With the school year back in full swing there are those are worried about those students who have left high school and are off to their first semester of university or college. One of the main concerns is the party lifestyle that many young university students adopt. Some begin partying the moment they arrive and frequently experiment with alcohol and substances. The substance that is at the forefront of many minds such as parents and school staff is Marijuana. Pot is the most commonly used drug in Canada among youth aged 15-24 according to Canadian substance abuse experts, and this statistic has health officials as well as those operating the universities worried, to say the least. One of the main concerns surrounding the use of pot on campus and during recreational time is that some brain experts believe that the young mind is still developing and that pot can have serious effects on a young brain. Even to the point of impeding proper brain growth and maturity. Experts also believe that those students who smoke frequently are bound to end up in serious academic trouble and waste away the opportunity to get good education and move along in life.
Some university and college students have their own opinion on the issue. According to some students they smoke pot both for fun and to relax them during the semester and before examinations. It makes sense that they would be stressed because attending a higher education facility like university can lead to some seriously stressful and emotionally trying times. Many students move away from home to live in dorm rooms, and are on their own for the first time in their lives, which means accepting a new found responsibility they previously weren’t exposed to. While those circumstances may apply to some students, experts believe that there are other ways to cope with the stress and demanding scenario that is university. They suggest therapy and prescription medications to assist students who are struggling, many of whom may be developing mental health and emotional issues. Experts also want it known that because of the memory related problems that smoking Marijuana comes with are a sure fire way to damage a student’s grades, which could have serious ramifications like failing a course or being kicked out of school all together.
Psychiatrists and on-campus health officials firmly believe that pot is not the answer to the students’ problems. They believe in tried, tested therapies and drugs that have been scientifically proven to be effective at treating a wide variety of mental health and emotional problems that may arise amongst the student body.
“We feel there are better treatments for anxiety, real treatments that are tested in double-blind trials, using medication and therapy,” she said. “We won’t deny that some people can feel relief from marijuana … but people’s moods will get worse.”
We know that youth who are going through the maturing process at university or college will experiment with alcohol and drugs, but for those students who are using Marijuana as a medicinal treatment for their stress concerns, anxiety or depressed moods should note that there are other options and nearly every university has someone you can talk to and deal with the issues directly. Drugs simply aren’t the answer to the problems students go through.
