Marijuana Among College Students

Among college students, the overall use of drugs has significantly declined due to many laws and regulations that are enforced on the UF campus. Tobacco and smoking is prohibited. However, drug use off campus is not eliminated and may still cause problems with student learning capabilities. The most significant and commonly used drug by college students is marijuana. “Daily marijuana use among college-aged young adults is at its highest since 1980, surpassing daily cigarette smoking for the first time in 2014” (College).

Marijuana is a green or brown mix of preserved, crushed leaves from the marijuana plant. A psychoactive drug, marijuana contains fifty-percent more tar than tobacco. Smoking the harmful plant can damage the brain, lungs, and the male reproductive system and may escalate the effects of epilepsy and psychosis (Kahler, 1988). Within campus colleges and universities, there are a lot of students who are using marijuana recreationally. Long-term marijuana use can induce negative effects on short-term memory, concentration, attention span, motivation, and problem solving, which clearly interfere with learning. Tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in marijuana, can reinforce dependence on the drug and on other addictive drugs (Joffe &

The purpose of my paper is to prove that marijuana effects teens and their mind. Marijuana is a tobacco-like substance produced by drying the leaves, stems, flower tops of the Cannabis sativa (Indian Hemp) plant (Fact Sheet, 1). It is smoked or eaten to get hallucinated and receive pleasure. It grows just about anywhere. It is illegal in some countries but in others it is used for medical purposes (Encarta, 1). Some names that it is called a joint, nail, pot, Mary Jane, hive, etc. (Fact Sheet and Facts for teens, 1). Marijuana stays in the body for several days after one smoking session. In a chronic user marijuana can stay in the body for up to several weeks (Facts for Teens, 1).

THC disrupts the nerve cells in the part of the brain where memories are formed. This makes it hard for the user to recall recent events (such as what happened a few minutes ago), and so it is hard to learn while high. A working short-term memory is required for learning and performing tasks that call for more than one or two steps. Some studies show that when people have smoked large amounts of marijuana for many years, the drug takes its toll on mental functions. Among a group of long-time heavy marijuana users in Costa Rica, researchers found that the people had great trouble when asked to recall a short list of words (a standard test of memory). People in that study group also found it very hard to focus their attention on the tests

The increased use of marijuana within the last two years has been noted among many college students around the United States. Marijuana is a drug that is transformed, combined, and used in many ways. Marijuana is one of leading drugs used among college students according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). It was hypothesized that greater usage of marijuana would be associated with lower memory scores. Eighty college students completed the survey- questionnaire. There was a significant negative relationship between the reported marijuana use and scores on the logical memory test, r (78) = -.92, p=.00. A Pearson correlation analysis indicated that a higher degree of reported marijuana use was related to lower logical memory test scores, therefore my hypothesis was accepted.

In today’s society marijuana is becoming more normalized and legal in some states. But that does not change the matter that marijuana is illegal under the federal laws. After many states legalizing medical and recreational marijuana, it leaves room for institutions to questions how to handle student use. On this paper, I will be discussing the policies institutions have taken place and how they navigate federal and state laws.

People who smoke marijuana tend to be less aware of their surroundings. They slow down mentally and physically. They won’t be able to pay attention in class. This will ultimately make their grades drop. It can also lead to worse drugs such as meth and crack.

Prescription drug abuse among college students is a growing trend on most campuses. Students are using these drugs inappropriately to not only “get high”, but to help with concentration when cramming for papers or tests, to self-medicate for anxiety or depression, and even to enhance their stamina when playing sports. Many people have stereotypes of what an alcoholic or addict is, and most people don't associate that image with young students. Although drug education has been mandatory in the US throughout grade school drug use continues to rise in college students. College is known as a time for experimentation, but for some students experimentation can turn

The Office of National Drug Control Policy says marijuana plays a bigger role in a serious U.S. drug problem than most people realize. Consider: Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States. About 75 percent -- or 14.6 million of the nearly 20 million illicit drug users -- are using marijuana. Of the 7.1 million Americans dealing with illegal drug dependence or abuse, 60 percent are hooked on marijuana or abuse it. More young people are being treated for marijuana dependency than for booze or for all other illegal drugs combined, the office says marijuana's daily use among eighth, 10th and 12th grade students has increased over the last year, according to recent survey results released by the office. Youths who use marijuana -- particularly those in their later teen years -- are more likely to do poorly in school, stand a better chance of getting into trouble and tend to have more sexual partners. And, while there's no shortage of backers for legalizing marijuana, it has proven to be a psychologically addictive drug with plenty of downside to society, the Office of National Drug Control Policy says

Although Marijuana may be fun to people, there are dangers that you should be cautious about. Marijuana can be very addicting. Most of the people who are addicted to Marijuana are under 21 years of age. In, “Hidden Dangers of Marijuana” it says, “Dangers in the immediate effects of marijuana include distortions of time and space perceptions and impaired coordination, all of which may be contributing to the increased risk of traffic accidents recently discovered. Particularly important for students to know about is the creation of difficulty thinking or problem solving and impairment of memory and learning. These difficulties can last for as long as four weeks after drug use.” These drugs may not seem harmful, but they definitely can be dangerous no matter what drug it is especially when people abuse the drug.

Marijuana is considered in popular culture to be a widely accepted mainstream recreational illegal drug used in the United States; its use comes with severe adverse side effects that are often overlooked. Long-Term use of marijuana 'sis shown to have negative effects on physical, mental, and environmental health. Studies have shown that in the United States, up to 20% of daily marijuana users become dependent (Marijuana and Lung Health) showing a physical or emotional need for the drug. Marijuana use has the potential to affect every aspect of a person 's physical and mental wellbeing negatively. Its use also comes with potentially life-altering risks to one 's future including an individual’s likelihood of obtaining a degree, impacting their future earning potential and decreasing their overall reported life satisfaction. Once dependent on marijuana, people stop caring about their schooling. Long-term use of smoking marijuana can result in the inability to learn, retain information and think critically.

As NIDA illustrates, they first “pass from the lungs into the bloodstream, which rapidly carries them throughout the body and to the brain” (1). Because THC is very similar to a cannabinoid chemical called anandamide, which already exist in the human body, it “is able to attach to molecules called cannabinoid receptors on neurons in these brain areas and activate them” (NIDA). This similarity causes THC to have control over the brain of individual and in this way affecting one’s ability to coordinate, concentrate, think, etc.

She can “...[decrease students’] ability to sustain their self-confidence and remain focused on achieving academic [goals]...” (“Will My Teen’s Marijuana”). For example, “Mary Jane” has been shown to give users mental health issues. “Panic attacks, depression, anxiety, and other mental health symptoms…” are common among marijuana users (“Will My Teen’s Marijuana”). Having a mental health issue brings on an abundance of possible problems that can affect a student’s academic performance. Depending on which mental health disorder a student has, it can be difficult for her to focus on studying, taking tests, interacting with others, etc. (“Will My Teen’s Marijuana”). Furthermore, the use of “Mary Jane” has also been proven to cause users to feel a lack of motivation (Theis). This can negatively impact students’ academic performance because they won’t have anything pushing or motivating them to do their schoolwork and/or study. If the students don’t do their schoolwork or study; obviously, their academic performance will decline (Theis). As Arria can tell, “Mary Jane” definitely has a negative impact on students’ psychological skills/abilities. In fact, during a 10-year study that followed 1,200 college freshmen, it was found that marijuana use led to ‘“...college students skipping more classes, spending less time studying, [and] earning lower grades...”’

The textbook only stated that marijuana use may result in a decline in academic performance while the website had an article that went into more depth of how marijuana use can affect a student’s grades. The articles cited specific quotes from doctors saying ““Students who go to class high are not getting their money’s worth” and “What does heavy use mean for students? Daily marijuana users may find themselves consistently intellectually impaired. For near-daily or daily users, even stopping for several days may not lessen the intellectual impairment”. It surprised me how much of a difference there was in terms of the effect of marijuana on grades because both are tools that are used by students to succeed in college and the textbook is probably more likely to be used because it is specifically related to a student’s class.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), also known as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is the main psychoactive substance found in the cannabis plant. Cannabis isn’t just a single drug molecule, like alcohol or cocaine, but a mix of over 420 different chemical components. 61 of the called cannabinoids are unique to marijuana. THC is the chemical that triggers cannabis’ main drug action and effects in the body and brain. THC is like a feel-good chemical bomb that explodes on contact, and then breaks up into at least 80 different by products (or metabolites) before it’s eliminated from the body. The process starts as soon as THC enters the blood stream, and begins zeroing in on cannabinoid receptors in the brain and central nervous system Once it checks into the brain, THC takes its own time in checking out. Unlike many other drugs, which are excreted from the body within hours, THC metabolites stick around--stored