By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
Western Kentucky University announced that the university would not allow medical marijuana use on its campuses.
Dean of Students Martha Sale announced the university’s decision in an email sent to the whole student body last week. The email stated it stemmed from federal law requirements of the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989 and the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 because the university receives federal funding, according to the College Heights Herald.
The federal government classifies marijuana as a Schedule I substance meaning it has “a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.” Though, Governor Andy Beshear recently called for its reclassification to the lesser Schedule III designation.
Regional Adviser Stephanie Prichard wrote in an email that this policy extends to WKUs regional campuses as well.
If the university violates the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, the United States secretary of education may “terminate all forms of financial assistance” and “may require repayment of such assistance, including individual students’ federal grants, such as Pell grants,” according to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
The Drug-Free Workplace Act requires federal contractors and grantees to certify they will provide a drug-free workplace as a pre-condition to receive any federal contracts or grants, the university’s newspaper reported.
WKUs policy is the latest announcement by educational institutions regarding the newly legalized medical marijuana. All three local school districts — Glasgow, Caverna and Barren County — have moved to prohibit its use on school property, and both the city of Glasgow and the county have banned its use for employees.
