By Maya Hoover
To little surprise, The Princeton Review ranked Lewis & Clark second in “Reefer Madness” out of 392 universities. For those unfamiliar, “reefer” is one of the many slang terms for marijuana. While I have not been to the other 391 colleges, I believe their assessment is quite accurate, and I find this a bit concerning. I think part of what perpetuates such high use is a lack of awareness about the potential risks of marijuana and how we understand frequent use.
To be fair, I think many of these risks are not communicated properly to young people. When I was in middle and high school, the general lesson was to completely avoid marijuana since it is “dangerous” and can lead to “worse” behaviors. However, the reason behind these warnings was never clear. I only realized how potentially dangerous marijuana can be through content by psychologists I stumbled upon online. I believe that the same can be said for many LC students, some of whom may be experimenting with marijuana for the first time due to the college environment and the legality of recreational marijuana in Oregon. I see this carefree attitude in the number of students who use marijuana and the normalization of its frequent use on campus. In my personal experience, it is not uncommon for students to show up to class or group projects high and talk about their excitement to have free time to get high again.
I think one of the main misconceptions that exists about marijuana is that it is impossible to become addicted to. This is simply not true. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, “the evidence clearly indicates that long-term marijuana use can lead to addiction,” and around 9% of people, or one in 11, who use marijuana will become addicted to it. This number shocked me, considering I know at least 11 LC students who use marijuana. Could one of them be addicted? Addiction to marijuana means an inability to stop or control using it, even when it impacts one’s daily life. It can even include withdrawal symptoms like irritability, difficulty sleeping, dysphoria and cravings. With the number of students at LC who use marijuana, I would be surprised if none were addicted. Yet, I have perceived that many do not even realize the risk.
More concerning to me are misconceptions about the relationship between marijuana use and mental health. I know students who use marijuana to help ease their anxiety, and as someone who is frequently stressed, I see the appeal. However, marijuana has not been proven to improve mental health and can actually have the opposite effect. The government of Canada explains that very frequent cannabis use can lead to trouble regulating emotions and more feelings of anxiety or depression. They even state, “You’re more likely to recover from long-term anxiety and depression if you reduce or stop using cannabis.” A history of mental health disorders can also make it more likely for someone to experience acute psychosis caused by marijuana use. With many college students concerned about their mental health, I think understanding the true relationship between marijuana and mental health would help them make safer choices.
Marijuana use has also been found to cause less neural connectivity, particularly for users under 21 whose brains are still in the process of developing. The New England Journal of Medicine found that regular marijuana use harmed areas of the brain responsible for learning and memory, executive function, and the processing of habits. The journal also notes that marijuana use weakens important cognitive functions both during and after intoxication, so students who use marijuana “could be functioning at a cognitive level that is below their natural capability for considerable periods of time.” In a higher education environment, I find it frustrating that so many students use a substance that weakens their ability to learn and engage critically. At the same time, I find it sad that they might not even realize these negative effects.
All this is not to say that I think students should all together quit using marijuana. I think college is a time of experimentation and freedom, and part of that comes with trying new things. Life itself has inherent risk, so we should not avoid all potentially harmful behaviors. What I think needs to change is more honest conversations and understanding about marijuana use. I think we need to check in with our peers who use marijuana frequently and make sure they are doing okay. In my opinion, we should not normalize showing up to class high in the interest of a vibrant learning environment. I hope we can show concern when marijuana is used to ease mental health concerns and offer more effective alternatives.
It is the students of the college who shape its culture and perception. We can create more accurate understandings of marijuana use and healthier attitudes. Maybe one day, we can even change our ranking as a top institution of “Reefer Madness.”
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