There are several steps to follow if you want a medical marijuana card in the Great Lakes State. Lansing State Journal
EAST LANSING — Marijuana is legal in Michigan, but Michigan State University students still can’t take a puff on campus without threat of punishment.
“Students, employees and visitors may not use or possess marijuana on any MSU-governed property or during off-campus MSU business or events,” said Dan Olsen, MSU spokesperson, in an email.
Students find a similar pot prohibition at state institutions such as University of Michigan, Central Michigan University, Western Michigan University and Northern Michigan University. Marijuana is also banned at Lansing Community College.
Which bothers Carter Oselett, a 20-year-old MSU junior from Chesterfield.
“I think, if you’re 21 years of age and you’re in the state of Michigan that you should be able to use it, just like anywhere else,” he said. “Voters approved it by a huge margin in 2018.”
In MSU’s case, the federal prohibition on marijuana trumps Michigan’s legalization vote.
University officials say they’re bound by federal laws like the the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, which requires institutions that receive federal funding to establish policies for a drug-free workplace, or the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989, which mandates that they create drug abuse prevention programs for students and employees.
And there’s no talk of flouting those rules in order to welcome marijuana to campus.
MSU Police Capt. Doug Monette said MSU police officers have yet to arrest or ticket anyone for marijuana crimes so far in 2020 and sent just one marijuana case to the prosecutor for review in 2019.
“With law enforcement actions, we take each incident by a case-by-case basis,” Monette said.
Discipline for dope
Students who aren’t 21 or older still can’t legally possess marijuana, medical or recreational, under the new laws.
But Ingham County Prosecutor Carol Siemon, who is responsible for prosecuting MSU and East Lansing cases, suggested she might not prosecute every case that comes to her desk.
Siemon said her office has followed a policy since the 1970s to divert simple use or possession of marijuana cases. It means if police submitted a case as a warrant request, it could be diverted, according to Scott Hughes, community outreach coordinator for the prosecutor’s office.
Prosecutors also can divert misdemeanor possession or use of marijuana by anyone under 21 and delivery of marijuana without remuneration cases, Siemon said.
Hughes said two cases have been submitted and processed as civil infraction tickets since the legalization laws went into effect.
If students violate MSU regulations, they go through the MSU student judicial process and could face disciplinary probation, required attendance at educational programs, referrals for assessment and treatment, relocation to a different housing complex and suspension from MSU, according to the MSU Drug and Alcohol Policy.
MSU employees face disciplinary action, referral for prosecution and even dismissal if they violate the same rules.
Banning marijuana on campus is a responsible move by MSU, said Evan Morton, 23, a junior from Detroit.
Many students living on campus are younger than 21 anyway, he said. They can use it, if they want to, once they get older and move off campus and after they grow used to college life.
“It would be better used once they get into college and get used to getting through the different hoops they have to get through,” he said.
Cannabis in class
That doesn’t mean pot is off the table for MSU researchers.
MSU has a moratorium on research involving marijuana or materials extracted directly from plants that contain more than 0.3% THC, the high-inducing chemical in marijuana, said Norbert Kaminski, professor of pharmacology and toxicology and director for MSU’s Center for Research on Ingredient Safety and Institute for Integrative Toxicology.
But researchers can work with pure cannabinoid compounds, the active ingredients in marijuana, he said. The National Institute on Drug Abuse provides the compounds. Further research is completed with patients who use medical marijuana that they obtain themselves.
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Students can study the plant, but they can’t possess the plants or products made from the plant on campuses.
Which didn’t keep NMU from introducing their Medicinal Plant Chemistry program in 2017. It’s a four-year degree program designed to train students in production, analysis and distribution of medicinal plants, including marijuana.
The best way to describe it, said NMU spokesperson Derek Hall, is to imagine chemists between growers and users, educating both sides on the makeup of cannabis, including compounds and strengths.
“So we do that here,” Hall said.
The federal restrictions have become a hot topic in Washington.
Lawmakers have reviewed legislation that would legalize marijuana federally, though none of it has gained serious traction. Several democratic candidates in the 2020 presidential election have made marijuana legalization part of their platforms.
Marijuana in Michigan
Marijuana is legal in Michigan, but not all communities have welcomed the emerging industry.
The law legalizing marijuana gives local leaders powers to ban marijuana businesses in their communities.
East Lansing and Lansing were among the communities opting to allow marijuana businesses to set up shop. Lansing received more than 60 applications for marijuana business licenses as of Jan. 27.
With marijuana businesses potentially coming to greater Lansing, of-age MSU students could soon have easy access to cannabis, but they won’t be able to bring it to campus.
Oselett fears MSU’s continued ban will set the stage for students to suffer life-changing penalties.
“These are young people doing something that is legal and it can really mess up your life if you get in trouble with it,” he said.
Contact Mark Johnson at 517-377-1026 or at majohnson2@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ByMarkJohnson.
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