cannabisnews.com: Study: College Marijuana Use a Growing Problem 





Study: College Marijuana Use a Growing Problem 
Posted by FoM on October 30, 2000 at 15:36:22 PT
By Lisa Lipman, Associated Press
Source: Boston Globe
Northeastern University junior Robert Devaney says many of his fellow students have trouble buying beer at nearby bars. Getting marijuana, however, is much easier, he says. ''It's the alternative to drinking,'' Devaney said Monday. ''To get alcohol, someone is going to make sure you're of age, whereas marijuana is easily available. I would definitely say it's a big problem on campus.'' A study released this week by the Harvard School of Public Health found it's a big problem on many campuses. 
Marijuana use among college students rose 22 percent between 1993 and 1999, from 12.9 percent of students who claimed to have used marijuana in the previous month in 1993 to 15.7 percent in 1999 who said the same thing. Although the increase was reported among all races and types of students, the study found that marijuana users are typically single, white, spend more time at parties and socializing with friends and spend less time studying. Marijuana use was higher among students who participate in other high-risk behaviors such as binge drinking, cigarette smoking and having multiple sexual partners, the study found. The study also found that marijuana use was higher among students who perceived parties as important but who said religion and community service were not important. The research was based on the responses of more that 14,000 students selected randomly from 119 four-year colleges in 40 states. ''I think it shows the need for colleges to approach this problem, but it also shows the need to beef up the programs earlier in high schools and even middle schools,'' said Dr. Henry Wechsler, who headed the study. Marijuana use was highest at colleges in the Northeast and lowest in Southern colleges. It was also highest at colleges classified as ''very competitive,'' and lowest at those considered ''not competitive.'' The study showed that use of other illicit drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, also increased. Boston (AP) Published: October 30, 2000© Copyright 2000 Globe Newspaper CompanyRelated Article & Web Site:Harvard School of Public Healthhttp://www.hsph.harvard.edu/Cannabis Use Falls Among Dutch Youth http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7251.shtml
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Comment #10 posted by AOCP on October 31, 2000 at 12:08:44 PT:
ranting thru the tulips
>The study also found that marijuana use was higher among students who perceived parties as important but who said religion and community service were not important.And? Nice low-blow to the MJ smokers as lazy, godless slackers who are obviously scum b/c just look at the stat! I don't care if i smoke MJ or not ... religion (undoubtably xian, in this reference) still wouldn't make any sense to this baptized and confirmed former catholic. As for community service, how about i don't actively vandalize public works or property and you just leave me the hell alone? Jeez, man, that's why i pay taxes! So YOU can pay somebody for community service! I already work seven days a week! Sheesh.
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Comment #9 posted by John Lenin on October 31, 2000 at 11:31:24 PT
Read between the lines people
Some of you are misinterpreting the AP article. The more competitive the school, the greater the number of marijuana smokers. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. 
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Comment #8 posted by Skeezixx on October 31, 2000 at 09:33:48 PT
The Illegality is the source of the problem
The study while obviously biased in the information it wanted to gather does show that many recreational smokers aren't very good students or the "creme" of any society. Its true that many people who smoke marijuana with any serious regularity in school tend to be more interested in partying than their books. The problem with this article however is that it is seeing marijuana consumption as a cause, not an effect and the study only shows correlations NOTHING ELSE, so one can not draw cause and effect conclusions while remaining objective. My hypothesis in this matter is that the very fact that marijuana is illegal is the root cause of this correlation between poor school performance and marijuana smoking. College students are "coming into their own," testing their boundaries and learning about their independence. These students have been told throughout their lives that marijuana is "evil" and will cause all kinds of horrible things to befall them. Those who are serious about their education are scared into believing that smoking up will immediatly have everything they have worked so hard for destroyed, hence fewer of the "good" students will take up the recreation and later possibly ruin it with "acceptable" things like alchohol. Those who moderatley smoke in college generally have been since long before they got there and these same people have already discovered that it won't destroy them, with them comes the supply. Where the real problem arises is with the overly disciplined and repressed kids who go to college and find that they have more freedom and feel like they HAVE to do everything they weren't allowed to do when they were at home, finding a wealth of ways to rebel readily on hand. These are the people who end up going overboard and letting their recreations get in the way of their studies. The fact that marijuana is "taboo" makes it a target for excess. It also makes alchohol a problem for teh same reason. Overly disciplined and repressed people (which is most of american society), when they break free of their bindings, aren't used to thinking for themselves and hence don't have the self discipline needed to live a moderate lifestyle balancing work and recreation. This is why these students go overboard. If the government would teach responsibility, self control and moderation, the nation would be a much better place people would mellow the heck out and get along. Instead it harps on black and white, good and evil, right and wrong and complete inacceptance of inbetweens and moderation. Its one thing to say "NO you can not kill people or put others at risk Period", it is another to say NO you can't touch alcohol legally until you are in the most precarious period of your life cycle and don't have anyone there to teach you moderation and no you can sit around and smoke bud to relieve pain, suffering or just plain relax. Toss the extremist propagand, pass teh bowl and chill the hell out.
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Comment #7 posted by mungojelly on October 31, 2000 at 03:23:40 PT:
pot as an alternative to booze
IF ONLY all college students would switch from booze to pot! Countless deaths would be prevented, along with significant amounts of permanent liver and brain damage (and immeasurable amounts of embarassment). Why is it that people think they can get away with calling increased marijuana use a "problem" without explaining what problem they are actually talking about? We know what the problem is with alcohol: it is the leading cause of death in the age group in question. Is there some similar problem with marijuana? 
mungojelly
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Comment #6 posted by observer on October 31, 2000 at 02:52:28 PT
Prohibition Can't ``make sure you're of age''
Getting marijuana, however, is much easier, he says... To get alcohol, someone is going to make sure you're of age, whereas marijuana is easily available.I wonder if the Boston Globe editor/prohibitionist/censor(s) realize what they let just slip through there?
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Comment #5 posted by MikeEEEEE on October 30, 2000 at 19:01:53 PT
Growing Problem....Really Clever
It's a lot better than alcohol; the smart people really know this.
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Comment #4 posted by dddd on October 30, 2000 at 18:56:58 PT
More obvious rubbish
 Another example of a sponsored news release.,,,,,at least I hope so.It's hard to imagine Lisa Lipman actually writing such obvious crap on her own. I dont believe that anyone who supposedly writes this type stuff,does it because they believe it. These people are news whores.They have sold their souls to the czar.............dddd 
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Comment #3 posted by Danketh McHerbal on October 30, 2000 at 17:38:05 PT:
Problem?
I just don't understand how anybody can say that other people choosing to smoke marijauna is a "problem". Marijauna does NOT intoxicate people to the point that they become violent or lose control of themselves. It does NOT lower peoples inhibitions to the point that they go out and do something stupid. No, the only problem with marijauna is the fact that it is kept illegal and wrongly prohibited. The problem with marijauna is the fact that anti-marijauna laws allow violent gangsters to become rich and powerful, while non-violent cannabis consumers that do not pose a threat to anybody are locked up in cages and treated like criminals. The problem with marijauna is that anti-marijauna laws hurt the environment by prohibiting people from growing, cultivating, and using a plant that is BY FAR the most useful, and EASILY RENEWABLE natural resource on the planet.This causes more and more trees to be cut down each year. We only have about 1/3 of our forests left, and those trees are going quickly.   The war against marijauna is the REAL problem. Anybody with a brain that hasn't swallowed the bulls*** propaganda that the government forces down peoples throat knows this.  Legalization would reduce violent crime, boost the economy, be EXTREMELY beneficial to the environment, and, most importantly, restore basic rights to people to choose whether or not they want to use the most wonderful plant known to mankind.  Peace.
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Comment #2 posted by drfist on October 30, 2000 at 16:09:46 PT
How does the U. of Amsterdam Cope
must be a BIG problem with all the good bud ,hash and space cake, shrooms ,on every street. The Dutch colleges seem to turn out top students, of course maybe the "smart drug shops"off set the coffee shops. We should be so lucky!
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Comment #1 posted by Frank S. World on October 30, 2000 at 15:47:24 PT
A big problem? Ha!
I live in Madison, WI, a college town, full of bars. Alcohol abuse causes a lot of problems here, fights, domestic violence, rapes, car crashes, etc. If half the bars in Madtown were cannabis cafes, this town would be much safer and peaceful.The most dangerous thing about cannabis for students is it's illegality, which could cost them financial aid, if they get busted!The study is just more prohibitionist propaganda, no doubt financed by us taxpayers.
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