Reality is harsh and often cold. We examine its rough texture a little closer in college, peering into the empty hallways. And sometimes it’s arduous and pulls at your mind with tiny claws. You begin to understand how a fish feels out of water, with its head chopped off. Vulnerable and entrapped, the psyche is calling from within, saying, “Let me escape.” But how can we? How can we escape? Is there really a way to forget about life’s endless problems?
Some people may tell you that they’ve found the way. They have found what finally makes them feel good. Unfortunately, what many turn to is drugs, and if you’re in Eugene, it’s probably marijuana. I’m sure you’ve smelled sweet “Mary Jane” or seen “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” at some point in time, and if not, it’s likely that you will.
Some day in the future someone may invite you to inhale that famous green weed. They’ll say something like, “Hey, it’s only a plant man. You know, Indians smoked this stuff in peace circles. Just relax.” Yes, I’ve heard everything in the book, from the idea of becoming more spiritual to the enhancement of the senses. And admittedly, it does sound appealing.
It’s quite a temptation — finally you can block out everything that is crowding your mind and be, in Pink Floyd’s words, “Comfortably Numb.” But if the experience turns out to be good, then you’ll probably want to feel that way again, and then what is to prevent you from doing it again?
And if you’re always high, where are you really? Who are you? When there’s so little you can control in life, at least you can usually control yourself. Nobody wants to be told what to do, but when you’re on drugs, the drugs are telling your brain what to do or what not to do. The drugs are telling you how you feel, making you laugh, making you see things. It’s not yourself. It’s not real. If it was real, you wouldn’t need a substance to get the feelings again.
My personal experience with people who use marijuana heavily has been this: They seem to have little motivation or desire to do much of anything. The drug is everything. As a result, their education begins to suffer, and they’re usually out of shape. It also gives people the “munchies,” which I’ve been told makes you usually crave unhealthy or greasy food. So, it’s quite likely you’ll gain weight. Also, I’ve heard the drug hinders short term memory and makes coordination difficult, increasing car accidents. The National Institute on Drug Abuse says, “Someone who smokes five joints per week may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day.”
With the recent terrorist attacks on our country, this should be a time of support and patriotism. Marijuana and drug trafficking are tied to organizations such as the Taliban, so drug-users are indirectly supporting these organizations. Besides all this — as if it weren’t enough — we’re poor college students, and drugs are expensive! Instead of spending 50 bucks to get high and just sit around and stare at things, go to a concert or on a road trip. Try something new.
There’s so much more to experience in the world that doesn’t involve the risks you will encounter when you take marijuana or any other kind of drug. Personally, I’ve got better things to do than “Puff the Magic Dragon.”
Tara Debenham is a columnist for the Oregon Daily Emerald. Her opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Emerald. She can be reached at [email protected].