Missouri University says No weed on campus ahead of recreational Cannabis legalization
Recreational use of marijuana will be legal for those 21 and older in Missouri on Thursday, but the University of Missouri announced it would continue to enforce federal laws prohibiting its use or possession.
Slightly more than 53% of voters on Nov. 8 approved an amendment to Missouri’s constitution legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. Missourians voted to allow medical use of marijuana in 2018, and it became available in 2020.
Missourians won’t be able to purchase recreational marijuana until next year, but the new law allows on Thursday the possession of up to three ounces of marijuana.
The University of Missouri distributed a news release on Wednesday stating it reviewed the federal Drug-Free Schools and Community Act, passed in 1989, and Drug-Free Workplace Act, passed in 1988, and will continue “to prohibit the possession, use and distribution of marijuana on any university property, university-leased property and as part of university-sponsored or university-supervised activities.”
Violating one or both of the congressional acts could cost the university millions in federal funding.
The announcement stated that federal regulations require the university to have policies in place that discipline employees and students for possessing or using illegal drugs. Marijuana is classified by the federal government as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, defined by the Drug Enforcement Administration as drugs with “no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”
“Students, employees, and visitors should also be aware that Amendment 3 does not legalize public consumption of marijuana; consumption of marijuana in public areas adjacent to a campus will not be permitted,” the university announcement said. “In addition, operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of marijuana remains unlawful, and students and employees who operate a vehicle under the influence of marijuana on streets or roadways abutting a campus may also be subject to discipline in accordance with university policy.”
The university’s Office of the General Counsel added a series of marijuana FAQs on its website regarding the new law.
“The University of Missouri and each of its four universities (the University of Missouri in Columbia, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the Missouri University of Science and Technology [Rolla] and the University of Missouri-St. Louis) receive federal funding for financial aid, grants and contracts for research, and is subject to compliance with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act and the Drug-Free Workplace Act,” the site states. “These federal laws prohibit universities receiving federal funding from allowing any form of marijuana use or possession on their property or as part of their activities.”
The Center Square sent email inquiries to several other public higher education institutions regarding the change in state law on marijuana possession.
“(Missouri State University) will continue to adhere to federal law prohibiting the use, possession, distribution or cultivation of marijuana, including medical marijuana,” Andrea Mostyn, the university’s director of strategic communication, wrote in an email to The Center Square. “As a result, no student or employee can consume, smoke, possess or be under the influence of marijuana while on campus even though they might have a card or prescription permitting them to do so.”
