The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate on Sunday passed a resolution calling on the university to follow the lead of the state in assigning relatively weaker penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana.
Two members of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and a freshman senator submitted the resolution, which advocated eliminating disciplinary action for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana. The resolution passed in a vote of 16−11 with two abstentions.
The measure is an effort to align Tufts' marijuana policy with Massachusetts state law, according to freshman Lauren Traitz, one of the two SSDP members who submitted the resolution. A successful 2008 ballot question decriminalized possession of one ounce or less of marijuana.
Under current policy, the university places students found in possession of a small quantity of marijuana on Disciplinary Probation Level I, or "pro−one," and refers them to Ian Wong, the director of alcohol and health education. Students who meet with Wong within two weeks of being placed on pro−one can have their punishment reduced to a warning.
The Senate resolution calls for the university to eliminate pro−one as a consequence for possessing small amounts of marijuana, a step that would minimize the involvement of the Judicial Affairs office by sending cases directly to the director of alcohol and health education.
The resolution did not advise changing university consequences for students caught distributing marijuana or other related offenses.
An SSDP petition calling for changes to the university marijuana policy collected 500 signatures in three days, according to Traitz. Massachusetts law and the policies of other colleges in the state inspired the policy, Traitz said.
"We're not asking Tufts to go against the law, just to correlate with the state," Traitz said.
SSDP Co−President Alex Baskin, a sophomore, added that worries about the future repercussions of drug−related disciplinary action also inspired SSDP's call for change. Baskin, who was the other SSDP member to submit the Senate resolution, expressed concern that placement on pro−one could affect students' admission prospects at graduate schools. While pro−one is never noted on one's academic transcript, employers and graduate admissions counselors may ask job applicants whether they had ever been subjected to disciplinary action.
"Disciplinary action is not necessary at Tufts because the Commonwealth of Massachusetts agrees that being caught with small amounts should not result in criminal punishment," Baskin said.
Under the terms of the resolution, students found in possession of small amounts of marijuana are still referred to the Department of Health Education. The resolution's backers felt that requiring a meeting with department members would benefit students with legitimate drug problems, according to Traitz.
"The policy should help people who need help," Traitz said, "not punish people who don't."
Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman said Tufts' policy is already lenient and that the Senate's initiative does not seem completely thought out.
"If this is a fine like parking fines, lock outs, keg fines, etc.[,] those that aren't paid go on a student's university account for parents to pay," he said in an e−mail. "Do students really want to do this[?] It seems more severe than what we now have. I think we need some more discussion." Reitman said that he did "not believe that any student has been disciplined this year for marijuana."
Senator Joe Thibodeau, a freshman, voted in favor of the resolution. He said yesterday that Tufts should try to subscribe to the laws of Massachusetts.
"The university should recognize that we are adults living in Massachusetts, and we are responsible now to make our decisions and deal with the consequences," Thibodeau said.
Senator Yulia Korovikov said the resolution's failure to address the issue of multiple infractions influenced her "no" vote.
"I am not against the concept of it," Korovikov, a sophomore, said. "I just wanted to see more research done before I could formulate a real opinion of it."
Now that the measure has passed, the Senate's Executive Board will present it to the relevant parties across the university, according to Senator Carolina Ramirez, a senior. She anticipated that the administration would be slow to change its policy.
"I think they are going to do their own research and figure out what other schools have done and figure out what is best for our campus," Ramirez said. "I think it will take a long time for Tufts to make its own changes."
Thibodeau hoped that the resolution's passage will lead to a discussion about drug policy between the administration and students.
"The next step is to start a conversation with the administration about drug use and our social norms on campus," he said. "It is going to sprout a healthy conversation." —Laina Piera and Amelie Hecht contributed reporting to this article.
