(Pseudonyms were used for every source in this piece, since they're talking about and engaging in illegal activities.) Ohio University students say that potent marijuana is easy to find in Athens, but it's not always cheap. "It's just really easy to get good weed here," OU undergrad Chester Copperfield said while using marijuana with three friends during an interview on Tuesday. Copperfield and his friends estimated that 75 to 80 percent of OU students use marijuana at least occasionally. [continues 513 words]
So, you've been busted for using marijuana at Ohio University. Take a deep breath and look at the facts before you get too paranoid. If you're just a recreational user, your predicament may not be as bad as you think. You're going to have to keep your head straight and know your rights, so here's a simple rundown of what you can expect to happen after being caught with pot at OU. Possessing and using pot is illegal and against OU's Code of Student Conduct, but the penalties that most recreational users face when they're caught aren't as harsh as they would be on many campuses or in most other states. [continues 825 words]
Hundreds of Ohio University students packed into Baker Center Theater to see the "Heads vs. Feds" debate Thursday night, and the size of the crowd alone was proof that the legalization of marijuana, four decades after the '60s, remains an issue of students' concern. The debate pitted former High Times Editor Steve Hager against the former head of New York City's Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The spirited presentation inspired some students to create a pro-cannabis group on campus. "It's fun and empowering to be an activist, and it's fun and empowering to change bad laws," Hager told the audience during his closing statement. He suggested that students who are interested in legalizing marijuana should get serious and start a chapter of the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws (NORML) or Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) on campus. [continues 614 words]
Ohio University's vice president of student affairs last Wednesday asked Student Senate to recommend one of two proposed "protocols" for judicial sanctioning of common B-6 marijuana offenses on campus. VP Kent Smith reported that since the implementation of a stricter alcohol policy last year, the number of students receiving alcohol violations has dropped significantly, while drug and marijuana busts have increased by 50 percent. Smith told Senate that there is a 98 percent chance he will go with the marijuana protocol they favor. [continues 518 words]
