Schools are blunt about new pot law: Not on our campus

Colleges in the land of legalized pot say they still won't allow students to smoke marijuana.

12:08PM EST November 10. 2012 - Social media is abuzz with future college students dreaming of doing bong hits openly on the greens of universities in Colorado and Washington state. But those dreams may go up in smoke.

"If someone thinks they are going to walk around campus smoking a joint, it's not going to happen," says University of Washington spokesman Norman Arkans.

Although voters in Colorado and Washington approved the legalization of marijuana, officials aren't expecting cannabis-welcoming changes in campus policy.

The federal government still considers marijuana illegal, and universities don't want to risk their federal funding for research or student financial aid.

"We don't see that it will change our policies very much," Arkans says. "We get caught in the vise between the state law and our obligations under the federal government. While it may be legal two blocks off campus, it will be illegal under federal law, so it will be illegal on campus."

Even the University of Colorado-Boulder, which tops Princeton Review's list of "Reefer Madness" schools, doesn't expect a change in policy anytime soon.

"We have a lot of sorting out to do," says University of Colorado-Boulder spokesman Bronson Hilliard.

The Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act puts the university at risk for all of its federal funding if they knowingly and willingly allow illegal substance use on campus.

"Now the question is, 'Is that a federal definition or a state definition of illegal?'" Hilliard says. "We are already sorting through it now, but it's complex and it's going to take time."

Other universities, including the University of Denver and The Evergreen State College, are waiting to hear from lawyers and the government on how the ruling will affect them.

University of Denver spokeswoman Kim DeVigil said it's too soon to know how the school will handle the passage of the amendment.

"We are a smoke-free campus, so regardless you can't smoke in dorms, buildings or any grounds," she says. "We will comply with state, local and federal laws."

Under the Colorado and Washington laws, personal possession of up to an ounce of marijuana would be legal for anyone 21 and older. Cannabis would be sold and taxed at state-licensed stores.