I’m not pointing fingers or being judgmental, as I’m sure most of us, myself included, can admit to “smoking the reefer” “toking up” or “getting high” at least one time in our lives. We hear the buzz about getting buzzed off of marijuana all around us in today’s society. With all of the political discussion about medicinal marijuana and legalization in a growing number of states (most recently in Colorado and Washington) marijuana use is creeping into becoming a publicly accepted norm. Let me just say, I am all in favor of medicinal marijuana on legitimate grounds such as assistance with chemotherapy, gastrointestinal illness, or glaucoma. However, with marijuana being increasingly accepted, I’m worried for my peers of college students and our future generations taking this newly found wonder drug as if it had no side effects or consequence, as there are many.

First I want to say, smoking marijuana is not terrible, it does not make you bad or any less of a person. There are many successful people everywhere in the world who smoke pot on a regular basis and will swear by it. My argument however, is that in this very transitional point in our lives, we as college students should do our best to stay away from marijuana and the long and short term effects that follow it.

Marijuana is a mind altering substance in that it changes how your brain works. This fact should speak for itself when referring to college students acquiring a higher education. Our brains should be fully functional without anything to inhibit its (the brain’s) abilities. We are going through a time in our lives right now where not a moment can be wasted and things are constantly being changed and new situations brought up. I can’t speak for all of my peers but I think the majority would agree that when acquiring a higher education and living on our own, we need to be ready and fully alert for whatever life has to throw at us. Smoking marijuana and letting your fully functional brain fall victim to impairment, is no doubt a personal choice, but as my argument stands, it is not the best one.

Despite popular belief, marijuana is very addicting. The lifestyle and day to day routine that smokers fall into is also addicting. Some users begin to smoke so frequently that they “need to be high to make it though the day” or they supposedly “do such-and-such better when I’m high!” With this outlook, we often hear, “If I study high and take the test high, I pass!” The great majority of people I have talked to about smoking and studying, have all had about the same answers. Either they smoke and soon realize they can’t concentrate or study for the remainder of the day so they spend time doing less productive activities. As time passes they become increasingly groggy and their fatigue follows them around all day and even carries to the next day. Or I get the immediate defense factor of “I function perfectly fine when I’m high!” yet when I ask about grade reflection their response is not so immediate.

In my opinion, the most significant and detrimental effect of marijuana use is the apathy factor. The effects of getting high just one time can affect you for days. The aftermath of a marijuana high can stay in your system for as long as a week still showing signs of its effects, most predominantly, laziness. When increased participation in getting high occurs, one can start to lose interest in how you’re getting along at school, relationships with friends, how you look or how you perform at work. It is very hard once this starts for someone to realize it because they are already victim to the apathy factor. Chances are if they do in fact see the bigger picture, (that they are slowly starting to perform at poorer quality in their day to day lives and activities) their apathy makes them NOT CARE.

I have a great number of friends some would consider “potheads” and by no means does smoking marijuana make you any less of a genuine person, student, or member of society. And in the absence of responsibility, by all means I would not down indulging in a little reefer relaxation. I am also fully aware there are other mind stimulating drugs that can have these, and many other effects on college students and their brain function including alcohol, adderall, cocaine, etc. I just wanted to pass a little wisdom on to my fellow college students and share that even with the increasing popularity and normality surrounding marijuana these days, it is really not that great and despite common belief, there are many harmful side effects that can be detrimental to one’s college career.