Marijuana Use Guidelines Established on Campus Following Statewide Legalization
Following the passing of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) by the New York State Legislature, the SUNY system and SUNY Geneseo have established separate rules for students and faculty when on campus. These policies differ from the laws laid out by the MRTA.
Since SUNY is a federally funded institution, SUNY campuses must abide by federal law, which still prohibits the recreational use of marijuana.
University Police Department (UPD) Inspector Kurt Nolan stresses the importance of knowing the difference between campus policy and state law.
“The distinction between law and policy is important,” says Nolan. “It's important to educate students because they might not even know that they're doing something wrong. Nine out of ten people aren’t going to know exactly what’s in the [New York State penal law code], so if the average citizen is not going to know that, then the average student is not going to know that.”
According to Nolan, actions that might be legal in New York state are not necessarily in line with SUNY’s or the college’s policies concerning marijuana use and possession. Due to the possible confusion and the severity of the consequences that may arise from this confusion, Nolan and UPD are making efforts to inform students and Residence Life staff of campus policy.
“Things that are legal can still violate the college's policies and that's the distinction that [UPD has] to educate students on. [The New York State penal law code] is kind of a dry read, so we're trying to make the effort to go out and do the outreach,” he says.
Nolan added that UPD has been educating Residence Life staff on both state law and campus policy concerning the use and possession of marijuana in residence halls and on campus. In addition to trainings and presentations given to Residence Life staff, the SUNY Geneseo Policy on Alcohol and Illicit Drugs is publicly available on the SUNY Geneseo website.
Per the SUNY Geneseo website, “In 2021 New York State revised its marijuana laws. It is important to note that even though state law allows for marijuana to be consumed in New York, federal law prevents the consumption of cannabis, including medicinal use, on college campuses— - including SUNY Geneseo.”
While the college permits students over twenty-one years old to consume alcoholic beverages in the privacy of their own rooms or the rooms of students also over twenty-one years old, the same provisions do not apply to marijuana use.
Nolan outlined the fact that SUNY Geneseo does not permit the use or possession of any amount of marijuana or marijuana derivatives in residence halls or on campus. “YesYes, you can possess marijuana over the age of 21, and if you were smoking marijuana on the streets of Geneseo, you’re not gonna be in any trouble. But if you’re smoking it in your dorm room, it still violates the college’s policy.”
The Policy on Alcohol and Illicit Drugs outlines the college’s stance on the use and possession of several illicit drugs, not just marijuana, and the legal and administrative consequences that would be administered to students should they violate state law or campus policy. Nolan encourages any SUNY Geneseo student, regardless of their use of marijuana, to read both the campus policy and the state law in order to educate themselves on marijuana policy. For more information, visit the following websites below.
The SUNY Geneseo Policy on Alcohol and Illicit Drugs can be read here:
https://www.geneseo.edu/handbook/policies_procedures#illicitdrugs
The New York State Penal Law Code can be read here:
