Students at the University of Washington overwhelmingly approved a SAFER referendum on their spring student election ballot, voicing their opinion that univesity penalties for marijuana use should be no greater than those for student alcohol use. The measure, which passed by a 65-35 margin, was supported by the campus chapters of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP).

Click here to see a quick write-up about the UW referendum on the "slog" of The Stranger, Seattle's primary independent news weekly. The campus newspaper, The Daily, also ran this story on the referendum. The Daily had previously run this story on the UW NORML/SSDP group, which was Student Organization of the Week back in March when the effort first got underway.

In passing a SAFER referendum, the students at UW join those at the University of Colorado-Boulder, Colorado State University, Florida State University, the University of Texas-Austin, the University of Maryland, the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, the George Washington University, and the College of William and Mary. SAFER resolutions have also been introduced in the student governments at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, the George Washington University, and Virginia Tech.