By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Missouri might have legalized recreational marijuana, but it will remain off limits on the St. Joseph campus of Missouri Western State University.
“While the state has passed that amendment, Missouri Western is certainly not going to have any situation like that on campus,” Missouri Western President Elizabeth Kennedy tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline.
Kennedy points out the university bans other legal substances.
“We are an alcohol-free campus and a no-smoking campus, so we will keep those,” Kennedy says. “One of the things we have to keep in mind, we have a lot of young adults on our campus. You have to be 21 to able to engage in recreational marijuana and they’re not.”
Kennedy says the university issued a memo to staff and students stating marijuana use will not be allowed on campus even though state law has changed.
“To make sure everyone understands what Missouri Western’s policies are, what our guidelines are, and to help our own campus police so they understand what we will be asking them to do and not do and those kinds of things.”
Kennedy says Missouri Western would risk federal dollars if it allowed marijuana use on campus.
“We have to remember again, according to federal law, it is illegal and if you’re receiving federal funds, which we do from Pells (Grants) and those kinds of things, we would be in jeopardy of losing our ability to get the federal funding and we’re not going to do that.”
Kennedy adds the university takes substance abuse seriously and attempts to help students caught in addiction.
“For some of these students, it’s the first time they’re away from home,” Kennedy says. “There’s a lot of freedom that can come with some things, but there’s also a lot of responsibility and that’s what we’re really helping them really develop into, is the responsible adult who understands those kinds of things.”