See? She smokes pot and she turned out OK! Oh wait....

According to the LA times, 1 in 3 high school seniors smoke pot. This news is not that shocking to most of us, but apparently surprising enough that Obama’s “Drug Czar” and the rest of the old people in this country are up in arms (and probably somehow blaming Miley). Look, I get it. Despite the recent research proving the many benefits of tokin’ a little green now and then, many people still only see the negative side of things.

Studies centered on long time marijuana use have shown impaired coordination, difficulty with thinking/problem solving, problems with memory and learning. Chronic users may even have learning and memory loss that can last for days or weeks. Even scarier, “Estimates from research suggest that about 9 percent of users become addicted to marijuana; this number increases among those who start young (to about 17 percent) and among daily users (25-50 percent)” (Drugabuse.gov).

Yes, those are some scary facts and most definitely should concern us all. But one thing many people (namely those people who are freaking out about the recent rise in marijuana use) don’t realize is that those results are based on participants who are long time and chronic pot smokers, not to mention people who might dabble in some other recreational drugs.

So instead of focusing on the negative, let’s find the silver lining, shall we? Read More »

Tomorrow is 4/20, also known as “Let’s Get Stoned Day.” Or, for me (and Michael Phelps), just another Tuesday.

While most people will celebrate this national holiday behind a hanging tapestry in the privacy of their dorm room with 12 bags of chips and a tub of frosting, there are some schools that turn it into a campus affair.

Cue my regret for choosing the wrong school.
And pass the Cheetos.

UC Berkeley – People’s Park Celebration
Last year, more than 1,000 people joined this pot-extravaganza to celebrate with (slow) dancing, (lots of) eating, and (passionate) speeches. I can just see it: people cooking rice and beans under the shade of a willow tree, with and endless supply of Cliff Bars and positive feelings. Utopia.

University of California, Santa Cruz – Celebration at Porter Meadow
Not even a lack of shuttle services or parking stops UCSC students from hiking up Empire Grand for a glassy eyed, sunny day in Porter Meadow come 4/20. “National Pot Smoking Day” has turned Parker Meadow into a ‘baked circus’ every year at the University. Vendors set up in the field to feed the munchies of nearly 5,000 people while bands perform, ‘Santa Cruz 420′ t-shirts are handed out, and a soft haze sits over the meadow. Sounds like a party. Read More »

I can say with 100% certainty that the people behind KFC’s new Double Down – bacon and cheese smashed between two pieces of fried chicken – smoke a lot of pot. And I can say with 1,000% certainty the the people who will order this do the same.

Those after-school specials were right: weed is dangerous.

"Dude, I have a 4.0 at Cannabis College"

If you’re like me, chances are you glanced at your calendar today and then did a double take, thinking, “It’s been December for a whole week? How the hell did that happen?” For every student, the pressure is on: finals are fast approaching, and we’ve all got about a million pages to read and two million more to write before we can reach the holy grail of winter break.

All that stress is enough to make a girl want to scream. But if you went to Med Grow Cannabis College, chances are that right about now, you’d be feeling a lot more mellow.

Yes, that’s right: Med Grow Cannabis College. As this article helpfully explains, at MGCC, “marijuana is the curriculum: the history, the horticulture and the legal how-to’s of Michigan’s new medical marijuana program.”

See, the Wolverines’ home state recently legalized medicinal pot, and now 24-year-old Nick Tennant has started a thriving business that teaches wannabe Nancy Botwins how to plant and nurture their very own strain of Mary Jane. Class time can also include a crash course in baking with weed (recipes include “crockpot cannabutter, chocolate canna-ganache and greenies (the cannabis alternative to brownies)”).

Okay, so MGCC isn’t really a school—it’s a six-week program that costs $485 to complete rather than a two- or four-year-long process that ends in a BA. But can you imagine what it would be like if Cannabis College was an actual institute of—if you’ll pardon the pun—higher learning?

Read More »

Happy fall, everybody!

After months of sun and sweat, it’s finally time to enjoy good TV and cozy autumnal fashion—or not. The weather is perfect: it’s warm enough to work out outdoors, if you’re into that kind of thing, but cool enough to make getting close to a special someone—meaning someone who can take direction—even more appealing… especially if you’ve already had a few.

Fall also carries a few dangers with it. We’re going to have to start resisting the temptation to take any shortcuts with our schoolwork, being vigilant about that porky flu, and keeping track of how many baked goods we eat (especially if we choose to pull a Michael Phelps. Munchies can be murder). But as long as we still get to party—responsively, of course!—it’s all good.

Also, this happened this week. It doesn’t really have anything to do with anything; we just like linking to a picture of a giant baby every now and then.

Before anyone calls the police and I wind up on the next episode of Cops, let me clarify. When I say “drugs” I mean marijuana/weed/pot/green/reefer/hemp/buddha/herbage, or whatever else you want to call it. Lots of my friends, especially guys, have touted the effects of weed, and some even smoke it every day as a way to relax from a hard day of boring classes and crazy professors. I’ve never tried it, but lately I’ve wondered why not.

No, I’m not being peer pressured (my guy friends aren’t begging to give me their weed for free…they want it for themselves!); I’m just curious and I sorta want to see what all the fuss is about.

And, yes, I know it’s technically illegal, but we’ll just skip that part and look at it realistically, shall we? Since we’re normally all law-abiding, good college students who would never do anything wrong or illegal, obvi. (Like those 2.5 years in college where we were under 21….)

Love it
Or rather, my friends love it. They always tell me about how good they feel afterward, like “a balloon that has just been released to go float among the clouds.” (Yeah, he was already high. I didn’t really get it, either.) Some claim it even helps them work better, especially for creative writing papers and art class. It relieves stress, helps you sleep better, gives you confidence (for my shy guy friends to ask out girls), and just makes you happier in general. Read More »