I do not smoke marijuana.
This defines a critical sense of character for the typical college student. It puts people into different circles: Those who live in fear of a psychoactive plant and those who dread phone calls from the Mom who likes to stop by and clean their bedroom desks just a little too thoroughly.
In spite of the biases the media imposes on marijuana, recreational cannabis usage will always be a heated topic for college students and area citizens. Why shouldn’t people use marijuana? Does the organic nature of it make it harmless? Should it be legalized? Should we stick to binge drinking like our Sun Devil ancestors before us?
A little over a year ago, I moved into a local condo residence with two of my closest friends, both regular cannabis users and both full-time students. At first, I was afraid. I didn’t know a thing about it. As far as I was concerned with my high school suburban conditioning, weed equals prison.
After I realized, however, that they weren’t going to belt-strap me to a chair and force me to take bong rips until I passed out. I became curious. I had an intellectual’s dream: a free, uninhibited window into a lifestyle completely different from my own. After months of asking naïve questions, Reddit-researching and five bottles of Febreze later, I was comfortable and still not a user.
The best part? My roommates couldn’t have cared less.
Over the course of my four years at ASU, student arguments regarding marijuana usage have not changed. The two sophomore fraternity pledges’ presentations on the legalization of marijuana in a public discourse class were useless garble at best. Not to mention that marijuana is the deal breaker for 50 percent of the girls I’ve graced with the pleasure of a first date. Frankly, I’m sick of marijuana.
What should we do about marijuana in a university community? What action needs to be taken regarding college students who are regular users? I’m afraid it’s not the answer you were probably looking for — a resounding nothing.
Bickering about marijuana usage in a college environment is just about as big a waste of time as crossing our fingers for a bowl-eligible football team this year. Using marijuana is a lifestyle choice that belongs in the same categories as alcohol and cigarette smoking. We need to accept the choices of the people around us, no matter how irresponsible they are or how couch-locked it makes them.
Cannabis isn’t hurting anyone, especially in a college university environment. The sooner we come to grips with that, the sooner we can direct our energy to things that really matter: tuition, the election, the economy. Take your pick.
Contact the columnist at mschan1@asu.edu. Follow the columnist @MorganSukotto
