Written by Karina Kosmala

On January 1^st, 2020, while the state of Illinois has enacted the law that allows those 21 and older to purchase cannabis, it is illegal to possess cannabis on Concordia University Chicago’s property.

The decision of prohibiting the “possession, consumption, sale/distribution of cannabis” on campus was not a decision made by Concordia University Chicago, but rather by the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act. This means that it is also prohibited at University-owned vehicles, and “off-campus University-sponsored events.”

“The Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act prohibits marijuana use, possession, and/or cultural at education institutions or on the premise of any institution that receives federal funds,” said Dean Kathy Gebhardt.

According to the CUC Student Handbook, the “Compassionate Care Act” states that medical marijuana can be “possessed lawfully,” through “medical marijuana cards,” and also mentions that “Nothing in this Act shall prevent a university, college, or other institution of post-secondary education from restricting or prohibiting the use of medical cannabis on its property.”

While It is still early in the semester to ensure that students are following this rule, Dean Kathy Gebhardt states, “we will monitor this situation in the same way that we monitor everything else. We are not actively looking for policy violations, however, if we become aware of an issue through a report from a CUC community member or our own observations, we will most certainly look into it.”