:: Calendar   :: :: Executive Board   :: :: Issues   :: :: Minutes   :: :: Pictures   :: :: Get Involved   ::

Cannabis-Alcohol Sanction Equalization (CASE) Act
   Search
 

Proposed Senate Resolution

Cannabis-Alcohol Sanction Equalization (CASE) Act

PURPOSE: A resolution to reduce sanctions for responsible cannabis use by students of The George Washington University.

WHEREAS the preamble to the SA Charter states, “The SA will promote the general welfare of students;” and

WHEREAS the American Journal of Epidemiology reported “no significant differences in cognitive decline between heavy users, light users, and nonusers of cannabis” over a fifteen-year period.   More recently, a meta-analysis of neuropsychological studies of long-term marijuana smokers by the National Institute on Drug Abuse reaffirmed this conclusion ; and

WHEREAS fewer than 10 percent of marijuana users ever exhibit symptoms of dependence (as defined by the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-IV criteria).   By comparison 15 percent of alcohol users, 17 percent of cocaine users, and 32 percent of cigarette smokers statistically exhibit symptoms of drug dependence ; and

WHEREAS researchers at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon found data that reinforces “the notion that cannabinoids are unusually non-toxic to the brain and that even long-term use of marijuana likely represents little risk to brain function.  The findings also offer further evidence that cannabinoids can play a role in the alleviation of depression and anxiety, and that cannabis-based medicines may one day offer a safer alternative to conventional anti-depressant pharmaceuticals such as Paxil and Prozac” ; and

WHEREAS in a recent preclinical study, researchers at the US National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) reported that the administration of the non-psychoactive cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) reduced ethanol-induced cell death in the brain by up to sixty percent.  “This study provides the first demonstration of CBD as an in vivo neuroprotectant … in preventing binge ethanol-induced brain injury.”  Alcohol poisoning is linked to hundreds of preventable deaths each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control, while cannabis cannot cause death by overdose ; and

WHEREAS according to clinical trial data published this past Spring in the American Journal of Addictions, cannabis use – including heavy, long-term use of the drug – has, at most, only a negligible impact on cognition and memory.  Researchers at Harvard Medical School performed magnetic resonance imaging on the brains of twenty-two long-term cannabis users (reporting a mean of 20,100 lifetime episodes of smoking) and twenty-six controls (subjects with no history of cannabis use).  Imaging displayed “no significant differences” between heavy cannabis smokers compared to controls, the study found ; and

WHEREAS After analyzing survey results from 4,400 adults who had completed The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (a numerical, self-report scale designed to assess symptoms of depression in the general population, researchers at the University of Southern California found: “Despite comparable ranges of scores on all depression subscales, those who used once per week or less had less depressed mood, more positive affect, and fewer somatic (physical) complaints than non-users…Daily users [also] reported less depressed mood and more positive affect than non-users” ; and

WHEREAS Those who use cannabis in moderation, even long-term “will not suffer any lasting physical or mental harm…Overall, by comparison with other drugs used mainly for recreational purposes, cannabis could be rated to be a relatively safe drug” ; and

WHEREAS “Marijuana does not cause people to use hard drugs.  What the gateway theory presents as a causal explanation is a statistical association between common and uncommon drugs, an association that changes over time as different drugs increase and decrease in the United States today.  Therefore, people who have used less popular drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, and LSD, are likely to have also used marijuana.  Most marijuana users never use any other illegal drug.  Indeed, for the large majority of people, marijuana is a terminus rather than a gateway drug” ; and

WHEREAS “There is no convincing scientific evidence that marijuana causes psychological damage or mental illness in either teenagers or adults.  Some marijuana users experience psychological distress following marijuana ingestion, which may include feelings of panic, anxiety, and paranoia.  Such experiences can be frightening, but the effects are temporary.  With very large doses, marijuana can cause a temporary toxic psychosis.  This occurs rarely, and almost always when marijuana is eaten rather than smoked.  Marijuana does not cause profound changes in people’s behavior” ; and

WHEREAS “Every serious scholar and government commission examining the relationship between marijuana use and crime has reached the same conclusion: marijuana does not cause crime.  The vast majority of marijuana users do not commit crimes other than the crime of possessing marijuana.  Among marijuana users who do commit crimes, marijuana plays no causal role.  Almost all human and animal studies show that marijuana decreases rather than increases aggression” ; and

WHEREAS “…marijuana appears to pose minimal danger to the lungs.  Like tobacco smoke, marijuana smoke contains a number or irritants and carcinogens.  But marijuana users typically smoke much less often than tobacco smokers and, over time, inhale much less smoke.  As a result, the risk of serious lung damage should be lower in marijuana smokers.  There have been no reports of lung cancer related solely to marijuana.  However, because researchers have found no precancerous changes in cells taken from the lungs of heavy marijuana smokers, the possibility of lung cancer from marijuana cannot be ruled out.  Unlike heavy tobacco smokers, heavy marijuana smokers exhibit no obstruction of the lung’s small airways.  This indicates that people will not develop emphysema from smoking marijuana” ; and

WHEREAS “For twenty-five years, researchers have searched for a marijuana-induced amotivational syndrome, and have failed to find it.  People who are intoxicated constantly, regardless of the drug, are unlikely to be productive members of society.  There is nothing about marijuana specifically that causes people to lose drive and ambition.  In laboratory studies, subjects given high doses of marijuana for several days or several weeks exhibit no decrease in work motivation or productivity.  Among working adults, marijuana users tend to earn higher wages than nonusers.  College students who use marijuana have the same grades as nonusers.  Among high school students, heavy marijuana use is associated with school failure, but school failure usually comes first” ; and

WHEREAS under current District of Columbia law, possession of less than eight ounces of marijuana is considered a misdemeanor and consumption of alcohol by a minor, in any amount, is also treated as a misdemeanor; and

WHEREAS The George Washington University is a private educational institution with discretion over the internal handling of offenses committed by students residing in University housing;



THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Student Association of The George Washington University recognizes that the recreational use of cannabis by students at The George Washington University poses a lesser risk to both users and the GW community than either alcohol or tobacco.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Student Association calls upon The George Washington University to reduce recommended minimum sanctions for private marijuana possession and consumption to a level equivalent with alcohol violations.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Student Association calls upon Student Judicial Services to change section II.2 of the Residential Community Conduct Guidelines and Administrative Policies to exclude the recreational use of marijuana.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Student Association calls upon the Center for Alcohol and other Drug Education to update publicly available material on the effects and dangers of cannabis to reflect current peer-reviewed scientific research.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution be transmitted to University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, Senior Vice President for Student and Academic Support Services Robert A. Chernak, Dean of Students and Assosciate Vice President for Student and Academic Support Services Linda A. Donnels, University Police Chief Dolores Stafford, Director of Student Judicial Services Tara Woolfson, Director of the Center for Alcohol and other Drug Education Brian F. Hamluk, and the Board of Trustees of the George Washington University.

* The submitted text, complete with footnotes, is available as a MS Word .doc file here.


The views and policies articulated in these pages are not necessarily those of The George Washington University. GW NORML is a registered organization at The George Washington University, EEO/AA. Last updated February 20, 2008 07:54pm by mscrib