Health Effects of Marijuana Use on College Students, Research Paper Example

For many students, college life is the first step towards personal freedom. They have no adults to answer to and the whole world becomes their experiment lab. Just like high school, they desire social popularity and acceptance among peers. Thus, they are often willing to engage in risky activities for the sake of thrill or to be seen as adventurous. Marijuana use among college students should be discouraged through both college regulations as well as peer pressure because any potential benefits from marijuana use are greatly outweighed by the costs.

Marijuana is not merely a harmless recreational drug but like smoking, has serious long-term consequences. A research study by College Life Study (CLS) found that students who regularly used marijuana over a six-year period were at a serious risk of several health issues including injury, illness, emotional problems, poorer overall health, more symptoms of psychiatric problems, lower quality of life, and an increased use of services related to physical and mental health problems after leaving college (Arria). It is apparent that marijuana is also an addiction that leads to serious health challenges in the long-term and its regular use significantly increases the probability of lower quality of life in the near future.

Even though CLS study focused on long-term consequences, this doesn’t imply that marijuana use doesn’t have short-term effects. Marijuana users usually have difficulty concentrating, have poor judgment capabilities, and poor long-term memory, thus, it is not surprising that students who use marijuana usually score average grades of B or less. Marijuana use also increases the probability of other harmful habits such as drinking and alcohol and almost 90 percent of college-aged individuals who use marijuana also consume alcohol and smoke cigarettes. Like alcohol, marijuana also slows reaction times increases the risk of accident while driving (Ray).

There is a common myth among college students that marijuana is harmless but that could not have been farther from the truth. A study by National Academy of Sciences found that a marijuana cigarette contains almost 50 percent more benzopyrene, a cancer-causing chemical, than a tobacco cigarette. Similarly, a UCLA study found that daily use of 1 to 3 marijuana joints causes the same lung damage and cancer risk as 5 times as many cigarettes (FrontLine). Marijuana use increases heart rate and can also raise or lower blood pressure, increasing the risk for cardiovascular diseases (North Dakota State University). Marijuana use also weakens the immune system (Siewert). The prevalence of this myth calls for an increased focus on educating students about the serious health risks of marijuana that in many cases, mirror those of tobacco smoking.

It is apparent that marijuana use among college students is due to several reasons one of which is the prevalence of myths regarding the safe nature of marijuana as compared to smoking and alcohol use etc. Marijuana use results in both short-term and long-term health issues including lack of focus, lung disease, cardiovascular disease, slow reaction time, weaker long-term memory, and poor judgment. Thus, there is need for greater focus on educational efforts to reduce marijuana usage among college students.

References

Arria, Amelia. Taking a Closer Look at College Marijuana Use. 26 June 2012. 13 March 2013 <http://www.drugfree.org/uncategorized/commentary-taking-a-closer-look-at-college-marijuana-use>.

FrontLine. Memory/Perception/Behavior. 13 March 2013 <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/dope/body/effects.html>.

North Dakota State University. Marijuana: Myths & Facts. 13 March 2013 <http://www.ndsu.edu/alcoholinfo/students/marijuana_myths_facts/>.

Ray, Linda. What are the Effects of Marijuana Use on College Students? 17 May 2011. 13 March 2013 <http://www.livestrong.com/article/24680-effects-marijuana-use-college-students/>.

Siewert, Cody. Perception vs. Reality: Marijuana Usage among College Students. April 2009. 13 March 2013 <http://documents.kenyon.edu/odadas/PerceptionvsRealityMarijuanaUse.pdf>.