MANY STUDENTS USE MARIJUANA RESPONSIBLY

In regards to the article published on Tuesday concerning the newly
proposed legislation before the Student Government Association, "
(High Hopes CT, Feb. 6) I would like to respond from the position of a
concerned individual. Being a student of Virginia Tech, and familiar
with students who use marijuana, I have constantly been worried by the
zero tolerance drug stance that is held by this school. I have been in
this institution for four years now and throughout my stay here I have
seen students responsibly pursue other methods of recreation that do
not include the consumption of alcohol. One of the reasons some choose
to use cannabis instead of alcohol is because they personally don't
like the way alcohol makes them feel as well as the unpredictable and
volatile environment that is usually associated with its use. Many
people would call these students immoral and criminals for choosing to
partake in this behavior, but I counter with the argument that others
just don't understand how mild the drug actually is.They don't see the
fact that students who choose to consume marijuana are readily able to
pursue interests at school, both academic and extracurricular, with
just as much vigor and enthusiasm as a person who doesn't smoke.

It all comes down to making the proper choices, just like some
students choose to enjoy alcohol on occasion while still remaining
productive in the school environment a marijuana smoker can make the
choice to smoke and still be a creative productive individual. I
believe it is imperative that this legislation is passed because there
are many students on this campus who make a conscious choice to
use marijuana responsibly and should not be punished so severely for
enjoying a different type of recreational activity.

Harrison Stratton

Physics and Psychology Senior