Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

Syracuse University will continue to prohibit the use, possession and distribution of marijuana or related paraphernalia on campus, a university official confirmed Monday. 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation on March 30 that legalizes marijuana in New York state for recreational use and expunges past convictions. State residents can now smoke marijuana in public places where cigarette smoking is currently allowed, although it could take up to two years for marijuana sales to take place.

Despite the legalization, SU will continue to comply with federal law regarding marijuana, according to a campus-wide email from Dean of Students Marianne Thomson.

SU’s Code of Student Conduct will continue to classify marijuana-related activities as violations, even if a student is over 21 or has a New York state medical marijuana registry ID card. 

Although state law was changed to legalize the drug, the federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, passed in 1989, requires any institution that receives federal funding to have a drug policy that addresses marijuana use or risk the loss of their funding under Title IV, which governs federal aid for higher education.

According to this federal policy, private colleges that receive federal funding, such as SU, and state schools such as SUNY-ESF must prohibit all use, possession and cultivation of marijuana.

Recreational marijuana is now legal for New Yorkers 21 and older. Here’s what you can expect.
Read our full explainer at the link in our bio. Graphics by @shannykirk

A photo posted by dailyorange

Cornell University recently announced it would also continue to comply with federal law regarding marijuana, prohibiting the drug on its campus despite state legalization.

SU’s Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities will work with the Barnes Center at The Arch to provide targeted educational sanctions related to the use of marijuana, Thomson said. 

Published on April 12, 2021 at 7:53 pm

Contact Richard: rcperrin@syr.edu | @richardperrins2