
be any classes offered that support the anticipated new legality of 
marijuana, such as business courses on how to grow or sell pot.

"The bottom line is the federal law's still in place," Beam said. 
"We're an institution that's going to fall in line with federal law, 
since we still do receive considerable federal funding."

That policy was tested almost immediately after the election at the 
University of Alaska Fairbanks' Cooperative Extension Service. Agents 
have received at least 10 calls in the past week from people looking 
for advice on how to grow marijuana, according to Director Fred Schlutt.

One caller from the Lower 48 asked if extension agents had a list of 
"any and all greenhouses available for rent in the state." Marijuana 
wasn't mentioned, but it didn't need to be, Schlutt said.

"We kind of assumed in was in that context," he said.

The requests for pot-growing help have been politely declined, 
Schlutt said. Even before the election, he had discussed the issue 
with colleagues in Colorado and Washington - the two states where 
marijuana had previously been legalized - and was tipped off that 
federal law didn't allow such assistance.

But Schlutt said his agents have likely been fielding questions about 
pot-growing techniques for some time, even if they weren't stated as 
such. The only difference lately is that the requests have been more direct.

"For years, we've been getting questions about how to grow tomatoes 
hydroponically," Schlutt said with a chuckle. "I'm not sure we had 
that large of a hydroponic tomato-growing business in Alaska."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom