The recreational use of marijuana may now be allowed in California, but it is still not allowed at Cal State Long Beach.
The passage of Proposition 64 has not changed anything for CSU campuses, including CSULB. According to campus police, students still cannot posses marijuana on campus, let alone smoke it on campus.
“Firstly … this is a no smoking campus, so whether or not something is legal by state law, it’s not going to make a difference here on campus,” Lieutenant Richard Goodwin said.
Additionally, Proposition 64 prohibits smoking in public places, unless allowed by a local ordinance. Students caught possessing marijuana on campus can be subject to university discipline ranging from a write-up to expulsion, Goodwin said.
“All cases, whether it be criminal or it goes through university discipline, it’s a case-by-case basis, because quite simply, not every case is exactly the same,” Goodwin said.
For example, a student who gets caught with a joint in their pocket but has never been in trouble before might get a warning, but someone who is dealing marijuana on campus would be handled more seriously by the university, he said.
The CSU released a statement in October stating that it would be complying with federal law in regard to the possession and use of marijuana. The statement also said that federal financial aid and funding could be jeopardized unless the CSU campuses “take all reasonable measures to to prevent the illegal use of drugs on our campuses.” Under the Controlled Substances Act, marijuana is an illegal drug.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate for a public institution of higher education to endorse the smoking of marijuana, so I don’t blame them for that stance at all,” Ryan Jue, a fifth year business marketing major, said.
Goodwin said the university will soon be releasing a notice clarifying its policy on marijuana use and possession on campus.