THE
I S S U E DAT E 9•26•17
BEACON
VOLUME 14 NO. 2
BY THE STUDENTS, FOR THE STUDENTS
By Troy Hudson When it comes to psychoactive substances, the state of Maine has taken a number of controversial stances over the years, even as our actual track record has diverged sharply from our legislative ideals. First in the country to outlaw the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in 1846, Maine now ranks near the top of the nation for heavy drinking. The state’s opioid-prescribing laws are among the toughest in the country and face opposition and criticism from chronic pain sufferers, yet our widespread opioid epidemic is well-documented. And even though possession of small amounts of marijuana has been decriminalized since 1976 (at a time when only two states had similar laws), Maine didn’t fully legalize medical use until 1999. In 2016, the long-debated question of whether to legalize recreational marijuana at the state level finally made it to the ballot, and it for a time it seemed to have the state nearly evenly divided. While pre-election polls indicated a near-perfect split on the issue, on Election Day the referendum to legalize cannabis passed by 4,073 votes. Maine voters decided that recreational marijuana use for citizens 21 and older would be legal under state law beginning on Jan. 30, 2017. So what does this mean for students at SMCC? The short answer is that nothing has changed. SMCC’s policy on marijuana is clearly stated in the 2017-2018 Compass: “Although Maine state law permits the use of medical marijuana by certain authorized persons, federal law prohibits marijuana use, possession, cultivation and sale at educational institutions that receive federal funds.” SMCC participates in Title IV federal financial-aid programs and receives a variety of federal grants, which means the college is
Let’s Talk About Pot
required to enforce federal laws on campus. Practically speaking, however, one is never very far from marijuana at SMCC. The realities of enforcing conflicting federal and state laws are, unsurprisingly, complicated. While smoking pot on campus is a blatant invitation for a disciplinary sanction, take a few steps off campus and pot smoke hangs thick in the air. A popular spot on Benjamin W. Pickett Street is frequented by pot enthusiasts, as are the beaches and other quiet places around campus. One student, who spoke to us off the record, said, “At night there’s like twenty or thirty kids lighting up [on campus], and they don’t really do anything about it.” We asked several sources the question, is marijuana use a problem on campus? According to Dean of Students Tiffanie Bentley, “Marijuana use and possession, including possession of marijuana paraphernalia, are collectively the most frequent violations of the Student Code of Conduct, so from that perspective, yes, marijuana use is a problem on campus.” However, the most recent Clery Report on crime statistics at SMCC says that a total of 47 drug-law violations were reported on campus in 2015, compared with 72 liquor-law violations. In fact, in five of the last six years on record, alcohol violations have outnumbered drug violations, often by as much as three to one. Director of Public Safety Jay Manhardt told us, “In my experience, recreational marijuana use and success in obtaining a college education are mutually exclusive … Being high while in class or while attempting to study is a recipe for failure.” Because one of marijuana’s active cannabinoids, THC,
acts on receptors in the memory and cognition centers of the brain, there is good reason to question the effects of marijuana on learning. So far, no evidence has linked marijuana to
Illistration By Jennifer Jang
long-term impairment of memory, but that isn’t to say there aren’t other risks for students. A 10-year study published in 2013 by the University of Maryland School of Public Health followed 1,200 college freshmen and attempted to establish a relationship between marijuana use and academic success and retention. The results reflect what many college administrators have known for years. According to the researchers, “Even after controlling for the effects of demographics, high school GPA, and personality variables,” heavy users — defined as those who smoked more than 15 times a month — were “twice as likely” to drop out
than minimal users. While this evidence suggests marijuana and academics don’t mix, many students don’t see it that way. This is what some SMCC students had to say about it: “When I get anxiety, I’m like — I need to smoke a blunt, calm down and focus on my homework.” “I can’t do homework unless I’m baked.” “You’ll find that most [pot users at SMCC] have some sort of mental illness that weed helps them with. For people to be barred from that is upsetting.” “It’s so easy to be a functional stoner. It’s all in your mindset. You can grind heavy and grind hard and still smoke weed on the side.” No matter what happens at the state level, as long as marijuana remains a federally controlled substance and SMCC remains, in part, a federally funded school, marijuana will not be permitted on campus. Of course, for students 21 and older, possession and use of the plant is legal off campus. Public marijuana use is still prohibited (including, and especially, while driving) and typically carries a fine of up to $100, but smoking at home is permitted. Tiffanie Bentley summarized SMCC’s approach to marijuana use as follows: “Our policies are designed to enforce the law and to maintain a drug and alcohol free environment for students who choose to use their time on campus to focus on completing their education.” For many students, a substance-free campus means one less distraction in the already complicated juggling act that is student life. But for others, marijuana is an important part of their lives — one that’s inseparable from the college experience.
New Partnership Kicked Off at Surprise Event
By Ben Riggleman
Southern Maine Community College cancelled all classes on the afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 14, without much explanation. A mass email to students mentioned an “Achieving the Dream kickoff,” and clarified only that Achieving the Dream is “a network of more than 220 community colleges nationwide dedicated to improving student success.” Still, why were three
hours of classes cancelled? Why was every staff member, including the custodians, required to come to the HUB Gym for this “kickoff ”? And how would it all serve “student success”? The event was kept hush-hush to staff as well as students. That morning, one staff member mused about it being a surprise game show: “I don’t know why,” she said. “Maybe it’s the name, ‘Achieving (Continued on page 2)
Maine Community College System President Derek Langhauser speaks at the kickoff.