Massachusetts voters approved legalization of medical marijuana in last Tuesday's election, but that doesn't mean the drug will be allowed on campus anytime soon-even for those with prescriptions.

Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer said in an email to the Justice that the topic has not been discussed much among the administration, as Gov. Deval Patrick has indicated that it may be a while before the administrative structure around medical marijuana is established.

"The passing of the medical marijuana initiative will have little immediate impact on colleges and universities in the Commonwealth, except for confusion in the student body," wrote Sawyer.

The new law allows for patients with a "debilitating medical condition," such as Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis or cancer, to possess a 60-day supply of marijuana for "personal medical use," according to the ballot question online.

Brandeis University's current policies prohibit the "manufacturing, distribution, dispensation, possession, sale, or use of marijuana," under section 5 of the Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.

There is also a question of federal funding. Since medical marijuana is still illegal under federal law, the University could be in violation of several federal statues including the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act and the Drug-Free Workplace Act, if it were to allow marijuana on campus. Those violations could jeopardize federal funding.

"Regardless of state laws to the contrary, there is no such thing as 'medical' marijuana under federal law.  Marijuana continues to be a Schedule I substance, meaning that it has no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse," according to the White House website.

"Federal law trumps state law," explained Sawyer.

Sawyer said it's unlikely that the University Health Center would prescribe marijuana. "The sort of conditions that would warrant a marijuana prescription are usually treated by primary care physicians or specialists.  I doubt that our medical staff would be in a position to be initiating such scripts," wrote Sawyer.

The Harvard Crimson reported last week that Harvard officials are still debating the effect of the new law on the university campus.

Stanford University, according to the Stanford Daily, has an "unclear" policy toward medical marijuana because of conflicting federal and state laws. Medical marijuana is legal in California, which was the center of a 2005 Supreme Court battle. In that case, Gonzales v. Raich, the Court ruled that the Commerce Clause gave the federal government the authority to ban marijuana.

With the new law, Massachusetts became the 18th state to legalize cannabis for medicinal purposes. Just over 63 percent of voters approved the decriminalization of medical marijuana, while nearly 37 percent opposed the measure.

The law takes effect Jan. 1, and the Department of Public Health is charged with developing regulations for the program.

-Andrew Wingens