Olivia Love
Staff Writer
Regardless of the legality of marijuana, it has a presence almost everywhere – including the campus at ISU.
Debates on the use of marijuana have taken the nation by storm. A few states have allowed for the legal use of marijuana but it still remains an illegal substance in a majority of the United States, Idaho being in that category.
A general assumption about college students is that it is common for them to use substances. However, people may not know just how easy it is to get your hands on an illegal substance like marijuana.
“There’s a huge population of students that do it. The first thing I had in common was the girls next door smoked weed. That’s the first thing we bonded over,” said an ISU student who wished to remain anonymous.
Despite the apparently large number of students who smoke, Captain Vince Likes from Public Safety said that they only respond to cases involving marijuana only a couple times every few weeks.
Most of the time when a suspicious odor is reported to Public Safety, it ends up being some kind of incense or vape, which are still not allowed in the residence halls.
Captain Likes explained the process of handling one of these cases.
“We respond to the area and see if we can determine the aroma. If the officers on the scene do in fact smell marijuana, then we will try to locate where its source is coming from. If we locate the source or people involved in illegal use, then we will notify the city police to respond.”
Although a population of students are a part of the weed culture on campus, the lack of cases that Public Safety responds to is likely because most students choose not to smoke on campus grounds.
“I don’t think it’s as popular on campus as it is, probably, to some of our off campus areas where students reside,” said Captain Likes. “That is, I think, because the aroma goes down the hall or into the vent system. When that happens, we get a call.”
Even though smoking weed is typically associated with parties, there are many other reasons why people choose to use it. However, the activity does have a tendency to develop into a social thing to do with friends.
“I started smoking because I had a lot of dietary issues. I could not eat one or two bites of food without getting stomach pain or nausea. My doctors did not know what it was. I was put on medication but that did not help so I started smoking. Now I smoke if I am in a bad mood and I need to wind down or if I am drinking with my friends. There is a social aspect to it and it puts you in a better mood and is very uplifting,” said the student
Finding other people that smoke or someone to buy marijuana from can prove to be difficult, especially in a state like Idaho. Most people use social media like Yik Yak or word-of -mouth to find and form connections in that community.
Overall, students who smoke marijuana would like others to have a more open mind about the whole thing.
