Longwood University has chosen to lessen their minimum sanction for a first time marijuana offense.
In the past, the University has always held suspension from school as their minimum offense; however, effective this fall the new minimum sanction is disciplinary probation.
“We have been talking about it for a while,” said Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Tim Pierson. “When I talked to student-leaders over the years they weren’t ready for it, they weren’t ready to change. I think for Longwood, now is just the right time.”
According to Pierson, when the University talked to other institutions about their minimum sanctions for marijuana, Longwood found itself in the minority when it came to suspending students for first time offenses.
“Does everyone who has partaken in a substance need to be suspended from the institution?” Pierson said. “I think that is the ultimate question.”
This move by Longwood comes during a time where 23 states have voted through legislation allowing medicinal marijuana use. Of those states, Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington have laws in place allowing citizens to use the drug recreationally. According to an article by Mother Jones earlier this year, Nevada, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Hawaii, California and Arizona are all expected to see bills surface in the next two years regarding legalization to legalize. The District of Columbia passed legislation to legalize on Election Day this year by more than 70 percent, but the outcome is currently being reviewed by congress.
Pierson said state legalization didn’t directly play a role in their decision, but he did comment, “I think it could have affected it a bit. If nothing else, it brings precedent to the conversation.” As far as his personal views on the topic, Pierson added, “I have mixed feelings about the legalization of it, but I think it has long been a debated issue.”
Though Pierson is unsure how he feels about the legal side of things, he stated that he agrees with Longwood’s decision on their sanction. “Yes I agree,” he said, “I have been for this for a while. I posed it to students with conduct board. I have had University Presidents that asked me to look at this. I think it is looking at our campus, and figuring out what is best for us.”
Pierson said he doesn’t feel as though the University is softening its stance on marijuana. “By someone getting put on disciplinary probation, you have developed a disciplinary file, and you have some sanctions that you have to complete, so it’s not ignoring it, it’s still a serious deal. The definition of probation is that the student is on a final warning status.” He later made a point to say, “People have to realize that the drug policy was not changed. It is still a violation of Longwood policy to use or possess controlled substances.”
Pierson said that any policy changed in the Longwood student handbook starts out by getting talked about by their staff, before being presented to the Committee Standards Committee. They craft the wording on the documentation and then Pierson takes it to the executive steering committee. Then, if need be, it goes to the Board of Visitors, which in this case it did.
“Things that go before the board are recommended by the administration,” said Pierson. “Most of the things that are voted on by the Board are unanimous.”
According to Pierson, a few years ago Longwood made the decision to change the minimum sanction for a first time alcohol offense from disciplinary probation to admonition, which basically means ‘warning.’ When asked whether or not the University would look to do the same with marijuana in the future, Pierson said, “It could possibly move to admonition in the future. But for some reason this felt like a pretty big move. ”
