In university we spend most of our time running to classes, doing our lengthy readings and occasionally going to the gym. When we want to relax and unwind we do it the only way we know how, by either going to the bar with the cheapest drinks or by getting high with our friends and binge-watching a whole season of Sex Education. Smoking weed in university is much more common than some may think.
People may assume smoking weed in university is about peer pressure, but in reality, it is more a matter of personal choice. Everyone has different reasons for smoking, some more common than others.
Weed helps us cope with stress and anxiety
Being in university is very stressful and chaotic. When life gets stressful, it’s helpful to take a little break and try to forget about the eight different assignments you have due that week. Some students find that weed is a great way to help them relax. Other students use weed as a way to cope with stress or depression when things start to get too hard to handle. Marijuana is an easy way to de-stress and escape reality, however this relief is only temporary. Studies have shown that students who use marijuana regularly to alleviate anxiety or depression are often seven times more likely to become addicted to it. While weed has some short-term benefits, it’s also important to be aware of the consequences.
We often forget about the risks
Being surrounded by individuals who regularly use marijuana often makes us forget about the health effects of long-term marijuana use. We perceive marijuana to be “harmless” and “not as bad as other drugs,” but there are both psychological and physical health effects of using marijuana. Usually, when we drink for more than three days in a row we immediately start feeling effects on our body. However, this is not the case for weed as the impact is not as obvious, so it can be easy to slip into a cycle of continuous use.
We can get weed delivered straight to our doorstep
Accessibility is one of the biggest reasons why weed is such a big part of university culture. We now have the ability to get weed just as fast and easy as a junior chicken from McDonalds. This convenience often gets taken advantage of. Without even thinking about it, we end up buying eight grams of “purple monkey balls” just because we like the name, and wind up with intense munchies for four hours. Even though this kind of availability and opportunity is very tempting, it is important to recognize our limits and try not to spend half of our OSAP money on some “purple monkey balls.”
Overall, weed can be a positive addition to the university experience when used correctly, but you have to make sure you know your boundaries.