For several months, residents of the Mary Erin Porter dorms at Mercer University have been dealing with the frequent smell of cannabis. The smell often occurs at night, wafting through the dorms. When the cannabis use occurs, the smell is usually detectable from all of three available floors. According to the Mercer University Student Handbook, the possession or use of drugs is prohibited by law. This includes use in the on-campus dorms; however, this has not stopped the frequent cannabis use. For some, the smell is simply an annoyance, but for students with chronic illnesses, it can pose a risk to their health.
Jasmine Nobles, a resident assistant for the dorms, says that while the smoking has not personally affected her, it is still an issue.
“Honestly, I don’t like being in the Res Hall,” Nobles said. “This is just my place to sleep, but I don’t like being here for a long period of time. I guess partially it could be because of the whole smoking issue ’cause I really don’t like the smell of weed.”
Nobles said she doesn’t think the university has done as much as it probably could have. On January 26, an email from Housing and Residence Life was sent to all residents of the Mary Erin Porter, Boone, and Dowell dorms to warn them that if another cannabis violation occurs within or around the building, they will conduct searches of any suspected locations. The email did not deter people from smoking in the building, however, and an additional email was sent to the residents on February 20, warning residents once again and stating that anyone found responsible would be removed from the dorm. As of March, the situation is still occurring.
Emmy Bailey, a Porter resident, experiences chronic migraines that are exacerbated by the smell of cannabis.
“Whenever the smell of the weed is coming through the vents I’m smelling that and it’s giving me a headache,” Bailey said, “and then I’m in my bed throwing up for the rest of the night.”
Bailey knew the people who were smoking and texted her resident assistant, but chose to delete the message and instead, talk to the student who was smoking. But the resident assistant had already seen the message and took action against the suspected smoker.
“They (someone with Mercer administration) just called me today to say ‘hey, thanks for your help, I’m not allowed to disclose exactly what steps we’re going but just know that this shouldn’t be a problem moving forward’,” said Bailey.
