Arizona: Supreme Court rules that medical cannabis is not illegal on campus

Arizona Supreme Court has decided Wednesday that the state could not prosecute students for possession or use of cannabis on campus if they have a medical cannabis card.

This decision upheld an earlier ruling that found unconstitutional an amendment to Arizona's medical cannabis law passed in 2012 that criminalized the use of medical cannabis on campus. A student was originally prosecuted for consuming medical cannabis on campus despite having a medical prescription, and was therefore acquitted of all charges.

The law on medical marijuana in Arizona passed in 2010 via a popular initiative banned cannabis use until college, on school buses and in prison. In 2012, the government added university campuses, an amendment now considered to violate the original wishes of the voters.

There's no need to get too excited, though: Arizona students won't necessarily be able to light up big spliffs in the open air. Faculties will still be able to prohibit medical or recreational cannabis within their bounds, without fear of prosecution from now on for offenders. They will, however, be subject to disciplinary sanctions.

Most American universities do not allow the use of medical cannabis, even in states where it is legal. They depend in part on federal funding, and cannabis is still illegal at this level in the USA.