<p>It is always tragic when a young person is killed—and in all honesty, I think the initial reaction to “its not a Harvard student” was more the sense that it was “other” and not, somehow, a safety threat to our own children. Its also tragic that the perpetrator, a 20 year old, is now facing murder charges. Put a gun in a young person’s hands, and this is what you get.</p>
<p>My point was to underscore that Harvard students who are buying drugs are putting themselves, and their school community in danger, regardless of whether possession of marijuana is a criminal offense or not. It may have only been a matter of luck that a Harvard student wasn’t killed or injured here. </p>
<p>I think de-criminalization by Mass is more a function of the fact that there are so many colleges in Mass, Boston in particular, and they have parents who can pay to beat the charges. Its a reflection of the enforcement difficulty.</p>