Good Times, High Times

For my second feature story, I talked to a current Penn State student about his experience with marijuana. Enjoy.

Tyler is smiling.

Earlier in the day he found out that he only needed one class to declare a minor.

“And now I’m minoring in environmental engineering,” he says, still smiling. “I was like [expletive] it, why not?”

But that’s not the only reason Tyler’s happy right now. Despite his dealer being unable to provide him with his weekly marijuana fix, Tyler was able to smoke some free of charge.

Yes, Tyler is high. And even though he decides not to share his last name, he isn’t quite as shy when discussing marijuana.

The senior majoring in civil engineering says he likes to play video games and watch visually stimulating movies like "Transformers " when he’s high.

But he doesn’t just melt into the sofa after he smokes. He likes to ride through the streets on his longboard and he says that his coordination isn’t affected much. Tyler’s more energetic after he smokes and likes to move around. 

Just the mention of his first experience with marijuana makes Tyler chuckle.

When he was 16, Tyler traveled to Vermont with his cousin to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

“It was awesome because it was the first party that I went to,” he says as he props his navy and neon green sneakers on a coffee table . “We were all chilling, and I just happened to find myself sitting in the circle and all of the sudden this kid takes out a cigar and starts emptying it.”

Tyler says he was confused at that moment. He had never seen marijuana before, let alone the process of rolling a blunt, which is when users remove the tobacco from a cigar and replace it with marijuana.

The blunt then made its way around the circle, eventually landing in Tyler’s hand.

“I didn’t even inhale it right,” he says. “I just got some smoke in my mouth and blew it out.”

Tyler didn’t get high that night. He says he only smoked a few more times before college, but once he arrived at Penn State, his usage increased.

“I made friends with people who had a ‘guy’ so then I had a connection too,” he says. “It was easier to get than alcohol because the dealer doesn’t care what age you are. You could be six years old, and they would sell it to you.”

Tyler remains animated as he talks, motioning with his hands like an orchestra conductor. Even with his glassy eyes and occasional hesitation, Tyler is an engaging conversationalist who admits he is just as honest when he’s sober.

He usually buys an eighth of an ounce of marijuana a week. Before he skates to class on his longboard, Tyler smokes from a homemade bong. Once he gets home, Tyler says he smokes from his pipe, also known as a bowl, a few times while completing schoolwork and relaxing.

Spending upwards of $60 a week on marijuana puts a strain on his budget, but Tyler says he only buys it if he can afford it.

“I told myself early on that I will never owe anybody money,” he says. “I don’t put myself in debt.” 

Money is just one of the factors that cause some students like Tyler to rethink their marijuana usage, says Suzanne Zeman, a registered nurse.

Zeman, the coordinator of educational services for the Health Promotion and Wellness office at Penn State, says most students enrolled in the Marijuana Intervention Program at the university are mandated to be there. A smaller percentage decide to join on their own.

It’s nice to get self-referrals in the program, because it usually means that either the student, a family member or a friend have already expressed some concern, she says.

“Just because they’re here, doesn’t mean they want to do anything different,” she says. “It just depends on the person and where they’re at, and we try to meet them where they’re at.”

Students in the program meet with a masters-level health educator to discuss their marijuana usage and the factors that may contribute to them changing their habits.

Through a method called “harm reduction,” Zeman, who has been overseeing the program for two years, says health educators try to find small, manageable changes students can make to their usage habits that may or may not translate into larger changes.  

The sessions are meant to be a conversational because when students start talking, they realize some negative effects they didn’t notice before, Zeman says.

“It has to be individualized because everyone has a different background, set of experiences and even family dynamic that all play into their drug use,” she says.

Zeman says some students in the program smoke before they go to bed because it helps them sleep. Others have dealt the drug. Some were even robbed trying to buy it. 

There is a common “risk-free” mindset among students who use marijuana because more research and advertising is going toward alcohol education, she says.

“I think there is this cultural perception that marijuana is safe because of the medical marijuana issue,” she says.

Marijuana is legalized for medical use in 18 states and the District of Columbia. While the drug does offer some medical benefits, scientists continue to research ways to make the use of the drug safer.

“We don’t get into a fact war with people,” Zeman says. “They can choose to believe whatever they want to believe, but if they share something with us that’s inaccurate, at least we can make sure they have correct information.”

And then there’s the issue of addiction.

According to the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, marijuana accounted for 4.5 million of the estimated 7.1 million Americans dependent on or abusing illicit drugs.

“Marijuana can be addictive just like other drugs can be addictive,” Zeman says. “Not that it’s the most harmful thing in the world, but it’s more about getting past this mentality that it’s safe.”

As a frequent user who has seen the drug affect friends in different ways, Tyler understands the debate over whether or not marijuana is addicting.

“Yes, I have seen people get too dependent on it, but kids like me just think that things are more fun when we’re high,” he says as a smile reappears on his face. “I’ve seen both sides so I can’t say that one side doesn’t exist.”

“It’s helped me notice the little things in life and actually figure out other things,” he adds.

Tyler considers himself part of the stoner culture. He gets the munchies and likes to make “ridiculous concoctions” - his most recent being a bowl of peanut butter with granola cereal and honey on top.

He also says he’s done research and even given a speech about marijuana for a class. And some things he’s read make him very upset that marijuana isn’t legalized everywhere. 

“I almost just smoke weed to go against the government,” he laughs. “I have that hippie sense about me.”