By Jay Roberson
Though marijuana was legalized in the state of New Jersey in 2021, because Rider is federally funded, it is illegal to possess it on campus.
This academic year, The Rider News received eight security briefs regarding reports of marijuana use on campus, but the source of the odor was only located once.
Interim Public Safety Director Matthew Babcock said, “Years ago when I was on shift as a PSO [Public Safety Officer] I could do three, four searches a night. Now we might get three to four searches a month.”
Because the severity of the punishment for marijuana use has increased, there has been a decrease in reports, Babcock said. Currently, marijuana violation consequences align with the alcohol policy at Rider.
“There’s some pretty hefty consequences still associated with being caught with marijuana on campus because it is still not allowed,” Babcock said. “New Jersey may have decriminalized it, but we used to have to call the Lawrence Township Police when finding marijuana.”
Though Rider has a no-tolerance policy regarding marijuana, first-time offenders receive a smaller fine, a mandatory education program, community restitution and parental notification, according to the 2024-25 Student Code of Social Conduct.
Upon multiple offenses students can receive fines up to $310, loss of campus driving privileges, suspension from social and recreational events, removal from housing and dismissal from the university upon multiple offenses.
To enforce this policy, Public Safety has signs posted in various places on campus, primarily the residence halls, stating: “No Weed” or “No Marijuana.”
Babcock said a majority of marijuana reports come from community assistants and community directors in the residence halls, rarely coming from standard residents.
Junior English major Eden Lewis, who uses they/them pronouns, works as a CA in Gee Hall and
follows certain protocols when it comes to suspected marijuana.
“If we’re doing room checks or if we’re just doing rounds, and we smell it or see it, then we immediately call Public Safety. We’re not supposed to do anything,” Lewis said.
Once Public Safety is called, officers report to the residence hall and begin an investigation, according to Babcock.
According to Lewis, CAs are not usually a part of the investigation process and are not allowed to dispose of the marijuana themselves if they do find it.
Babcock said, “We check all the areas around where the smell is coming from. It’s actually sniffing the door jams of the doors, seeing what’s coming out of a room, checking in bathrooms and common spaces, whatever we can to try to locate the source.”
A majority of the time, Public Safety is unable to locate the source of the odor, according to Babcock.
“We don’t ever want to accuse anybody, so we’ll knock on the door and have a general conversation with the [suspected student]. If the smell becomes stronger once the door is open, we know we have the source,” said Babcock.
In order to search a room, Public Safety must obtain permission from the student by having them sign a permission-to-search form, according to Babcock.
“If they refuse permission to search, we contact the Residence Life on-call administrator, one of the CDs or occasionally the student’s case manager. They will either say you have permission to search or you do not depending on the circumstances,” Babcock said.
Lewis noted that since becoming a CA in their sophomore year, they have only had to report suspected marijuana a few times.
“Issues where [marijuana is suspected] indoors is not much of a problem [in Gee Hall], at least on my floor,” Lewis said.
According to Babcock, Rider will continue to enforce its marijuana policy in accordance with federal law.
By Jay Roberson Though marijuana was legalized in the state of New Jersey in 2021, because Rid Read More
