Flashing blue lights outside of an Emory dorm may indicate that someone has caught a whiff of cannabis.
Under Emory’s current policy, Resident Advisors (RAs) must report student cannabis possession or usage to the Emory Police Department (EPD), according to Scott Rausch, senior director of residence life. Despite law enforcement’s threat of involvement, many students are not deterred from smoking cannabis or storing it in their residences.
It is high time for University staff to stop calling EPD when students are found in possession of cannabis. The legal repercussions of police involvement are stigmatizing due to implications of criminal records, perceived threats to FAFSA and other consequences related to educational and job opportunities beyond Emory. Moreover, the threat of punishment for students found with cannabis and drug paraphernalia on campus only creates greater stigma, which prevents these students from developing an honest understanding of the true effects of the drug and seeking help when necessary.
Cannabis use among college students in the U.S. has increased, with nearly half of all students reporting using it in 2020, a sizable increase from the last three decades. It would be naive to think Emory is an exception to that trend. Walk into any residence hall across campus, irrespective of year, and you will likely find someone smoking weed.
Criminalizing the use of cannabis on campus is useless when, for every police officer called, there are countless others facing zero repercussions. EPD can never catch every student using cannabis, and as use of the drug continues to spread and increase, more and more students will develop a habit or addiction that goes unaddressed. It would be more prudent of the University to focus on educating students about the dangers posed by heavy cannabis use. Treating cannabis use as a public health issue rather than a legal concern will help to shift the conversation towards how to have healthier relationships to all drugs. The threat of police and legal recourse does not.
Cannabis misinformation and stigmatization have made the drug appear more appealing on social media. Author Michael Pollan is a prominent voice pushing the decriminalization and depoliticization of cannabis. Pollan argues that reducing the stigma surrounding cannabis will lead people to have healthier relationships with the drug. Many people, especially a large percentage of college students, use cannabis on almost a daily basis; the drug has already ingrained itself in our community. The only question is: How can students develop a healthy relationship with weed?
When RAs involve the police with incidents of student cannabis possession, it leads to the escalation of an already fraught situation, putting students in direct contact with potentially aggressive law enforcement.
According to Joy Knowles (22C), an RA at the Clairmont campus, the current policy is, “very hard stop, no exceptions, call EPD.”
“So right now the policy states that if we encounter a resident with marijuana, it’s recommended that we call backup, so another RA for support, but we’re required to call EPD and have them come and handle the situation and we stay there until EPD arrives and handles the drugs and any paraphernalia as well,” said Knowles.
Knowles also noted that there are racial implications to calling EPD in these situations.
“A lot of Black and Latinx RAs are uncomfortable with EPD being present in these situations, a lot of Black and Latinx residents are uncomfortable with EPD being present, so it’s kind of, whose comfort and safety is being valued, and whose comfort and safety is being ignored?” said Knowles. EPD was reached out to for comment but did not respond in time.
While critiquing Emory for its inflexible stance on this policy is necessary for catalyzing change, easing up on the cannabis ban is easier said than done. Currently, the federal government forces all colleges and universities to ban on-campus cannabis use, as it is still a Schedule I drug. The Schedule I status loops cannabis in with drugs like cocaine and heroin, even though cannabis is not nearly as dangerous as the other two. Yet, a ban on possession does not have to mean a full-throttled enforcement. Alternatively, RAs should take the drug away from the student and provide campus resources for rehabilitation.
Our campus culture’s position on cannabis use needs to change. The simple first step comes by changing the policies around RA confiscation of cannabis. Many Emory students come to the University with no prior cannabis experience, leaving them vulnerable to misuse and dependency. The University should encourage productive conversations about cannabis use by incorporating it into first-years’ mandatory health coursework or mandating a pre-arrival online course similar to the one on alcohol. These measures would encourage constructive conversations about having a healthy relationship with cannabis; education is the best step toward prevention.
A more concrete step toward progress would be changing enforcement to reflect the University’s stance on underage drinking. As it stands, students who are underage and caught with alcohol must pour it down the drain while an RA is present. Knowles proposes similar treatment of cannabis when found on students.
“One thing that myself and some people who have now graduated from Emory have tried to push for is doing the same thing [as with underage drinking] except flushing it [cannabis] down the toilet, confiscating any paraphernalia,” said Knowles. “I think that would make it less stressful, it would make it more comfortable and make it a safer environment for every single person present, especially people of color.”
Ultimately, aggressively enforcing Emory’s cannabis ban does more harm than good due to inevitably unequal implementation and the problematic implications of police involvement. At the end of the day, students will keep smoking and keep getting hurt, and healthy habits will be further stigmatized rather than promoted. Let’s be blunt, policing isn’t the answer.
The above editorial represents the majority opinion of the Wheel’s Editorial Board. The Editorial Board is composed of Rachel Broun, Jake Busch, Kyle Chan-Shue, Sophia Ling, Demetrios Mammas, Daniel Matin, Daniela Parra del Riego Valencia, Sara Perez, Ben Thomas, Chaya Tong and Leah Woldai.
