'PUFF' THE NOT SO MAGICAL DRAGON

Pot Use On Campus Higher Than National Average

Physicians warn of its detrimental effects on the mind and body. Users say
it allows them to relax and escape daily pressures. Proponents of
legalization say it's acceptable to smoke. Researchers say that in the past
decade usage among college students has risen...

Marijuana. The illicit drug often referred to on the streets as pot, grass,
reefer, weed, herb, and Mary Jane, still continues to be a sensitive and
controversial topic.

Marijuana, a crude drug made from the plant Cannabis sativa, contains a
mind-altering ingredient known as THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), but
more than 400 other chemicals are also found within the plant. The amount
of THC in the marijuana determines how strong its effects will be. The type
of plant, weather, soil, time of harvest, and various other factors
determine the strength of marijuana.

The strength of today's marijuana is as much as 10 times greater than the
marijuana used in the early 1970s. This more potent marijuana increases
physical and mental effects and the possibility of health problems for the
user.

More than 83 million Americans age 12 and older have tried marijuana at
least once, according to the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse.
However, marijuana is not only a national problem, but also a growing local
problem.

A recent study conducted at Southern Methodist University entitled the
"CORE" gave insight onto the underground drug culture found on campus.
Statistics show SMU is above average with 51.6 percent of students
reporting they have tried marijuana in their lifetime compared to 46
percent of other college students nationally. Also, 41.7 percent of SMU
students confirmed having used marijuana in the year prior to taking the
survey compared to 32 percent of college students nationally.

Christen Menzel, a substance abuse counselor at SMU, attributes higher
usage on campus to geographic location. "Because Texas and Mexico are close
in vicinity it is easier to smuggle drugs across borderlines," said Menzel.
"Once smuggled, marijuana makes its way to the surrounding Metroplex for
distribution. Since SMU is situated in an accessible and populated area,
the diffusion of marijuana is much harder to control."

Marijuana's effects begin immediately after the drug enters the brain and
last approximately one to three hours. If marijuana is consumed in food or
drink, the short-term effects begin more slowly, usually in half an hour,
and last up to four hours.

Smoking marijuana deposits several times more THC into the blood than does
eating or drinking the drug. Within a few minutes after inhaling marijuana
smoke, an individual's heartbeat begins to quicken, the bronchial passages
relax and become enlarged, and blood vessels in the eyes expand making the
eyes appear red. The heart rate, normally 70 to 80 beats per minute, may
increase by as much as 50 beats per minute. This effect can be even greater
if other drugs are taken simultaneously with marijuana.

As the potent chemical THC enters the brain, it causes the user to feel
euphoric by acting in the brain's reward systems, which are areas that
respond to stimuli such as food and drink as well as most of drugs abuse.
THC activates the reward system in the same way that nearly all abused
drugs do, by stimulating brain cells to release the chemical dopamine.

A marijuana user may experience pleasant sensations and colors. Sounds may
seem more intense, and time appears to pass very slowly. The user's mouth
feels dry, and he may suddenly become very hungry or thirsty. After the
euphoria feeling passes the user may eventually feel tired and depressed.
Occasionally, marijuana use produces anxiety, fear, and distrust.

One anonymous SMU student recalled his first encounter with marijuana. "The
first time I ever smoked weed I felt extremely nauseous and dizzy. I vowed
I wouldn't smoke again, but then I was persuaded by my friends and each
time I got high it just seemed to get better and better. It totally mellows
you out and everything around you seems really funny."

Marijuana's long-term effects impair a person's ability to form memories,
recall events, and shift attention from one thing to another. THC also
disrupts coordination and balance by binding to receptors in the cerebellum
and basil ganglia, parts of the brain that regulate balance, posture,
coordination of movement, and reaction time. Other more serious long-term
effects of marijuana usage include: increased risk of cancer, problems with
sexual development and desire, weak immune system, a motivational syndrome
and addiction.

Although most people consider marijuana a harmless drug, it truly has
critical consequences. More teens enter drug treatment centers for
marijuana than all other illicit drugs combined. According to the Federal
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 60 percent of
teens currently in drug treatment are placed there due to their addiction
of marijuana.

An SMU student effectively captured the habit forming role marijuana plays
when he stated, "Marijuana is kind-of like alcohol in the sense that you
build a tolerance and before you know it you're smoking not because you
want to but, rather because you need to."

Marijuana is not only a physical burden for its users, but a financial
burden as well. "Marijuana is one expensive habit," admits an unidentified
SMU student. "For roughly $50 you can purchase an 1/8 of an ounce.
Depending on how frequently you smoke, you can easily spend a few hundred
dollars each week."

Commonly, people imagine the typical drug dealer with the preconceived
notion of a man dressed in a long, dark trench coat standing on a corner in
a run down part of town pushing drugs to addicts and junkies. But as Menzel
previously mentioned, SMU's geographic location makes it more convenient
for both buyers and sellers to attain marijuana. Therefore, as the images
of the trench coat dealer fade into the past, designer clothes and flashy
cars disguise the new dealers found on the SMU campus. College kids are
especially lured into the drug scene because of the adrenaline rush and the
fast cash it brings. Dealers can effortlessly make hundreds of dollars by
dealing to peers. In fact, "Most frat houses on campus have dealers within
the households, so weed is always easy to find," stated one undisclosed
fraternity member.

SMU has a strict policy for drug violators. If a student is found with an
illegal substance or paraphernalia the violator must make an appearance in
front of judicial court. Confirmed drug use or possession may result in a
minimum of one semester suspension. Suspension from the university means
withdrawl from all classes, and students are not allowed on the campus for
any reason. Marijuana is a serious offense, and as a result not taken lightly.

Menzel, along with other certified counselors are on hand at the SMU Health
Center to assist individuals with substance abuse problems or any other
drug-related issues. A 24-hour hotline is also available to help students
in case of emergencies.

Menzel's advice to students is to "avoid any foreseeable situation in which
the usage of drugs will be present. By doing this, you protect yourself
from any possible temptation that may consume you."