Effective Wednesday, Jan. 19, Hamilton students will now face less strict standard sanctions for possession of marijuana for personal use.
In an email to the student body, Vice President and Dean of Students Terry Martinez announced that the Code of Student Conduct was updated to reduce the amount of points a student receives for their first instance caught in the possession of marijuana for personal use (in violation of College policies on possession or use of illegal drugs, controlled substances, or drug paraphernalia) from two disciplinary points to one. Martinez added that the sanction for possession of drug paraphernalia will range between one and four disciplinary points and sanctions for possession of paraphernalia for the purpose of consuming marijuana will likely be on the lower end of the sanction. Repeated or more egregious offenses may result in higher point values.
This change in the College’s policies follows Governor Andrew Cuomo’s signing of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) into New York State law on March 31, 2021. This law legalized marijuana for adults 21 years of age and older. However, it should be noted that the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989 prohibits the consumption of cannabis at colleges and universities that receive funding from the federal government. Thus, Hamilton College cannot currently legally allow cannabis on campus.
Since the fall, Student Assembly (SA) has pushed the College to amend the Code of Student Conduct in accordance with the state legislation. On Friday, Oct. 22, Resolution 21–4: Cannabis Legalization Response (introduced by former SA President Eric Santomauro-Stenzel ’24 and current Class President Jackson Harris ’22) passed in the Student Assembly. The resolution recommended that the Office of Community Standards make changes to abide by the MRTA.
Along with the New York lawmakers, Stenzel and Harris acknowledge the disproportionate policing that led Black and Hispanic people to face many more low-level marijuana charges than white people and the potential MRTA has to address this racially disparate impact of existing laws.
Stenzel explained why he thinks the change in the Code of Student Conduct was a necessary action for the College:
“Marijuana is far less dangerous than alcohol. With NY State legalizing marijuana, students 21 and older will not be breaking the law by consuming it. College policy should reflect that to the greatest extent it legally can, particularly to decrease the chances of disproportionate policy enforcement against marginalized students.”
When asked if he believes the administration should make any other further changes to how they deal with substance use on campus, Stenzel remarked,
“The resolution calls for the removal of all sanctions on students 21 and older for owning cannabis paraphernalia assuming it is used off campus, but the new policy still calls for a sanction.
Moreover, currently, students who possess any illegal non-marijuana drug can get 8 to 10 points. I don’t think students should lose abroad privileges or be at serious risk of suspension for getting caught tripping on shrooms and not bothering anyone.”
Overall, Stenzel is happy with Hamilton’s recent Code of Student Conduct change, and he hopes for more progressive changes in the future.
