College Students Attitude Toward Marijuana Use on Campus

Chapter One

Introduction

Illicit drug use continues past adolescence is reflected in rising drug use rates among young adults 18вЂ"24 years old (Addiction, 2000). Since 1960 drug use among college students have increased. For example, in spite of various programs to reduce drug use among college students, especially the use of marijuana has increased since the past 10 years (Addiction, 1997).

The college experience is a particularly challenging phase in an individual’s development. It provides many students with their first opportunity to be a part of a large group of their peers without parental or other supervision, and also the last time during which they will be able to have this type of experience before taking on the responsibilities of adulthood. This makes students more vulnerable to trying new, previously prohibited, sometimes illicit, drugs and engages in extreme behaviors either to become a pace-setter or follow others among their peers (Walsh, 1992; Leibsohn, 1994).

This research intends to look at the surrounding factors and characteristic in the prevalence of marijuana use on college campuses focusing on three major variables. The demographic

characteristics, peer influences, and previous experiences of alcohol and tobacco use, as they influence the use of illicit drugs.

Research Problem

In recent years there has been a rise in marijuana use among college students on college campuses. There have been studies done on the factors that contribute to the use of illicit drugs like marijuana by college students. However, no studies have been done about the students’ attitude toward the use of marijuana on campus.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the existing literature with reference to drug use among college students.

Study Objective

The main objectives of this study include the following:

1. To identify some common perceptions of the uses of marijuana on college campuses and to identify behavior patterns of the students that smoke marijuana.

2. To learn if demographic

factors contribute to the use of marijuana by college students and to contribute to the existing body of information on marijuana uses on college campuses.

Significance of the Study

A review of previous research indicates a lack of empirical studies that explain the health related factors associated with the use of marijuana. This research paper intends to enlighten and broaden the realistic views of the long-term/ short term affects of marijuana on the brain and the body.

Organization of the Study

The remainder of this research paper is organized as follows: chapter two presents a review of past literature on the views of marijuana usage on college campuses, including the factors that surround the illicit use of marijuana. Chapter three presents research methodology and source of data in addition to a sample survey used in the procedure. Chapter four focuses on the presentation, analysis and the discussion of the research results. Finally, the conclusions and research recommendations designed to enhance future exploration on alternative uses of marijuana use as a spiritual guide on college campuses are presented in chapter five.

Chapter Two

This literature review begins with a brief discussion on what marijuana is and the characteristics such as peer influence, demographic

background and previous experiences of alcohol and tobacco use that may be directly related with the use of marijuana on college campuses.

Throughout the the twentieth century there has been a massive upswing in the use of cannabis as a psychoactive substance, mostly for recreational purposes but to some extent for religious purposes. Due to negative media attention regarding its psychoactive effects, as well as heavy lobbying from pharmaceutical companies, the possession, use, or sale of psychoactive cannabis products has become illegal. Those that are unfamiliar with it, marijuana is a green or brown mixture of dried, shredded flowers and leaves of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa), which can be placed in a cigar that is cut down the middle and the tobacco contents are emptied and filled with marijuana and rolled into what is called a “blunt”. It can also be smoked in a cigarette (joint, nail), or in a pipe (bong) and it can even be used for therapeutic tea.

The profile smoker today differs from that of smokers a generation ago. In the 1960\'s, the typical smoker would be a long haired unconventionally dressed young person that hugged tree’s and wore peace signs around their necks. Generally labeled as a hippie, these peace loving 18 to 27 yr olds were members of their own counterculture. They were advocates of nonviolence and of marijuana. Today the \"typical\" marijuana user may range in age from 13 to 55, and is often no more rebellious than his or her peers.

The focus of this study is to look at college age students of the 21st Century and determine the reasons they smoke marijuana and if they are aware of any health risk that may be associated with smoking marijuana. I have focused on three key factors that are prevalent to the contribution of marijuana use among college students, Peer Influences, the effect ones peers on another are estimated in a variety of ways.

Among students whose binge drinking, marijuana use, or sexual behavior had begun during their high school years, we estimate whether their reports of these behaviors in their second through fourth college years is greater if they were assigned first-year roommates who had engaged in these problem behaviors in high school. And for students who had not engaged in drug use or sex prior to college entry, we estimate whether such students might be drawn into future problem behavior if assigned roommates with a high school history of problem behavior, (Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 2005).

There are many theories as to why some students engage in these risky behaviors while others do not. Some researchers concentrate on personality difficulties