Author: Sam Byrne
Many students are concerned with Occidental’s new regulations regarding marijuana use due to their significantly increased severity. Some believe that the punishment of probation and suspension as first and second offenses, respectively, is too harsh. The administration instated the new disciplinary policy this semester after students voiced concerns about the smell of marijuana in dormitories. While unpleasant smells are undoubtedly an annoyance, complaints about odor are unjustifiable grounds for creating a rule that could strip a student of his or her college education. Despite insubstantial reasoning behind implementing this new policy, enforcing a stricter marijuana policy is still necessary for the success and productivity of Occidental students.
In California, anyone can obtain a medicinal marijuana license to remedy even the slightest of illnesses, such as occasional headaches, making marijuana easily accessible to most citizens. Given this backdrop, it is likely that someone walking through campus will smell marijuana at times. While it is disrespectful to smoke in communal dorms, it is overly idealistic to assume that everyone will abide by the guidelines of common courtesy; even President Obama admits to having smoked marijuana on Occidental’s campus. If the administration wants to implement this new rule because of complaints regarding odor, then the foundation of the college’s marijuana policy is completely ridiculous. If foul smells are cause for probation or even suspension, then half of Occidental’s students should be dismissed due to the dirty clothes still lying under the bed from a sports game or party.
Clearly, there is a larger issue of excessive marijuana use, which the college is masking under complaints of marijuana odor. Methamphetamine, for example, is not outlawed because of its smell; Occidental students are not allowed to smoke it because it is wholly detrimental to a student’s success as a scholar and as a productive member of society. The main detriment of smoking weed is not the unpleasant smell that follows but rather the effect it has on the individual smoking pot. The college is not wrong to enforce healthy lifestyle standards, or the laws of the United States, but it should establish a more comprehensive foundation for its marijuana policy.
The bottom line is that marijuana makes students unproductive. Compared to alcohol, which is used primarily on weekends or during times that do not interfere with class, students seem to use marijuana on a more frequent schedule. It is the “wake and bake” mentality that the college appears to want to move away from, as well as the attitude that getting high can solve a stressful day. Marijuana directly affects an individual’s capacity to learn, creating problems with memory and problem-solving skills. Smoking marijuana is an antisocial habit that poses absolutely no lasting benefit for the individual as a progressive and engaged member of the school community.
Students who are recreational marijuana users need to be discreet and respect their peers. Smoking in the middle of campus, or right before class is unwise—as long as students are smart about where and when they smoke, they should not have to worry about the consequences of violating new policies. Although it has not been stated explicitly, the administration likely does not expect smokers to quit using marijuana altogether; they merely hope that imposing stricter rules will force students to realize the effects of smoking on themselves and on the larger Occidental community.
Suspending a student because of an odor coming from his room is certainly unfair, which is why the college needs to reconsider the grounds on which the new marijuana policies were implemented. The administration latched onto the complaints of foul odors because they are tangible evidence of marijuana use, while the state of being high is something that is difficult to label as a direct interference with the community.
The purpose of an undergraduate education is to gain a vital body of knowledge that will place students on a path towards success in the professional and social world. Marijuana is an obstacle on the path to personal accomplishment and is counter to Occidental’s mission.
Sam Byrne is an undeclared sophomore. She can be reached at sbyrne@oxy.edu
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