For years there has been a negative stigma placed on the college scene, as it is often viewed as a place full of partying, alcohol and drugs. Moving away to college allows students to be away from their parents and ultimately on their own. This sense of independence can come along with many temptations because without direct supervision by parents or anyone in particular, drug use can be easier to get away with. One of the top three drugs that is commonly used on a college campus is marijuana. With weed being one of the highest used drugs on college campuses, it draws the question of whether or not students can party hard and smoke weed while still passing their classes.
Marijuana is a mixture of dried out leaves, stems, flowers and seeds of the hemp plant. It is usually green, brown or gray in color. When the plant is smoked the effects usually come into play within minutes. Some of these effects are immediate increase in heart rate, incoordination, and a “out of it” state of mind. Your reaction time is also significantly slowed down. These effects are typically short term and usually wear off within two to three hours. These effects could possibly last longer depending on how much the person has smoked.
So taking all of that into account, can you party, smoke, and still have enough left in you to pay attention and pass classes?
On one side of the argument some might say that smoking weed helps calm nerves and relax while in class or doing classwork. With everything from group projects to lengthy analytical papers, college can be very difficult and stressful. According to the 2015 National College Health Assessment, 85 percent of students have reported that they have felt overwhelmed by everything they had to do at some point within the past year. Some students might view smoking weed and partying as a way to cope with all of the stress.
On the other side, there is the opinion that smoking weed and partying does not help a student’s ability to retain information in or outside of class. One reason is that partying tends to have negative effects on sleep schedules. After a night of partying, students are more likely to have an harder time waking up and staying alert in their classes.
There is also the idea that individuals under the influence of marijuana have the ability to retain information better than when they are not under the influence of drugs. This idea is in fact a myth. Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, which is the main ingredient in marijuana, has been known to impair all aspects of memory. Not being able to retain information in a college classroom is detrimental to grades. Weed is a relaxant and typically causes its users to experience a calm, mellow feeling. Marijuana is not a drug that increases one’s attention span such as prescription drugs, Adderall or Ritalin, which are known to be abused for this purpose.
In my opinion, cons of smoking marijuana and partying greatly outweigh the pros. Students should put themselves in the best positions to perform at their highest ability everyday in every class in order to pass with an acceptable grade. Seemingly, partying and smoking would only hinder that process. College is not free, so why not be at your best?
