By Adi Arbell
My evening routine looks like any other college student’s: homework, planner, playlist, and a hit to keep the chaos in check. Yes, I’m a stoner, a productive one.Â
When people hear the word stoner, they immediately picture a couch potato with glossy eyes, a mouth full of Cheeto dust, rambling on about the galaxy and stars. But that’s not me, and it’s not the many other college girls I know who light up in between classes or after a long day. Smoking weed was always something I thought (and my mom prayed) I would outgrow, but I just never did.Â
I always knew that the stigma around weed was wrong and that it can be a helpful tool, especially for those of us who are just trying to navigate our early adult lives. Since weed has become legal in the state of Maryland and 23 other states, weed consumption is on the rise; it’s not just a backseat habit anymore, it’s part of everyday culture, and studies show that accessibility to dispensaries and weed legalization are linked to a 25 percent decrease in opiate deaths in the US and Canada. Take that, mom.Â
The anxiety and paranoia that come from weed is real, and a lot of people have had bad experiences with the plant because of that. Learning your limits when it comes to weed is necessary to master it. For me, I like to take the paranoia I get from weed and put that into action. When I smoke, I get to analyze my thoughts and feelings from a different perspective, and that really helps when dealing with the stress of school, work, and extracurriculars. I constantly find myself journaling, drawing and wanting to create when I’m high, and I know others share that experience. The argument that weed is a “gateway drug” is outdated. Still, people assume that stoners are just looking for an escape from reality.Â
I’m here to debunk the myths and stereotypes about stoners and also talk about how weed legalization and consumption have changed how our generation approaches “drug use”. People like to say that girls who smoke are messy and lack motivation, but is it a bad thing that my favorite thing to do after sparking is deep-cleaning my apartment and filling out my weekly planner? For me and many other girls, weed is a tool for creativity and focus (although sometimes that includes focusing on the inside of your fridge for 20 minutes).Â
Walking around Towson, you’ll get the sense that many other students share my love for the plant. So I asked around: “How does weed help you stay productive?”Â
“Me personally, it allows me to lock in to one thing and stay super focused.”
– C
“I like smoking before a workout, I can really feel the pump when I’m smacked.”
– A
“It gets me hyper-fixated on whatever I’m working on.”
– PÂ
“After school and work, I look forward to getting home, smoking, and relaxing. I have a hard time decompressing after a long day, and it really helps.” – GÂ
“The world can be a scary place and a lot to deal with all at once, sometimes the only thing that soothes my nerves and allows me to find peace is smoking weed.”
– HÂ
“There’s nothing like smoking a jay, panicking about what I’m doing with my life, and then writing out my goals for my future. Some call it crazy, but it works for me.”
– NÂ
Through these quotes, I hope to highlight how helpful weed can be for everyday life and managing stress. Not only does it help our personal lives, but as a society, the way we approach recreational drug use is completely different from the way it was five to ten years ago. When we flip the conversation about weed from a negative to a positive, we help cannabis become more socially acceptable. In turn, individuals are more likely to receive help and relief through weed usage.Â
Gen Z is looking for ways to have fun outside of the usual, where we once used to turn to alcohol and hard substances for enjoyment we now have things like the “sober-curious” movement, mocktail bars, and wellness centered activities. Studies show that Gen Z consumes about â…“ less beer and wine than previous generations and this is not just a trend, Gen Z is sticking to drinking less or not at all. There are many reasons as to why Gen Z is wary of drinking but for myself and many others, one reason is that I would much rather get baked, watch a movie, and snack with my friends over taking shots and going out, at least most of the time.Â
Thankfully, we live in a world where we have all the resources to become our best selves. As college students, there has never been a better time to be a hot, productive, weed-smoking, hard-working girl. By talking about our usage, how we use it as a tool, not a crutch. Seeing how it changes and helps society as a whole, we can begin to shift our perspective about things that we’re once deemed bad or negative. That shift can be translated to other areas of our lives where we question every outdated rule about what’s “good” or “bad” as we watch our world continue to change.