The article talks about all kinds of things and talks to professors at various universities about marijuana use in college. According to the article 5% of college students use marijuana daily, and 20% used it in the last month. Just under half of college students have tried it.
From insidehighered:
Research has found that student rates of use are highest among white males, particularly in fraternities, in the Northeast and in rural or small towns. The larger the institution, the higher the use, with private colleges just edging out public ones
But what really pisses me off as usual are the reported psychological side-affects of marijuana use.
Despite a largely dismissive cultural attitude about marijuana – perhaps explained in part by adults’ nostalgia for the less-potent pot of their day – according to research cited at the conference, long-term, heavy use of the drug has been linked to panic disorder, psychosis and depression (the latter is not necessarily a result of smoking, but can be worsened by it). Marijuana has also been shown to prompt anxiety disorders, which are becoming more prevalent annually and are the most-reported psychological problems among college students.
Panic disorders? Really? Depression?
Look I think a big part of this is that some people can smoke like chimneys and be fine and excel in school and at work and in life, and some people can't. Same thing with alcohol. Some people can get smashed night after night and get up and go to work or school and be fine. Some people have a six pack of Mike's Hard and have to call in sick.
My point is this. Colleges are liberal institutions on the edge of change because the younger generation attends them. When will we stop lying about the affects of pot use and embrace the fact that there is an illegal drug in this country that, when used, has fewer side affects than two LEGAL substances at least (alcohol and cigarettes).
And when are we going to stop letting dumb people use a substance as an excuse? If you smoke pot, and sit around watching television and skipping class, surprise surprise, you might have memory issues.
But if you are a functional pot smoker, who can still stimulate their brain and learn and remember even while high; why should you be stigmatized as a dead-beat stoner? Smart people can still be smart when they smoke. How come we worry about weed on college campuses when alcohol spawns incidents like Kegs and Eggs at UAlbany and countless other stupid things. I mean didn't the older generation smoke too? So soon they forget the appeal of kicking back after work, lighting up a joint, and just relaxing. Panic attacks my ass.
I leave you with the best line in this entire article:
nobody would get high and start a massive fight in a fraternity house
No comments:
Post a Comment