The university maintains a firm stance against cannabis use. As of now and in the foreseeable future, recreational cannabis remains prohibited in possession or use by anyone, including faculty and students.
These systems are designed under federal guidelines that the university is required to adhere to.
Police Chief Scott Kunkle states that he expects reports for cannabis use to worsen on campus following the passage of Issue #2. This law allows citizens of Ohio over the age of 21 to use cannabis recreationally.
Due to the number of students legally allowed to use cannabis over the age in Ohio, there is a misconception that they are allowed to do this in the confines of their dorm room. However, this is not the case.
Campuses follow laws that are federally in place, not state-issued. September Johnson, on Campus Drug Prevention states, “Cannabis use is illegal, and students who attend a college or university in the United States that receives federal funds and/or students receiving federal financial aid are barred from using cannabis. Marijuana is a schedule 1 drug and remains illegal on the federal level (1).”
Outside individuals who are not on campus as students or faculty would be a unique case. For now, as the law is just developing, while on the actual campus there would be a trespassing citation. The jurisdictions matter heavily because it would be transferred to Bexley Police if outside the campus boundaries.
There’s no difference in punishment between handling possession of marijuana on campus versus actively using it. The consequences for either remain the same.
In terms of the local police, university public safety prefers to handle such matters internally with the school.
Students willing to take this risk, to smoke on campus, would be astronomically vacuous. Campus is regulated under federal law; this implies that upon breaking such rules, one can jeopardize federal scholarships.
In layman’s terms, students can lose scholarship money and funding from the university and outside federal sources due to behavior on campus.
The process for students willing to take such routes—like smoking cannabis recreationally on campus—would see consequences set by the university.
Kunkle states, “Officers usually have the choice to send them through Judicial Affairs [with the university] or do we send them through Franklin County Court or marriage court? … For the most part, we choose to settle through Judicial Affairs. Let the university discipline.”
While there are many restrictions put in place for students in terms of cannabis, there are still things that students can do.
Not all smoking is banned on campus. Students of age are allowed to smoke cigarettes and vape pens on campus as long as it is a certain distance away from any building. This does prohibit smoking in any building.
