Ganja Gremlin

V’s Take is The Hurricane’s most controversial and longest-running column. It is a satirical work published weekly by students and for students. Using our generation’s “colorful” language to address all things sex, love, and gossip on campus, V is not for the politically correct or easily offended.

Dear V,

My roommate is quite the ganja gremlin. Even though I have personally never participated in his favorite extracurricular, I never judged him for it either. With marijuana’s national holiday upon us, he invited me to partake. I agreed, however, hesitantly. While I believe it’s important to try everything at least once, I am scared of how I may react. Any advice?

Sincerely,

Weed Virgin

First of all, I don’t think it’s wise to try “everything” once. I had a cousin who tried meth once, and trust me, didn’t work out too good for him.

However, I do think it’s important to discuss cannabis, weed, ganja, pot, kush, that icky sticky, amongst many other obnoxious terms. Marijuana laws are changing at a rapid pace across the country, making it more accessible. It would be ignorant to assume that students don’t engage with this “Schedule 1” drug occasionally or, for some, on a daily basis.

We have all been exposed to many myths about cannabis through anti-drug education programs like D.A.R.E or the ‘Just Say No’ campaigns which have been used to demonize weed and discourage use. Also, the fact that it is illegal has caused many youths, especially minority youths, to become caught up in the criminal justice system.

If you enjoy the giggle-and-cough vibe, using marijuana can be enjoyable. Some would even argue that it’s more fun than drinking and other recreational drugs, which seem to have higher risk than reward when it comes to abuse. However, there are consequences of marijuana use for people under 21. This includes short-term memory, decreased concentration, altering motor control, affecting lung function and psychological impairment. Now, I’m not saying that this all happens after half a joint, but in cases of constant use it might.

At the same time, there are pharmaceutical drugs approved by the FDA using cannabinoids and cannabidiol that have proven through research to be helpful in adults with certain condition,s such as to lessen pain in adult patients with chronic pain syndromes.

These conflicting findings have caused plenty of debate over the appropriateness of marijuana use, but in my humble opinion, it depends on the user. My mother has always told me that achieving “moderation” is supreme, and that is what I would like my readers to practice.

I have seen people try marijuana and absolutely hate it. They become extremely paranoid and vow to never consume it again. At the same time, I have seen people try marijuana and love it. They use it to relax or to enhance a good time. However, some people can love it so much that it develops into an unhealthy habit, where they cannot eat nor sleep without it.

If anyone’s dancing with the ganja gremlin is frequent enough to start negatively affecting other parts of your life, I do encourage you to contact the Sandler Center to help you better cope with alcohol and other drug use.

I don’t know the kind of person you are, so I cannot decide if this is a smart choice for you. All I can encourage is that if you do make the decision to try it, make sure you are with people you trust in a safe environment. Don’t overdo it. Take it a puff at a time, and remember that everything is going to be okay. Maybe grab a few of your favorite munchies before you begin.

It’s always 4:20 somewhere.

Sincerely,

V