MARIJUANA REVISITED

Advocates and opponents of marijuana comment on its use at Loyola Marymount.

LMU's Division of Student Affairs' recently released newsletter,
"Cannabis Conundrum," showcases an increased level of drug use on
campus, raising issues of social and cultural dimensions behind the
use of marijuana.

The newsletter cites marijuana as one of the most used drugs on
campus, analyzing its increasing consumption on campus and the reasons
why a student would begin using marijuana.

Brother Anthony Smulders, who teaches Biology 355: The Physiology of
Drugs, said marijuana usage stems from old tendencies that gradually
become lifestyle choices.

"A lot of students have been using marijuana since they were young and
they establish a habit that continues to college," Smulders said. "In
college a lot of their friends will begin using marijuana and the
habit continues."

According to Smulders, the typical marijuana user will not see their
behavior as a problem.

"They see pot as a normal, acceptable thing and they don't see it as
causing problems," Smulders said.

A student, whose identity is protected, claimed that boredom is the
main reason he smokes marijuana.

"I [smoke] because I'm bored," said the student. "I think the pamphlet
seems to suggest that smoking leads to a lack of motivation. Frankly,
I need to have more of a buffer between me and my classes, so if I go
into English 110 or History 100 or any other bullst classes, I can
handle my boredom."

The student explained that he enjoys the challenge of the altered
state of mind that marijuana gives him. "I tie one arm behind my back
because I think it's funny," he said.

Another student who preferred to remain anonymous said she has not
tried marijuana because she did not see the necessity to do so.

"I don't smoke because I don't need to," the student said. "Look, I
drink every now and again, but I would just rather stay away from
drugs. I know some people like [marijuana], but I don't need it; to
each his own."

The student continued to say that most students smoke marijuana
because they do not fully understand the consequences of the drug.

"I don't think it's a big deal that they released the newsletter," she
said. "It just talks about the effects of [marijuana]. I don't see why
everyone's making it such a big deal."

The "Cannabis Conundrum" claims the short-term side effects of
marijuana include "impairments in learning, memory, comprehension,
concentration, intense anxiety, paranoia and immediate increased risk of
heart attack." The newsletter further states that in the long term,
marijuana usage may also cause "psychosis, schizophrenia, and other
mental, physical and social problems."

Another anonymous student commenter feels like this newsletter is
detrimental to the LMU community and provides an ultimately unfair
outlook on the issue of marijuana.

"I think that ["Cannabis Conundrum"] is dangerous because it
essentially makes marijuana a scapegoat," the student said. "To say
marijuana causes schizophrenia is ridiculous. It's a latent
psychological disorder and smoking more weed does not make you more
likely to experience it."

The student continued to argue that LMU's drug policy conflicted with
its alcohol policy.

"It makes no sense to me that a girl coming home from a party who
throws up into a bush has nothing to worry about, while a kid sitting
in his dorm with a bong and a towel under the door gets hunted down
like a criminal," he continued.

Smulders' recounting of the side effects coincided with the pamphlet's
description, but he was sure to make a distinction between the types
of marijuana.

"It depends on the amount of material smoked and the content and
potency of the material," Smulders said. "Typically [marijuana] starts
speeding up the heart and irritates the lungs. The person's time clock
also becomes distorted."

One of the anonymous students, however, claims that concerns over the
biological consequences of marijuana ignore the emotional aspects of
the substance.

"I know [smoking marijuana] messes up my lungs," the student said. "To
be honest, I would much rather live a shorter life than be angry and
neurotic all the time. Recent studies have shown that stress is also
negative for your health."

Indeed, a 12-year scientific study funded by the National Institutes
of Health in 2006 did show that people who live more than 100 years
are also those who handle stress better.

"A lot of current students feel stress in college and it's their way
to relax," Smulders said. "Students believe it's an easier way to
relax than alcohol."

The "Cannabis Conundrum" pamphlet shows an increased level of
marijuana-related judicial cases on campus between fall 2003 and fall
2007. The graph also shows a decreasing GPA trend between students
found responsible in both school terms.

"I don't feel like [the graph] is reflective of an increasing use of
pot on campus; rather, I feel like it's reflective of enforcement
being increased," Smulders said. "It's a legal issue, so the
University feels it has to implement the laws of California, so they
go into people's rooms and take away bongs and pot."

Furthermore, Smulders emphasized that not all students who smoke
marijuana experience academic problems.

"Some of the better, high performing students use pot," he
said.

Anonymous marijuana users say that while some people can handle the
inclusion of marijuana in their lives, others are less likely to
manage the lifestyle.

"Some studies seem to link [marijuana smoking] to a motivational
syndrome," said one student. "I believe in the power of
self-determination. I feel like some people have the ability to make
it part of their lives and others don't."

"The increases in the pamphlet seem to show a problem," another
student said. "I think there are a lot of dumb kids out there who
smoke. The good thing is they weed themselves out naturally and the
morons get busted. I am a superior smoker."

In the event that a student feels she or a friend are experiencing
marijuana-related problems, "Cannabis Conundrum" features an entire
page devoted to ways of dealing with these problems and offers
anonymous treatment provided by Student Psychological Services.

Smulders says, however, that marijuana treatment can come only after
the acknowledgement of a problem.

"Student Psychological Services can guide a person through the habit,
but the person needs to want to stop," Smulders said. "If they don't
see it as a problem there is no way to treat it."

Smulders' own background has included previous experience in the field
of marijuana.

"I have been involved in the decriminalizing of marijuana from the
early days [1970s]," he said. "It used to be a felony and people
caught with marijuana had to pay a $500 fine and were put in jail."

When students found themselves in trouble, Smulders provided
aid.

"I used to have money in my office to bail people out at $500 a pop,"
he continued. "I do not advocate the legalization of pot, but I don't
think it should be criminalized."

While acknowledging marijuana use on campus, Smulders felt that LMU
had a much larger alcohol problem along with unavoidable issues with
other drugs.

"Ecstasy is a serious problem, especially amongst girls," he
said.

In the end, the divisive issue of marijuana has allowed for numerous
viewpoints to introspect on the influence of the substance on LMU's
campus. In regard to the issue of a marijuana problem on campus,
Smulders reflected on the true meaning on the word "problem."

"If by a problem you mean is marijuana illegal and students are using
it on campus, then yes, we have a problem," he said. "But if you ask
if it is affecting the academic performance of the students, then I
don't think so."