Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, adults 21 years old and over can legally buy marijuana for recreational use, and we at The Daily Eastern News are excited but would like to remind students that they cannot and should not bring the drug to Eastern’s campus.

Like many of our fellow college students, the Editorial Board is pumped. That does not mean students should not still be cautious, however.

Even though recreational marijuana will be legal before we know it, we still can’t bring it anywhere on Eastern property.

Eastern is in accordance with the Illinois Smoke Free Campus Act, which means tobacco products and the use of them are prohibited on all campus property. 

It does not matter where specifically a student brings it; it’s still not allowed.

Marijuana, recreational or not, is also not allowed.

Additionally, there is a possession limit for Illinois residents. 

According to the Illinois Adult Use Cannabis Summary, Illinois residents 21 and older can purchase 30 grams of cannabis flower or less, five grams of cannabis concentrate or less and nor more than 500 milligrams of THC contained in a cannabis-infused product.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that even though the purchase of marijuana will be legal for 21-year-olds and up in Illinois, that does not mean you can do it in other states. 

Yes, we know that’s an obvious fact, but some students might want to travel home with marijuana, and maybe the state they’re traveling to does not allow for recreational marijuana.

A lot of Eastern students come from neighboring states like Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Wisconsin and Kentucky. 

Recreational and medical marijuana is not legal in any of those states, so if you get caught by police with it in any one of them, you could face charges. 

It also does not take a genius to understand that marijuana has an effect on the body and mind that eventually goes away. 

Considering that, you really should not even think about driving after you have smoked weed.

Always consider what your schedule will be like before you indulge. 

If you have things to do afterward, you probably should not do it. 

If you know you’ll have to drive immediately or relatively soon after smoking, do not drive. 

Get someone to drive you, or just do not smoke.

Lastly, we are hoping the city of Charleston will decide to welcome cannabis businesses with open arms following the conclusion of the moratorium it passed on Oct. 1.

We think cannabis businesses would do a lot of good for Charleston — bring in more business (literally) and more people (not just college students).

Even though many college students are just as excited as us for Jan. 1, remember to be careful where you bring your legal pot and when you decide to smoke your legal pot.

The Editorial Staff can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].