WHEN USING POT, MODERATION, RESPONSIBILITY ARE KEY

Here at the University, we take the concept of higher education very
seriously. We are a first-tier research institute, noted for our
exceptional athletics, journalism school, creative writing program
and, thanks to High Times, our stoner culture. The University was
placed fourth on the top 10 cannabis colleges of America in 2005.
Surprised? Don't be. It's not sage you're smelling as you bike from
campus to home.

Compared with alcohol, marijuana is the second-most abused drug on
college campuses nationwide. Now, I'm not complaining - I'm much more
comfortable walking into a house to see people surrounding a bong
than an eight ball, but the why does the fact that it is not so taboo
compared to harder drugs somehow make it an acceptable complement to
any daily activity?

Pot is everywhere, and frankly, many students are partaking far too
frequently. Used as a relaxant, a facilitator in friendships, and as
a method of "expanding the mind," many students continue to go to
their classes stoned, wake and bake frequently and invite others over
with promises of loaded pieces for fear that they have nothing else to offer.

Pot can be an enjoyable recreational activity and I am not one to
condemn the plant itself, as it can be thoroughly enjoyed on
occasion, but by smoking too consistently and therefore abusing it,
we are taking this magical, green, leafy plant and turning it into a
crutch. What ever happened to the days when smoking a bowl
infrequently led to hours of laughter and binge eating to be enjoyed
only with close friends? Now, it seems to be mandatory for some activities.

Okay, so smoking pot leaves you with neither a drip nor a hangover,
but it does linger in your system much longer than most drugs, and
with frequent, habitual use, can have undeniably negative effects on
one's physical and emotional well-being. I see pot frequently
becoming a foundation for social interaction. After all, there's
nothing like gathering a group around an apparatus in order to
facilitate bonding. Yet some friendships become so dependent on this
third party that if one or the other is dry, the sad realization
comes out - besides pot, they have nothing in common.

Beyond causing unnecessary harm to the respiratory system, frequent
pot smoking saps motivation and numbs one to the world, or as
Margaret E. Gross, assistant director of the Center for Health and
Well-being states, "it's like putting a car in neutral." We aren't
retaining all that we can learn in the classroom with pot in our
systems, making it that much more difficult to master new material.
What a contradiction - the fact that we are here, in college, to
learn all we can and to develop our intelligence, yet at the end of
the day we voluntarily destroy our own capacity for memory.

Yes, we all know those people who toke up a ton and still maintain
good grades, take care of their responsibilities, cure AIDS, etc.,
but the truth is, they are operating at less than full capacity, just
like anyone else who is smoking frequently.

Another contradiction that exists is the fact that while pot is used
as a stress reducer, frequent marijuana use can lead one to be prone
to anxiety disorders and panic attacks, or what is known as the
"paradoxical response."

Some say that pot smoking has no long-term effects. However,
according to Dr. Richard Boyum, a counselor at the University of
Wisconsin, habitual usage can bruise the nervous system, and such
damage takes a significant amount of time to heal. If you're smoking
all the time, you're probably not even getting high anymore, and
living your life in a semi-comatose state. "Permafried," as we like
to say, is really no way to experience the world.

Habitual pot usage ceases to expand the mind. Rather, it hinders the
mind and, potentially, one's social life and academic integrity. It
is not necessary to increase your enjoyment of time with friends or
certain events. The use of pot should remain limited. Don't let your
activities center about it; it's still a drug and should be treated
as such. Use it only with care, discretion, and in appropriate circumstances.