Awkward College Roommate

[Creature]

The longer you allow illegal activity to continue in your presence and in your living space, the more guilt you will have to share. Welcome to the Real World 101. Grow up, do the right thing and deal with this now while you can still control the outcome....instead of doing nothing and having the outcome controlling you.

 

[beatledog7]

I swore an oath at the beginning of the year that I would not turn him in so long as he was my roommate.

Why in the world would you do that?

Anyway, you have a decision to make: Which is more important to you: your oath to this pothead jerk, or your future potential to exercise your 2A rights?

There's no doubt which way I'd go. First, move out yourself. That way, he's not your roommate anymore, and that solves both problems. I realize you should not have to be the one to suffer inconvenience, but that's life sometimes.

If you choose to remain, and if your college administration turns a blind eye to drug use and fails to enforce its policies, you could choose to go public. Check out related whistleblower laws, and talk to a conservative attorney (if you can find one). I think you'll find that when faced with actual bad press, your school will relent. No college I can think of wants to go on record as one that condones illegal drug use.

Just make sure your ducks are in a row first. You have to be squeaky clean, and that's gonna be hard to prove. Also, you could make yourself a pariah by taking action of this kind, so decide if this college is really where you want to study before you decide to squeal.

I'm not an attorney. These remarks are not legal advice, just life advice. As many have said, simply moving out yourself solves the problem.

 

[chhodge69]

The only way you can satisfy both the law and your promise is to ****, and the sooner the better. BTW I am 99% sure that secondhand pot smoke in the quantities you described will make you test positive. You might even smell like a head walking around campus and not even know it.

 

[redraidermgr]

Hey, having lived in a dorm full of potheads myself (luckily neither me nor my roommate were smokers) I know how hard it can be to get certain people motivated to rectify the situation.

I am assuming you are living in a dorm for a state supported university (receives funding and grants from the state to provide cheaper education than private and or religious universities). If you are then there is a difference between security (paid to walk the dorms to make sure doors are secure) and the university police. Most times the police, especially at a state university, are not rent-a-badge outfits like the security guards that are hired by the university are. Many university police departments are actually licensed law officers with ticketing and arrest powers. The police on my campus write County tickets. Which means that if they were informed of illegal substances (anonymously would work) then they would obtain a search warrant from a county judge and the offenders would spend time in county jail and pay fines to the county. I am not sure how your university is set up, if it is a state university or not, but if no one in the housing department cares some one in the police department might. Personally i would not be anonymous and would tell them that you are not part of it and show them proof that you have tried going through housing etc. so that they know that you are not a participant and do not go to jail or get ticketed with them.

As others have stated "I am not a lawyer" I don't know your university or police policies etc. I, personally, would call the police or force someone to do something before the university decides to do random room searches or a police officer is called and you happen to be in the room while they are lit up (willing participant). From now on if possible go out of the room when they smoke so that if something does happen to go down you can not be lumped in with them. Go to the library or an all night snack bar (if your university has one) or a diner (IHOP at 2 in the morning can be very entertaining for the price of a soda or water or coffee) if there is one nearby. Anywhere that you can be away from it is better than being caught with it, whether you were actively participating or not.

 

[Mike1234567]

Your "sworn oath" to your college roommate is trumped by your responsibility to uphold the law and protect your own health.

 

[Owen Sparks]

Explain to the staff that you don't care what he smokes as long as it is not in the room where you have to breath it because it agrivates your medical condition. I would not involve the police. Nothing good can come from it.

 

[Cosmoline]

Find a new place to live ASAP.

This. You're not going to make the situation better by bringing law enforcement into it. In fact you could end up getting ratted out by the pothead for being in on the whole thing.

Dorms are a place where you learn that you don't want to live in dorms.

 

[lobo9er]

I swore an oath at the beginning of the year that I would not turn him in so long as he was my roommate.

LOL so you were ok with it and now your not? You changed the rules, you changed the standards not him. Move out and no legal problems will come your way, doubtful any would come your way anyways. Also if hes smoking as much reefer as it sounds how are his grades? How long are you married to him as a room mate? Is he flunking out?

In fact you could end up getting ratted out by the pothead for being in on the whole thing.

whats the whole thing, the pot is being used in a dorm in a college?

 

[mokin]

Interesting read....

Welcome to somewhat real life.

The oath you swore was a red flag. Look out for those in the future.

Unless your roommate is running a licensed dispencery, he knows he is breaking the law. I would exhibit little patience/sympathy toward his situation.

Health would concern me a lot at this point. If you think your cough is linked to the smoke, you need to move.

If your RA wont help you out, go over his/her head. Like I wrote above, you need to move. As others wrote, getting the police involved is probably the last thing anbody wants. Use them as a last resort.

I know housing in college is a huge challenge. I ended up living off campus and paying for housing, that is working for a living, seriously affected my grades. I had friends get thrown off campus, a couple expelled, because of what knuckleheaded roommates did while living with them.

On the other hand, who knows? Maybe your pot head roommate will grow up to be the president some day.

 

[Cosmoline]

I was thinking about the selling of pot, which they take more seriously.

 

[MDH90]

Do anything it takes to get yourself out of that situation. Anything. And do so before you bring law-enforcement into your domicile. That will probably be costly and difficult -- face the facts, bite the bullet, and GET GONE. Right now, it should be your absolute first priority.

Consider that the consequences of being caught up in any criminal proceedings -- from your actions or from some random event that could befall a drug abuser at any time -- will ruin a significant part of your life, for a long time to come. Remember as well that, "That's not mine, it's my roommate's! I don't know how it got in my drawer, HONEST!" is the single most common expression a narcotics officer hears during the course of his duties.

Get OUT. Once you've gotten clear, THEN take such proceedings as you feel are warranted.

And I'd give him NO warnings or any indication that something is up. He isn't going to quit smoking, he isn't going to quit risking your freedom and liberties through his actions. He certainly has the ability to harm you, contaminate you, and drag you down with him, if he suspects you'll bring in the law. He's already got you pretty legitimately over a barrel right now (you can't call the cops for risk of being implicated yourself). That's only going to get worse unless you can get yourself physically extricated from the situation.

Sam is exactly right. I was in your position around this time last year, except I waited much too long to get out. I always left for the weekend, and one Monday I came back to find that he LET the campus PD search our room, and by a stroke of luck they didn't find his stash, which he hid under my bed. I moved out the same day, and now I have to pay 600$ more a semester to live without a roommate. It sucks, but its the best situation I can be in right now. In summation get out now, no matter the cost, because the fact is I got lucky and you may not.

 

[zxcvbob]

Go up the chain of command from the RA -- some kind of dean most likely. Keep going up until you get some kind of satisfaction (it shouldn't take very many steps.) Take names. Threaten to goto the police and turn in the RA (and maybe the dean) if they don't do anything, because they are obviously in the drug deal. You hold more high cards here than you think.

 

[Ash_J_Williams]

If they rarely take action, and it's this difficult to get the involved when you WANT it to happen, chances are it won't to a degree that will get you in trouble.

 

[vaherder]

Get a letter from your doctor

and find a family friend who is a lawyer. Have the doctor write a letter stating the second hand smoke is affecting your health and you must be moved within 72 hours. See if you have a family friend who is lawyer or maybe there is free legal service on campus and have them send the U a nice letter threatening them with a civil suit for the affect the smoke is having on your health. Other option is do you have any friends from South Jersey?

Only oaths that count are in court or when you give a signed sworn statement.What are the potheads going to do to you. The only other oath that counts is when you enlist.

Tell doper and your other roomies they have 72 hrs to find other places to live or you go to the cops etc. Stand up for yourself. Most dopers are way too lazy to do anything but smoke.

You will find most universities have bureaucracies that make the federal govt look efficient. I teach classes at two local U's and the red tape and other garbage makes the Pentagon look like a first class example of govt efficiency. Complain and raise hell. Squeaky wheel get the oil. Dont give up. Make an appointment to the Dean of Student Life. Threaten to go to the local media ie Fox.

If that fails find a nice girl to shack up with. Use your roomies as a sob story.

Start holding bible study or satan worship in your room. Start chanting. Annoy your roommates. Pass gas and watch Fox news. Put Perry for prez posters on every wall floor to ceiling. Play country music from Toby, Tammy, Hank Sr and Kenny aka Mr Jimmy Buffett Lite Chesney at obnoxiously high volumes at all hours. Then play the ultimate for days Taylor Swift. She make even the most ardent pothead puke. 48hrs straight of Swift will send them running.

When your pot smoking roomies have passed out place their hands in water that is about body temp. Just make sure they arent on your bed or stuff.

 

[kayak-man]

I agree with the majority: You need to find another room.

I've had my share of disagreements with college, so I understand that it may not be that easy, but it is that simple. I have no doubt that it may be a less than enjoyable experience, but finding new housing is going to be the best way out of the situation.

Do whatever you need to do to get out of there. Maybe find another group of guys who have housing off campus and move in with them, or get an apartment.

There are times in life when we need to make sacrifices for the greater good and lay our necks on the line for others.... this is NOT one of them.

Chris "the Kayak-Man" Johnson

 

[lobo9er]

Get a letter from your doctor
and find a family friend who is a lawyer.

Call a lawyer, tell them there kids smoking pot in college. Good one.
I'm sure there are plenty of lawyers that will take money to draft you up a letter though.

 

[Bobson]

Find a new place to live ASAP. Get your name off the lease/rental agreement ASAP as well. Getting police involved while you are listed as a resident at that place can't be good for you.

I absolutely disagree.

Get the police involved now. In the future, if you try to get a job with a police dept or something else of that nature, this could come back to haunt you, especially if you try to cover it up. Just be straight up about it right now and you won't have any problems later.

Go up the chain of command from the RA -- some kind of dean most likely. Keep going up until you get some kind of satisfaction (it shouldn't take very many steps.) Take names. Threaten to goto the police and turn in the RA (and maybe the dean) if they don't do anything, because they are obviously in the drug deal. You hold more high cards here than you think.

Agreed. This is a pretty BS situation. The school can't just not do anything about it. It's not like he's smoking cigarettes or lighting incense. He's breaking the law, even if it's an unpopular law. They have to do something to fix the situation, or it's their asses. And make sure that if they don't fix it soon, they see the consequences. You've got a royal flush here man. Don't let then play you with a pair.

 

[Onward Allusion]

mortablunt
Awkward College Roommate

Dude, this is the same advice I would give to my boys. "Guilty by Association". This guy is your roommate, not your brother, childhood friend, or relative. Let's put it this way - even if he was one of the latter, I'd throw him under the bus in a NY minute. I'd move the hell out of there first, however. Even if you'd have to crash in your car for a few days - Get The ... Out).

Oh BTW, as for weed possibly being legal in your State, it all goes out the window as soon as he starts dealing. I highly doubt a dorm room can get licensed as a dispensary. I also doubt whether your roomie has a prescription based on what you'd mentioned.

 

[hermannr]

LEAVE!!!!! get out of there as fast as you can. I don't care if you have to ask the local church if you can temp live in the basement...you cannot afford to live in the place you are living in. It could very well haunt you for the rest of your life.

 

[CollinLeon]

"Dorms are a place where you learn that you don't want to live in dorms."

For some of us, we learned that from living in barracks...

 

[lobo9er]

Get the police involved now. In the future, if you try to get a job with a police dept or something else of that nature, this could come back to haunt you, especially if you try to cover it up. Just be straight up about it right now and you won't have any problems later.

A room mate in college smoking dope is not the skeleton in your closet that is going to loose you a job. Are you guys for real? Or is this all tongue in cheek and i'm late to the sarcasm party.

 

[aeriedad]

A room mate in college smoking dope is not the skeleton in your closet that is going to loose you a job. Are you guys for real? Or is this all tongue in cheek and i'm late to the sarcasm party.

The OP said he overheard his roommate discussing possibly getting into selling. Being the roommate of a drug dealer seems a little risky to me. Maybe not the end of the world, but could be a lot of hassle if there's a drug bust in his dorm. Even if that risk is kinda low, the hassle is just way too much if something does happen.

Then there's the issue of health. Nobody should be forced to deal with such polluted living quarters.

 

[sig220mw]

He smokes and is now considering distributing. He obviously doesn't care about the possibility of collateral consequences to you or your other roomate. Why care about him. You need to get him reported to an authority that can deal with him before you are put in a bad/worse situation.

 

[lobo9er]

Even if that risk is kinda low, the hassle is just way too much if something does happen.

Ok so move out of the dorm.

we all are in agreement of that. case closed.

 

[brickeyee]

highly unlikely that his room mate smoking pot in college would ever cause mortablunt any legal hurdles.

Until the police show up and go after every person present in the room.

Not worth the trouble.

Go over to student housing and tell them you want another room without weed-heads.