It's been said many times that college is a time and place for students to expand their horizons and try new things. Most college deans would exclude drugs and alcohol from that category, but the reality is that many students experiment with drugs or heavy drinking as part of their higher education experience.
Two young men were arrested last week on drug charges at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Police said they received a call from the college's campus police department, requesting help after finding drugs in a campus house. Campus police officers told Portland police they were responding to a noise complaint when they first discovered the drugs.
Officers ended up seizing 2 to 3 pounds of marijuana, a small amount of the drug MDMA, aka Ecstasy, and LSD, in addition to packaging materials and scales, suggesting that the drugs were being prepared for distribution.
Two men who were at the house, both 20-year-old Reed students, were subsequently arrested. One is facing several counts of drug possession, as well as a charge of delivering marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school. The other student was charged with marijuana possession and delivery. College officials said both men live in apartments owned by the school. A spokesman said federal student privacy issues prevented him from saying more about the case.
According to many students, the college has a reputation for tolerance of student drug use and distribution, a notion the school has been trying to change since it came under fire by federal agents for a student overdose in 2008. An email from Reed's president to students outlined the arrests of the two men and said the college has made it clear in its drug and alcohol policy that it does not tolerate illegal drug use, possession or distribution.
In its efforts to demonstrate they're getting tougher on drug crimes, college officials and prosecutors could decide to punish these students to the fullest extent possible. It's imperative that they find attorneys with focused experience in the defense of drug crimes in order to avoid the most serious penalties and damage to their reputation. As college students, their future careers could depend on it.
Source: Willamette Week, "Two Students Arrested In Drug Bust At Reed," Corey Pein, Feb. 16, 2012
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