Cali smoke
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Imagine realizing that half the people in your tuesday morning class have gotten high at least once during college-some as often as every week this year, and for one or two, nearly everyday of the week.
For some college students, a trend in recreational drug use has made its way into common life.
In a survey conducted by The Colonnade of more than 85 people, more than half of those surveyed reported that they had used recreational drugs at least once during college. Of those that have used, most reported that their drug of choice was marijuana.
As you might guess, this trend is one of taboo proportions. Everyone knows about it, but most rarely talk about it openly. For some, it is a lifestyle, and others, just another night socializing with friends.
The truth is begging to be revealed because there are two dramatically different sides of the story. One side insists that regular use of marijuana is addictive, leads to anxiety disorder and depression, dangerously increases heart rate, and can be a major cause of lung diseases and chronic illnesses. Whereas the other side argues the contrary and says that marijuana has several medical benefits, and can aid the treatment of diseases like glaucoma, ease the rigors of chemotherapy, and even help with severe menstrual cycles in women. Some psychologists suggest that marijuana can be a significant vehicle in self-realization and personal growth.
Nevertheless, marijuana is still considered illegal by most states' laws and ALL federal laws. Please note that this article is in no way advocating the illegal use of drugs like marijuana.
As with anything, to make an accurate judgment on a controversial subject it seems only practical that we as college students should investigate for ourselves and weigh the facts and various opinions of others-we should listen to both sides-before forming our own individual stances on the issue.
Side number one
The Office of National Drug Control Policy, which receives its charge from the Executive Office of the President, has an informational Web site (www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov).
According to research gathered by this government office, the Web site reports that "Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug," and "marijuana use-rates accelerate to peak at age 20, with one in five reporting current use."
In another survey reported on the site, in 2006 more than 4 million people in the U.S. were considered to be dependent on marijuana, or current abusers of the drug.
It should be noted that several definitions of "dependency" or actual "drug abuse" are floating around out there. However, a disclaimer included in these particular survey results say that the definition of drug dependency and abuse is "based on the definition in the 4th Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders." The type of marijuana use the government refers to most often, in regards to marijuana, is that of mentally unstable conditions. Not much is ever said about occasional users, or people who report only using the illicit drug less than four times a year, for example.
A major stance platform for the government to specifically restrict marijuana is to say that it is a gateway drug.
According to the Web site, "Recent research supports the 'gateway' dimension of marijuana - that its use creates greater risk of abuse or dependency on other drugs, such as heroin and cocaine. Marijuana use itself is a serious risk, not only for addiction, but also is an added risk for developing psychosis, including schizophrenia."
This side also says marijuana is more dangerous to your health than cigarettes. According to an article titled 'Pulmonary hazards of smoking marijuana as compared with tobacco' in a 1988 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, "One joint can deliver four times as much cancer-causing tar as one cigarette." This article is cited by the Above the Influence campaign that is commonly seen on TV.
Side number two
Dr. Thomas Toney is a professor in the biology department at GCSU.
He says, "Its something which really needs more research. Most of the research has not taken place. Yes there are potential benefits, there are potential risks, and that's true for any drug."
He says that marijuana use for medical purposes has been going on for thousands of years. Various conditions that Toney says can be treated with marijuana include, glaucoma, chronic pain, problems with nausea, trouble with chemotherapy among cancer patients, and the debilitating side-effects of AIDS.
He recognizes that a negative stigma exists around the use of marijuana, for medical or for recreational uses.
He says, "Without sounding too cynical, people who are often very much against it, all of a sudden change their mind when it affects them directly or affects someone in their family."
Toney points out that most of the medical marijuana research and findings have been anecdotal, and not been performed in labs, but that does not necessarily discredit the evidence.
Constant use of marijuana is not necessarily good either, he admits.
"Probably using any drug like that everyday, particularly numerous times a day is not a good thing. Long term effects on the body-not a lot is really known about it, yet."
"However, most people who smoke marijuana tend to be like people who drink alcohol. They use it recreationally. They don't have to have it all the time. Its not like cigarettes or heroin where you truly develop an addictive personality, and you use it everyday, most likely several times a day," Toney says.
He goes on to clarify that his metaphor to alcohol excludes extreme cases where people become alcoholics, and dependent on the substance. The majority of drinkers do not become alcoholics, just as the majority of marijuana users do not become dependent, he explains.
As for governmental controls, he says, "I favor some type of decriminalization of marijuana, yes."
The Users
Clean cut, and built like a quarterback, he's definitely not the poster-child for the anti-pot-smoking campaign-he's not that sloth-like, dead-beat friend who has fried eggs for brains and appears pale and emaciated. To protect his identity, we will call him John.
He's been smoking marijuana since he was 14. He is now 21. Perhaps you would imagine John melting into his living room sofa as some government-sponsored TV commercials suggest. In fact, he is quite the contrary-a respectable young man who supports himself by working more than 30 hours a week while still being able to keep up a near 3.0 GPA in college. He's more than half way through school now, and is on track to graduate. He says he uses marijuana most days of the week.
As for the claim that marijuana is a gateway drug, John says "I think it is a complete ignorant assumption to say that."
"People are the gateway to drugs, not another drug," John says. "Are cigarettes a gateway to alcohol? No. Any drug I've ever tried had nothing to do with pot. In the equation of other drugs, people have always been present. It's people that offer it, and people that encourage you to do it."
With this, he suggests that choosing solid friends is the key to being successful and not finding yourself in a downward spiral in life-its not the use of marijuana that would start someone on a decent downward.
John reports that he no longer uses other drugs. He only smokes marijuana these days, as he feels it is not dangerous and he has not suffered any debilitating consequences so far.
He admits that using marijuana is not consequence-free.
"It's a rite of passage," he says. "But I'll be fair and say that I think it has a negative effect on certain tasks while you are under the influence. But the thing is, you don't go out and drive after a six-pack, and you don't study for midterms after a bottle of wine. It's a pastime reserved for certain times, and that's it."
Jane, a name chosen to protect this student's identity, is petite with an athletic build. A runner- one with the endurance to run about five miles a day. She's a student who knows she wants to be in school, but can't decide on a major, like plenty of other college students trying to narrow an aim for her life. For now she is just living-going to school, working part-time, and socializing with her peers. She is considered a marijuana user, even though she only smokes it no more than five or six times a year.
"I don't do it often but when I do I usually have a good time," she says. "I wouldn't describe it as fun, but I like it because it takes the edge off when you are having a really stressful day. And if you can't sleep, it's a really good sleep aid. Plus, everything is always so much more funny. I do it socially for reasons like that," Jane says.
She's never done other types of illegal drugs. And the notion that marijuana is a gateway drug seems ludicrous to her.
"Definitely not," she says. "People choose the drugs they want to do. I've never had a desire to do any kind of other drug."
She sees little drawbacks to her occasional use of the drug.
"The only down side I would say is that I like to be a very active person and occasionally when I do it, it puts me in kind of a fog and I can't feel as active as I want to. But generally it's a relaxer for me, anyway," Jane says.
Toney, John, and Jane all have reason to believe that marijuana is not all bad-either from a biological and physiological perspective, or from first-hand experience. The federal government continues to wage its War on Drugs, as it has for the past 20 or so years.
"Well, if they are fighting a war on drugs, I got news for them, they are losing," says Toney.
Source: http://media.www.gcsunade.com/media...Taboo.Lifestyles.With.Marijuana-3542080.shtml
For some college students, a trend in recreational drug use has made its way into common life.
In a survey conducted by The Colonnade of more than 85 people, more than half of those surveyed reported that they had used recreational drugs at least once during college. Of those that have used, most reported that their drug of choice was marijuana.
As you might guess, this trend is one of taboo proportions. Everyone knows about it, but most rarely talk about it openly. For some, it is a lifestyle, and others, just another night socializing with friends.
The truth is begging to be revealed because there are two dramatically different sides of the story. One side insists that regular use of marijuana is addictive, leads to anxiety disorder and depression, dangerously increases heart rate, and can be a major cause of lung diseases and chronic illnesses. Whereas the other side argues the contrary and says that marijuana has several medical benefits, and can aid the treatment of diseases like glaucoma, ease the rigors of chemotherapy, and even help with severe menstrual cycles in women. Some psychologists suggest that marijuana can be a significant vehicle in self-realization and personal growth.
Nevertheless, marijuana is still considered illegal by most states' laws and ALL federal laws. Please note that this article is in no way advocating the illegal use of drugs like marijuana.
As with anything, to make an accurate judgment on a controversial subject it seems only practical that we as college students should investigate for ourselves and weigh the facts and various opinions of others-we should listen to both sides-before forming our own individual stances on the issue.
Side number one
The Office of National Drug Control Policy, which receives its charge from the Executive Office of the President, has an informational Web site (www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov).
According to research gathered by this government office, the Web site reports that "Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug," and "marijuana use-rates accelerate to peak at age 20, with one in five reporting current use."
In another survey reported on the site, in 2006 more than 4 million people in the U.S. were considered to be dependent on marijuana, or current abusers of the drug.
It should be noted that several definitions of "dependency" or actual "drug abuse" are floating around out there. However, a disclaimer included in these particular survey results say that the definition of drug dependency and abuse is "based on the definition in the 4th Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders." The type of marijuana use the government refers to most often, in regards to marijuana, is that of mentally unstable conditions. Not much is ever said about occasional users, or people who report only using the illicit drug less than four times a year, for example.
A major stance platform for the government to specifically restrict marijuana is to say that it is a gateway drug.
According to the Web site, "Recent research supports the 'gateway' dimension of marijuana - that its use creates greater risk of abuse or dependency on other drugs, such as heroin and cocaine. Marijuana use itself is a serious risk, not only for addiction, but also is an added risk for developing psychosis, including schizophrenia."
This side also says marijuana is more dangerous to your health than cigarettes. According to an article titled 'Pulmonary hazards of smoking marijuana as compared with tobacco' in a 1988 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, "One joint can deliver four times as much cancer-causing tar as one cigarette." This article is cited by the Above the Influence campaign that is commonly seen on TV.
Side number two
Dr. Thomas Toney is a professor in the biology department at GCSU.
He says, "Its something which really needs more research. Most of the research has not taken place. Yes there are potential benefits, there are potential risks, and that's true for any drug."
He says that marijuana use for medical purposes has been going on for thousands of years. Various conditions that Toney says can be treated with marijuana include, glaucoma, chronic pain, problems with nausea, trouble with chemotherapy among cancer patients, and the debilitating side-effects of AIDS.
He recognizes that a negative stigma exists around the use of marijuana, for medical or for recreational uses.
He says, "Without sounding too cynical, people who are often very much against it, all of a sudden change their mind when it affects them directly or affects someone in their family."
Toney points out that most of the medical marijuana research and findings have been anecdotal, and not been performed in labs, but that does not necessarily discredit the evidence.
Constant use of marijuana is not necessarily good either, he admits.
"Probably using any drug like that everyday, particularly numerous times a day is not a good thing. Long term effects on the body-not a lot is really known about it, yet."
"However, most people who smoke marijuana tend to be like people who drink alcohol. They use it recreationally. They don't have to have it all the time. Its not like cigarettes or heroin where you truly develop an addictive personality, and you use it everyday, most likely several times a day," Toney says.
He goes on to clarify that his metaphor to alcohol excludes extreme cases where people become alcoholics, and dependent on the substance. The majority of drinkers do not become alcoholics, just as the majority of marijuana users do not become dependent, he explains.
As for governmental controls, he says, "I favor some type of decriminalization of marijuana, yes."
The Users
Clean cut, and built like a quarterback, he's definitely not the poster-child for the anti-pot-smoking campaign-he's not that sloth-like, dead-beat friend who has fried eggs for brains and appears pale and emaciated. To protect his identity, we will call him John.
He's been smoking marijuana since he was 14. He is now 21. Perhaps you would imagine John melting into his living room sofa as some government-sponsored TV commercials suggest. In fact, he is quite the contrary-a respectable young man who supports himself by working more than 30 hours a week while still being able to keep up a near 3.0 GPA in college. He's more than half way through school now, and is on track to graduate. He says he uses marijuana most days of the week.
As for the claim that marijuana is a gateway drug, John says "I think it is a complete ignorant assumption to say that."
"People are the gateway to drugs, not another drug," John says. "Are cigarettes a gateway to alcohol? No. Any drug I've ever tried had nothing to do with pot. In the equation of other drugs, people have always been present. It's people that offer it, and people that encourage you to do it."
With this, he suggests that choosing solid friends is the key to being successful and not finding yourself in a downward spiral in life-its not the use of marijuana that would start someone on a decent downward.
John reports that he no longer uses other drugs. He only smokes marijuana these days, as he feels it is not dangerous and he has not suffered any debilitating consequences so far.
He admits that using marijuana is not consequence-free.
"It's a rite of passage," he says. "But I'll be fair and say that I think it has a negative effect on certain tasks while you are under the influence. But the thing is, you don't go out and drive after a six-pack, and you don't study for midterms after a bottle of wine. It's a pastime reserved for certain times, and that's it."
Jane, a name chosen to protect this student's identity, is petite with an athletic build. A runner- one with the endurance to run about five miles a day. She's a student who knows she wants to be in school, but can't decide on a major, like plenty of other college students trying to narrow an aim for her life. For now she is just living-going to school, working part-time, and socializing with her peers. She is considered a marijuana user, even though she only smokes it no more than five or six times a year.
"I don't do it often but when I do I usually have a good time," she says. "I wouldn't describe it as fun, but I like it because it takes the edge off when you are having a really stressful day. And if you can't sleep, it's a really good sleep aid. Plus, everything is always so much more funny. I do it socially for reasons like that," Jane says.
She's never done other types of illegal drugs. And the notion that marijuana is a gateway drug seems ludicrous to her.
"Definitely not," she says. "People choose the drugs they want to do. I've never had a desire to do any kind of other drug."
She sees little drawbacks to her occasional use of the drug.
"The only down side I would say is that I like to be a very active person and occasionally when I do it, it puts me in kind of a fog and I can't feel as active as I want to. But generally it's a relaxer for me, anyway," Jane says.
Toney, John, and Jane all have reason to believe that marijuana is not all bad-either from a biological and physiological perspective, or from first-hand experience. The federal government continues to wage its War on Drugs, as it has for the past 20 or so years.
"Well, if they are fighting a war on drugs, I got news for them, they are losing," says Toney.
Source: http://media.www.gcsunade.com/media...Taboo.Lifestyles.With.Marijuana-3542080.shtml
