First-year student Emily Ramey, 19, has been cited and released for possession of marijuana stemming from a March 9 incident.

According to the certificate of probable cause, at approximately 12:22 p.m. the Indianola Police Department was dispatched to Barker Hall for drug-related activity. The officers met with Security Director Chris Frerichs who said Student Life had received information that a room in Barker contained marijuana. A student who had been in the room noticed a baggie of marijuana on the desk and reported it.

IPD officers, Simpson Security and a representative from Student Life went to the room and spoke with Ramey. Ramey gave verbal consent to search the room and her property.

During the search of Ramey’s property, a small, wooden box containing a green, plant-like material, and a plastic baggie containing green, plant-like material, all believed to be marijuana were found. Tobacco mixed with a small amount of green stems and seeds, also believed to be marijuana, was found in the trash can. A paper roller was also found.

All items were seized as evidence and the suspected drugs were sent for testing.

IPD spoke with Ramey about the marijuana. Ramey said she’d gone to Des Moines on March 8 and picked up her boyfriend and a friend of his. She said that she knew they had marijuana on them at the time and they all returned to Barker where they then used the marijuana and tobacco to roll a “blunt,” and smoke it outside of the residence hall.

Ramey couldn’t comment on the situation, but did say she’d had a meeting with some Simpson staff members concerning the incident. Ramey also said she didn’t know what was going to happen to her.

Frerichs couldn’t comment on the case due to privacy reasons, but said there have been three drug incidents that have been reported this academic year – one on campus, one on a public street and one in Buxton Park.

According to the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey from the 2005 academic year, out of 187 Simpson students who took the survey, 17.6 percent have used marijuana in the past year. That is up from 12.3 percent in 2004.