Five students have been accused of possession of marijuana on the University of Memphis campus since the end of September. In most cases, no drugs or drug paraphernalia were found. Many students were accused based on the lingering smell of weed.
While recreational marijuana is often referenced in popular culture, and the decriminalization of marijuana has even found it’s way into a couple of political platforms this year, students at college campuses are still facing punishments because of the very smell of the drug. In the last month and a half, one student was arrested for possession and the other four will face disciplinary action from the U of M Office of Student Conduct.
On Oct. 4 the Memphis City Council voted to pass an ordinance that somewhat reduces the penalty for people found with a small amount of marijuana within city limits. Instead of definitely serving serious jail time, those caught with less than an ounce of marijuana can face a $50 fine or up to 10 hours of community service for their first offense. However, police officers still have the option to enforce the current state laws if they so choose.
Even though this ordinance passed, Ryan Van Dusen, associate dean of Student Conduct, said he does not believe this is the reason that five students in the last month and a half were accused of possession at the U of M.
“I think it’s just the drug of choice over alcohol,” Van Dusen said. “Even though the city passed this, it is still a violation of federal law.”
Any school that has federal funding is required to have punishments for marijuana usage on campus, according to Van Dusen. This means that students on university campuses in Colorado, Alaska, Oregon and Washington, where recreational marijuana is legal, still face punishments if they are caught with cannabis on campus.
On the U of M campus, if students are found with weed or even smell like weed, the report is referred to Student Conduct.
When cases are referred to Student Conduct, the punishments can range from written warnings to expulsion. The students under suspicion are called to the office for a meeting, which can be individually or in front of a committee, said Van Dusen.
“We use the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities that is outlined in the student handbook and find out what really happened,” Van Dusen said. “If we are 51 percent sure that a student is responsible, we will issue punishments.”
On Oct. 13, two staff members complained about a “strong smell of marijuana outside one of the apartments” at the Park Avenue Campus Residence, according to the police report filed by officer Robert Bramlett. Staff tried to get the attention of those inside the apartment, but “the occupants were not answering the door,” according to the report. When officers arrived, they said they smelled the “faint odor” of marijuana.
However, the police did not find drugs or paraphernalia in the apartment. Two students, aged 18 and 22, and two non students, aged 16 and 22, denied smoking. No one was arrested, but the students were still referred to Student Conduct.
One of the occupants, Michael Royal, was visiting his girlfriend when police knocked on her door.
“We were just watching a movie and then three or four police officers were outside her door,” Royal, an East Memphis resident, said. “She told them that the vents were connected, so someone else was probably smoking and the smell was coming from the vent.
They took our IDs and ran a report, but it was just out of nowhere.” In addition to the event on Oct. 13, two U of M police reports regarding marijuana were reported on the same day, Sept. 29. A resident at Rawls called campus police and complained about the smell of marijuana on Sept. 29.
When police arrived, the two female residents admitted to smoking weed and flushed the remaining drugs before answering the door, according to a police report written by officer Andre Fuller.
The case was referred to Student Conduct. At the Park Avenue Campus Residence on Sept. 29, a staff member said he saw drugs “in plain sight” when he entered the apartment. The resident consented to a search and a bag of marijuana was seized by police.
She was arrested and issued a misdemeanor citation, according to a police report written by officer Jermaine Wilson.
“She told them that the vents were connected, so someone else was probably smoking, and the smell was coming from the vent.”
Michael Royal
