As of January 1st, two new States will be legalizing marijuana smoking.  I’m sure many college students across Colorado and Washington are very happy about these newly enacted laws.  However, just because marijuana possession may be “allowed” by a State (either legalized or decriminalized), colleges and universities are apparently still banning marijuana on campus. A recent article here discusses a number of Colorado colleges addressing the marijuana legalization issue on campus.  In addition, student athletes governed by the NCAA can not use marijuana even if it is legal in their home state. See a recent article here addressing marijuana in the NCAA.  This means that students can still be disciplined by a college for marijuana possession and the range of discipline can be from a slap on the wrist to suspension or expulsion.  So, college students must still beware of using or possessing marijuana on college campuses.

The marijuana legalization and medical use issue involves the intersection of State and Federal law.  Even if an individual state permits use of marijuana for whatever purposes, the Federal Government has not.  Every person living in the United State must abide by their State law and also the Federal law.  So, you can see where they intersect in Colorado for example which will not prosecute anyone for marijuana possession, but the Federal agents and authorities technically can still prosecute in Colorado.

Since, most colleges accept financial aid and federal loans they are governed by Federal law.  So, I don’t see colleges and universities permitting marijuana even in legalized states if the money would be cut.