Portland State’s Campus Public Safety Office recently discovered 1.5 pounds of marijuana in a Resident Housing dorm, where they believe several drug transactions might have taken place.
The drugs were found in a room shared by two female students who live in Stephen E. Epler Hall. No arrest has been made since then because CPSO is still investigating the owner of the narcotic. The case is also under review by the district attorney, according to CPSO Chief Michael Soto.
On April 5, at around 5 p.m., the office of University Housing received information from a student about a non-student that had moved into one of the dorms in the building, according to the CPSO report. University Housing said the reporting student became suspicious when she saw people outside dropping in and out of the dorm.
“She contacted RES Life to report a potential housing contract violation, and advised them about the suspicious activities,” Soto said. “RES Life and CPSO then knocked on the door and…found drug paraphernalia and, quote unquote, [a] ‘bong.'”
Soto said the non-student, who was the boyfriend of one of the roommates occupying the dorm room, gave up the paraphernalia to CPSO to be destroyed. There was an insignificant amount of drugs in the paraphernalia, and therefore they were only written up for a violation. Officers did a quick search of the apartment and no other drugs were found in the room at the time.
On April 7, RES Life contacted CPSO again with new information that the non-student was selling marijuana out of the dorm and was in possession of a large quantity of drugs—an amount they believed to be close to two pounds.
CPSO and RES Life returned to the dorm, where the officers smelled burnt marijuana from the outside, as well as on the male who answered the door, Soto said.
“We asked him if he had any drugs,” Soto said. “He said yes and showed us a jar, which is less than an ounce…Officers then asked the other roommate if they could search the room, at which point she started opening drawers and we found the rest of the marijuana.”
CPSO found three large freezer bags, two large glass jars, two small freezer bags and one canister, all of which contained marijuana. CPSO described the contents as “clean, dry, leafy substances with the bud separated.” CPSO also found two digital scales.
Overall, 1.5 pounds of marijuana were discovered. The street value for that amount totals $5,000, according to the Portland Police Drug and Vice division.
Soto said that the non-student was written up and asked not to return to the university. Since CPSO only uncovered the small jar, which was first handed over to them, they cannot legally arrest the man in assuming the rest of the drugs belong to him.
“Since no one claimed ownership of the drugs, we cannot arrest them,” Soto said.
The law states that less than an ounce of marijuana, which is the amount the man turned over to CPSO, is only a violation, not a crime, Soto said.
According to Lynn Clark, an attorney working at Student Legal Services, the general philosophy in marijuana law is that the more quantity of drugs found in someone’s possession, the more likely that person is a dealer.
The university has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to drug use on campus, including the use of medical marijuana, Clark said. The policy applies to Resident Housing as well.
“The university position, which is upheld by the court, is that since we’re an educational institution, even if you have a medical marijuana card, you cannot use it anywhere on campus, including housing,” Clark said.
Since the incident occurred, the roommate was found to have violated the contract and was asked to leave on April 12, according to Cory Ray, the director of Residence Life.
“This amount is more than what we usually find, which is less than an ounce,” Ray said.
According to Soto, his officers have also usually found less than an ounce of marijuana in past cases. In addition, a large number of them involved non-students who came to the university to use the facility.
“Their drug of preference is heroin,” Soto said. “We received a call from someone and we came in the bathroom and found a guy with a needle stuck in his vein.”
Soto said his officers receive regular calls from University Housing—about two to three times a week—about the smell of burnt marijuana coming from the dorms. In looking at the statistics, however, the trend for Resident Housing drug-related violations has decreased over the years.
In 2007, 83 out of 93 total drug law violations on campus came from Resident Housing. In 2008, that number was 50 out of 58 total drug law violations.
Natalee Webb, interim assistant at the Office of the Dean of Students, said her office had been made aware of the incident from CPSO. Webb said her office usually sends a letter to the student requesting a meeting, which helps her determine whether they have violated a university policy that may be grounds for expulsion from the school or any other sanctions.
Webb declined to disclose whether the other roommate violated the school policy that may affect her status as a student at PSU. According to Webb, each case she deals with is different and depends on her conversation with the student; there isn’t an automatic process for academic sanction.
“The student will get the opportunity to read the information presented against them and they can share their side of the story with me,” she said.
Currently, CPSO is still investigating the case to determine the owner of the drugs. The district attorney is also reviewing the case, Soto said.
Clark said the amount of drugs involved in this case is quite substantial, and that the outcome of the case will depend on the offense level and whether or not the female student has had any involvement in the dealing of the drugs. Clark’s office may not be able to represent the student in court.
Two potential charges include possession and distribution of a controlled substance, Soto said.