by Michelle Willson, Feature/Entertainment Editor
The line between marijuana being legal to being illegal has gotten blurred by all the smoke. States have legalized and decriminalized it, while it is still illegal in the federal government’s eyes. Most campuses and the NCAA still will not allow it. Students and athletes with it in their system or even in their possession on campus will get penalized.
“If I had to pick one thing the general public had to know is that most of the people who use marijuana are using it wrong,” said Jonathan Caulklins author of a marijuana publication. “The proper way to use it is once or twice a month.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s website states that marijuana is a Schedule I drug, meaning that it is a substance or chemical that is defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
Many physicians claim marijuana does have medical advantages. The schedule categories of drugs were established in 1970 as part of the Controlled Substance Act and has not changed since.
In particular, marijuana appears to ease chronic pain, including that of multiple sclerosis and nerve pain in general, states the Harvard Health blog. These illnesses have only a few medicines that help such as Neurontin, Lyrica, and opiates that are highly sedating.
Along these lines, marijuana is said to be a muscle relaxant, and people swear by its ability to lessen tremors in Parkinson’s disease, for fibromyalgia, endometriosis and interstitial cystitis, said The Harvard Health Blog. It can be used to manage nausea and weight loss, to treat glaucoma and PTSD in veterans.
Countless reports have come out claim it has helped in some way or another. Ride with Larry, a YouTube channel, posted a unedited video of Larry, a retired police man with Parkinson’s trying Marijuana for the first time. You can watch how the marijuana effects his tremor, dyskinesia and his voice.
Even with the claims the federal government has not changed its laws. “1st OFFENSE Marijuana (Schedule I) 1,000 kg or more marijuana mixture; or 1,000 or more marijuana plants Not less than 10 years. or more than life,” states the DEA’s Website. “If death or serious bodily injury, not less than 20 years, or more than life. Fine not more than $10 million if an individual, $50 million if other than an individual.”
The punishment can be severe. Though 10 states have completely legalized medical marijuana, 12 have decriminalized recreational marijuana and 14 have reduced the punishment for possession of marijuana.
“The biggest reason for a state to legalize it would be that the states could then start taxing the purchases of marijuana,” Caulkins said. “They could collect on the money they are losing out on to illegal sales.”
Legalizing or even decriminalizing marijuana could make more people try and get addicted to the substance, Caulkins said. There by making the smoking problem worse.
Many think that if people want to smoke marijuana, they will smoke no matter if it is legal or not. Not legalizing it caused the government to lose money it could be getting from taxes.
Daxton Alcorn a Northwestern student said he does not believe the federal government will crack down on the marijuana rules. He said the system is great the way it is, and he believes that the government is making plenty of money from taxing it, so cracking down in his opinion would only hurt.
Though medical marijuana is legal now in the state of Oklahoma, it still is prohibited on campus. Those who are found with it on the university’s premises can face penalties. If teachers even suspects a student is high in their classes, they can call campus police and the proper steps will be taken from there.
The university policy also includes prescription drugs obtained without authorization, prescribed drugs and over-the-counter drugs not being used for their intended purposes, states the University Handbook. Students and employees found using, possessing, selling, distributing or being under the influence of an illegal chemical substance anywhere on university property or while representing the university may be subject to dismissal from university housing or the university and be referred to the proper legal authorities.
If a student is found with marijuana in the dorm then Campus Police will be called. From there, it can go several ways depending on the amount and what way it is found
Alcorn has a medical marijuana card and no longer lives in the dorms. He said he got his card sometime this August. He uses marijuana to help with his anxiety and to help him sleep.
He got the card through an online website called VeriHeal, Alcorn said. His appointment was through video chat where the doctor asked about his conditions and then the doctor emailed a form with his signature.
The medical marijuana helps when he can afford it, Alcorn said. It helps him get to bed at a reasonable time and calms his anxiety. It allows his mind to slow down and not go 100 mph.
Possession of any form of illegal substances is against university policy. If a student is found with it on campus, the student can get punished, but the severity of the punishment depends on the amount of the substance that the student was found with.
If a resident in the dorms is presumed to be high, then they can be reported. If that happens campus police or administration, will confront them, from there they will decide how to take the case.
“Students convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs while receiving Title IV FSA funds may be ineligible to receive additional funds for a time period, depending on whether the conviction was for possessing or selling illegal drugs or whether the student has previous offenses.” states the student handbook, “To regain eligibility, contact the Director of Financial Aid at NWOSU.”
Student athletes will have further consequence for the use of those substances. NCAA policy does not allow for a medical exception for the use of marijuana and other illicit drugs.
“The NCAA’s penalties for performance-enhancing drugs have intended to have a straightforward application: Student-athletes who test positive should lose one of their four seasons of eligibility,” the NCAA website stated.
Marijuana is on the NCAA’s list of banned substance along with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and synthetic cannabinoids. This means if it is found in an athlete’s system then there will be consequences.
The NCAA and its member schools share the responsibility of not only testing, but also educating student-athletes to prevent drug usage, states the NCAA’s website. The NCAA member institution may appeal on behalf of the student-athlete and the outcome of any such appeal is to uphold the penalty, reduce it or eliminate it.
NCAA and the school both preform drug test throughout the year to assure the athletes systems are clean. The penalty given depends on which institutes test was failed.
Student-athletes are drug tested through urinalysis, states the NCAA’s website. Student-athletes are observed by a doping control crew member of the same gender.
Though marijuana is still illegal federally, Caulkins said he doesn’t believe that there will be any push back from the government.
He said he believes that they will overturn the current laws within the next 10 years or so.