I. Scope
This policy pertains to the possession, use, distribution, dispensation, sale or manufacture of cannabis on University property or as part of any University activity.
II. Background
There are risks associated with the chronic use of all psychoactive drugs, including alcohol. Adverse health effects can range from nausea and anxiety to coma and death. When drugs are used in combination, their negative effects on the mind and body are often multiplied beyond the effects of the same drugs taken alone.
Alcohol. Alcohol is the drug most frequently abused on college campuses. Even small amounts of alcohol can significantly impair your judgment and coordination, and consumption of alcohol may be an interacting factor in the incidence of aggressive acts, including date rape and spouse and child abuse. Moderate to large amounts of alcohol severely impair your ability to learn and remember information. Because alcohol is a depressant, very large amounts can cause respiratory and cardiac failure, resulting in death.
Cannabis. Cannabis and hashish impair short-term memory and comprehension. They can cause confusion, anxiety, lung damage and abnormalities of the hormonal and reproductive system. Hours after the feeling of getting high fades, the effects of cannabis on coordination and judgment may remain, heightening the risks involved in driving or performing other complex tasks. Cannabis may remain in your system for weeks. An overdose may bring about paranoia, panic attacks or psychiatric problems.
Depressants. Barbiturates, benzodiazepines (e.g., Valium), quaaludes and other depressants cause disorientation, slurred speech and other behaviors associated with drunkenness. The effects of an overdose range from shallow breathing, clammy skin, dilated pupils and weak and rapid pulse to coma and death. Hallucinogens. Hallucinogens such as LSD, MDA, PCP (angel dust), mescaline and peyote can cause powerful distortions in perception and thinking. Intense and often unpredictable emotional reactions can trigger panic attacks or psychotic reaction. An overdose can cause heart failure, lung failure, coma and death.
Narcotics. Heroin, codeine, morphine, methadone and opium are narcotics. There is a high likelihood of developing a physical and psychological dependence on these drugs. Health effects include anxiety, mood swings, nausea, confusion, constipation and respiratory depression. Overdose may lead to convulsions, coma and death. The risk of being infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, or other diseases increases significantly if you inject drugs and share needles.
Stimulants. Cocaine, amphetamines and other stimulants can cause agitation, loss of appetite, irregular heartbeat, chronic sleeplessness and hallucinations. Cocaine and crack cocaine are extremely dangerous and psychologically and physically addictive. An overdose can result in seizures and death.
Nicotine and Tobacco. Nicotine, the active ingredient in tobacco and e-cigarettes, increases your heart rate and raises your blood pressure. The tar in cigarette smoke is a major cause of cancer and other respiratory problems. The carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke can promote arteriosclerosis. Long-term effects of smoking cigarettes may include emphysema, chronic bronchitis, heart disease and lung cancer.
Information about the detailed effects of various drugs and alcohol is available from UIS Health Services, the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Office and Human Resources. In addition, detailed information about the health effects for various controlled substances can be found in the table to Appendix B of the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act regulations and in the Drug Enforcement Agency’s publication, Drugs of Abuse.
III. Statement of Policy
The unlawful possession, use or distribution of drugs and alcohol presents both legal and health risks to the individual which can have a significant adverse effect on the campus community. Therefore, campus standards of conduct for students and employees prohibit the unlawful possession, use, distribution, dispensation, sale, and manufacture of controlled substances or alcohol on UIS property or as part of any UIS activity. Employees and students who violate this policy may be disciplined in accordance with UIS policies, statutes, rules, regulations, employment contracts, and labor agreements, up to and including dismissal and referral for prosecution.
Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, cannabis is classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance and is illegal. Consistent with that Act, the federal Drug Free Schools and Communities Act and the Drug Free Workplace Act, UIS prohibits the possession, use, distribution, dispensation, sale or manufacture of cannabis on University property or as part of any University activity. The passage of the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act in 2019, which legalizes certain activities related to cannabis under Illinois state law effective Jan. 1, 2020, does not affect federal law or UIS’ cannabis prohibition.
In addition, UIS’ cannabis prohibition applies to both recreational and medical use. That means having a medical cannabis registry identification card under the Illinois Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act does not allow you to use or possess cannabis on University property or as part of any University activity.
IV. Available Services
Several university and community-based services are available to help students and employees who have problems with alcohol or other drugs.
UNIVERSITY RESOURCES
- Human Resources (employees) 217-206-6652, HRB 30
- Counseling Center (students) 217-206-7122, HRB 64
- UIS Health Services (students) 217-206-6676, BSB 20
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
Be sure to check whether your health insurance, including student health insurance or your family’s health insurance, covers any charges for private therapists.
- Triangle Center 217-544-9858 120 N. 11th St., Springfield, IL 62702
- Gateway Foundation 217-303-8020 2200 Lake Victoria Drive, Springfield, IL 62703
- St. John’s Hospital Emergency Department 217-525-5610 800 E. Carpenter St., Springfield, IL 62769
- Memorial Medical Center Emergency Department 217-788-3030 701 N. First St., Springfield, IL 62781
PEORIA COMMUNITY RESOURCES
- Illinois Institute for Addition Recovery 800-522-3784 5409 N. Knoxville Ave., Peoria, IL 61614
- Illinois Alcohol and Drug Evaluation Services 309-692-9236 7501 University St., Suite 201, Peoria, IL 61614
- New Leaf 309-689-3078 3500 New Leaf Lane, Peoria, IL 61615
- OSF Saint Francis Medical Center 309-655-2000 800 NE Glen Oak Ave.
Addendum A
State and Local Drug and Alcohol Laws
In Illinois, it is against the law to sell or deliver alcohol to anyone under 21, or to any intoxicated person [235 ILCS 5/6-16] [Springfield Code of Ordinances Article V Section 90.40]. Illinois Criminal Code violations can result in fines of up to $1,000 and one year in jail, while Springfield City Ordinance violations range between $500 and $1,000. It is also illegal for a person under 21 to present false identification in an attempt to purchase alcohol. Campus violations are strictly enforced and additional penalties may be imposed.
The illegal consumption or possession of alcohol by a minor is a violation of ILCS 5/6-20(a) or 6-20(e), and is a class A misdemeanor. This is also a violation of the Springfield City Ordinance. Anyone who commits this offense is subject to a fine between $500 and $1,000. [Springfield Code of Ordinances Article V Section 90.40(e), Section 90.40(h)]
The Secretary of State is authorized to suspend or revoke without a hearing the driver’s license or instruction permit of a person under 21 who has purchased or attempted to purchase alcohol from a duly licensed establishment or who has consumed alcohol on licensed premises.
Local liquor commissioners have the duty to report to the Secretary of State any conviction for a violation of the Liquor Control Act, or a similar provision of a local ordinance, prohibiting a person under 21 from purchasing, accepting, possessing, or consuming alcohol and prohibiting the transfer or alteration of identification cards, the use of the identification card of another or a false or forged identification card, or the use of false information to obtain an identification card.
The Secretary of State is authorized to suspend or revoke the driver’s license or learner’s permit of any person convicted of violating any of the prohibitions listed above or similar provisions of local ordinances.
Substantial penalties exist in Illinois for the operation of a motor vehicle by a driver with a blood or breath alcohol concentration of .08 or greater. Arrests are also possible at lower alcohol levels if driving is impaired. The first offense can result in a $1,000 fine, incarceration for up to one year, and suspension or revocation of the offender’s driver’s license.
Subsequent offenses entail penalties of significantly greater severity. Transporting open alcohol containers in a motor vehicle is also punishable under Illinois law.
Except as otherwise provided in the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act [410 ILCS 705], the possession, sale and delivery of controlled substances is prohibited in Illinois under the Cannabis Control Act [720 ILCS 550/] and the Illinois Controlled Substances Act [720 ILCS 570]. Under the Illinois Cannabis Control Act as amended by the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, courts can set penalties that increase in accordance with the amount of any substance containing cannabis in each case. In regard to both the Illinois Cannabis Control Act and the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, penalties vary with the amount of the drug confiscated, the type of drug found, the number of previous offenses held by the individual, and whether the individual intended to manufacture, deliver or possess with intent to deliver [720 ILCS 550/4 through 550/10] [720 ILCS 570/401 through 570/408]. The Springfield Code of Ordinances Title XIII, Section 131 prohibits the possession of 10 grams or more of cannabis, or possession of drug paraphernalia. Anyone who commits an offense of this nature, shall be fined not less than $300, and may be subject to community service. [Sections 131.07, 131.08, 131.999]
Addendum B
Federal Drug Laws
In addition to prohibiting the unlawful possession of controlled substances [21 U.S.C. 844], the federal Controlled Substance Act [21 U.S.C. 801 and following] prohibits the manufacture, distribution, or dispensation, or possession with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, of controlled substances [21 U.S.C. 841(a)]. The Act also prohibits the creation, distribution, or dispensation, or possession with intent to distribute or dispense, of counterfeit substances [21 U.S.C. 841(a)]. Individuals can be penalized on the quantity of confiscated drugs, the type of drugs found, the number of previous offenses by the individual and whether the individual intended to manufacture, sell or use the drug. For additional information on federal drug trafficking penalties, visit the Drug Enforcement Administration website, DEA.gov.
Sanctions
Possession or distribution of drugs or alcohol will be reported to the UIS Campus Police. Students or employees who violate federal or state laws concerning drugs or alcohol are subject to criminal prosecution; those who violate university policies may also be subject to institutional sanctions.
Employees are subject to discipline, up to and including discharge, for the unlawful possession, use, distribution, dispensation, sale or manufacture of alcohol, cannabis or other controlled substances on university property or as part of any university activity or the inability to perform satisfactorily their assigned job duties as a result of impairment. Any employee convicted of a drug or alcohol offense involving the workplace is subject to discipline and/or may be required to complete a drug rehabilitation program as a condition of continued employment.
The range of possible sanctions for employees committing drug- or alcohol-related violations includes oral warnings, written warnings, reassignment and/or demotion, paid or unpaid suspension, severe sanctions less than discharge, termination and/or loss of tenure. Employees may also be required to complete an approved drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program.
The range of possible sanctions for students committing drug- or alcohol-related violations includes warnings, written reprimands, restitution, community service, probation, suspension or dismissal. Students may also be required to participate in counseling and complete a program of treatment. Re-admission may be conditioned upon successful completion of an approved rehabilitation program.
Addendum C
Statement on a Drug-free Workplace
The University of Illinois at Springfield is committed to providing a drug-free workplace in compliance with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988. The unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession or use of a controlled substance is prohibited on university premises. Violations of this prohibition may result in the imposition of disciplinary action up to and including termination. Violations may also result in mandatory participation in an approved drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program.
The abuse of controlled substances may seriously injure the health of employees, adversely impair their performance and endanger the safety and well-being of fellow employees, students and members of the general public. The campus, therefore, encourages employees who have a problem involving the use of controlled substances to seek professional advice and treatment. A list of available drug counseling, rehabilitation and employee assistance programs may be obtained from Human Resources, the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Office, UIS Health Services, UIS Counseling Services or the Office of Student Affairs.
As a condition of employment under federal grants and contracts, each employee must abide by the terms of this statement. Each employee must notify UIS Human Resources no later than five days after any conviction, plea of no contest or the imposition of penalties or sentencing by a state or federal court for a violation of a local, state or federal drug-related law, if such violation involves campus premises or involves activities engaged in during work on a federally funded project. The campus, in turn, is obligated to notify the federal granting agency within 10 days of receiving such notice from an employee or otherwise receiving actual notice of court action. Within 30 days of receiving such notice, the campus will take appropriate personnel action against such an employee up to and including termination, or will require such employee to participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program approved by a federal, state or local health, law enforcement or other such agency. A copy of this statement is provided to each employee and student employee of the campus. Each employee and student employee hired after the issue date shall be given a copy of the above statement and shall acknowledge in writing receipt of the statement.