The University of Massachusetts Issues a Strict Warning against Cannabis Use

November 16, 2018, Massachusetts

The commencement of cannabis retail operations in Massachusetts is on the cards. In a couple of months, the state will have its first batch of retail cannabis stores. In the backdrop of this imminent development, the University of Massachusetts (UMASS), Amherst has already started warning its students that pot will not be tolerated on the campus.

Although Massachusetts is one of the eleven US states that has legalized recreational use of cannabis, the state doesn’t have any retail cannabis establishment so far. The first group of retail marijuana stores was slated to open by July 1, but it couldn’t happen due to regulatory impediments.

Now, it is being said that marijuana retail shops will go operational by the start of the next year. As per data from state regulators, one cannabis store is scheduled to open in Northampton. The town is fairly close to the UMASS campuses and that has already got the university administration worried.

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The administration fears that the opening of a legal cannabis store just a few blocks away from the campus will lead to pot invasion on the university premises. According to the state’s cannabis rules, any adult 21 and above can buy, possess and consume cannabis, without facing any legal consequences. This means a large number of UMASS students are already eligible to get their hands on legal cannabis.

In order to nip this issue in the bud, UMASS has already launched an aggressive warning campaign for their students. The administration has dedicated an entire section on their website to warn against cannabis use. According to the information available there, students will not be allowed to use and possess cannabis in any form, including medical strain on campus. Similarly, they won’t be allowed to have cannabis paraphernalia on them.

The university has also informed students about the negative impact of marijuana consumption on academic performance. The guideline on UMASS website says that cannabis use can result in lower grades and deferred graduation. In the last section, the administration categorically mentions that the use of cannabis on the campus can lead to the termination of scholarship and internships granted by the university.

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Like any other legal state, UMASS has to ban marijuana use on campus to act in accordance with federal laws, which prohibit all forms and uses of the strain. Not complying with federal laws can land universities and other educational institutes into financial troubles.

The UMASS administration has also rationalized the ban in the light of state laws. According to the adult-use legislation of Massachusetts, citizens will not be allowed to consume marijuana in public spaces, and educational establishments are also defined as one in the state law book.

In Michigan, legalization of recreational cannabis has been progressed at a snail’s pace. As of now, the state has only issued retail permits to three medical marijuana dispensaries and none of them has started recreational sales up till now.

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