The Cavalier daily :: Wednesday, March 20, 1968 :: University of Virginia Library

Three motions were presented
to Student Council last night by
Jacques Jones, Chairman of the
Committee on Marijuana, dealing
with that drug. One of his motions
passed unchanged, another was
tabled and the third was amended.

Mr. Jones' first motion asked
that a conference on drugs be
held in the fall of 1968 at the University,
sponsored by the Student
Council.

Funds For Conference

The question of funds for the
conference was brought up and
Frank Homer stated that the conference
"could be made to pay
for itself." He also pointed out
that Council's passing of the motion
would in no way commit them
to the conference, as next year's
Council could overrule this Council's
support of the conference.

The motion was then passed
with one dissenting vote.

Mr. Jones' second motion asked
the Student Council to urge the
Dean of the University "to reevaluate
.... his statement on University
policy with respect to marijuana
in his letter dated Summer,
1967."

Councilmen Object

Some members of Council objected
to the Committee's acceptance
as fact "noted authorities"
declarations that there are no lasting
effects from marijuana, that
"no pathological conditions or disorders
of cerebral functions" are
attributable to the drug, and that
"psychic dependence is not as
prominent or compelling as in the
case of morphine, alcohol or perhaps
even tobacco habituation."

Richard Jenkins maintained that
there was "psychiatric opinion
to the contrary" of these statements.

The motion was tabled until
the next meeting when it is hoped
that John Buckman, Associate Professor
of Psychiatry at the University
Hospital, will be able to
speak to Student Council on the
matter.

Student Dismissals

The third motion presented by
Mr. Jones asked the Council to
"request that no student be dismissed
from the University on the
grounds that he has been charged
with possession or use of marijuana
unless and until he has been
convicted of such charge in an
appropriate court."

Councilman Frank Homer objected
to the motion as limiting
itself solely to those cases where
students were charged with possession
or use of marijuana.

Mr. Homer stated "I don't
care if a student is charged with
murder, he should not be dismissed
until proven guilty." He
went on to say that "expulsion
from the University is a punishment."

Motion Amended

Mr. Jones amended his own
motion to read any students
"charged with any municipal,
state, or federal statute," and it
was then passed.

Mr. Jones' final motion of the
evening asked that Council investigate
the "procedures involved in
the disciplining of students under
the dormitory counselor system."

His motion was prompted by the
case of two second-year students,
Hank Chase and David Longfellow,
who complained about the
lack of due process in disciplinary
matters in University housing.

Case Summarized

Weaver Gaines, a third-year law
student who is advising Messrs.
Chase and Longfellow gave a brief
summary of their case.

Councilman Pieter Schenkkan,
himself a dormitory counselor,
suggested that the case of these
two students was irrelevant to
the motion, and the Council should
not act as "a court of appeals"
but that the students' complaint
should be carried through different
channels.

The motion then passed with a
large majority.

Draft Group Recognized

In other business, the Council,
after lengthy debate gave recognition
to The Charlottesville Draft
Opposition Group, a group against
the war in Vietnam.

Foster Witt explained that "recognition
of the group implies no
support of it, it merely means
that the group can use University
facilities."

George McMillan wanted to
know if this group was needed
since Council recognized the Charlottesville
Draft Counselling
Group last week.

A spokesman for the group
explained the difference between
his organization and the Charlottesville
Draft Counselling
Group. His group did not really
advise students, but welcomed
those opposed to the war.