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Essay / Marijuana Use Among College Students
Table of ContentsBackground on MarijuanaResearch on Method of UseFindingsLimitations of My ResearchThis study focuses on marijuana use among college students in correlation with the growing trend of marijuana as the substance becomes more widely legal over time. To conduct this study, a 7-question survey was completed by 61 respondents from various universities in North Carolina. Participants were collected using an opportunity sample and were random. Previous research by Bell et al. (1997) suggests that marijuana use has become more popular over the years. My study aims to determine if this growth in popularity is true around me. It was found that in my sample, there were a greater number of participants who had tried marijuana than those who had not tried the drug. Compared to previous research, my results show a higher percentage of marijuana users than is typically shown, this may be due in part to the sample size. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Background on Marijuana Despite legalization in a few states, marijuana remains a “Schedule 1 drug” at the federal level according to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). This means that marijuana is illegal because it has “high abuse potential, no medical use, and serious safety concerns.” Marijuana was classified as a Schedule 1 drug during Richard Nixon's War on Drugs under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970; However, the Schedule 1 classification is probably unjustified and inappropriate for the medicine in question. Marijuana use is much more common than most realize. I remember how many people were using this substance in high school as part of their routine and no one paid any attention to it. But how? How can regular consumption of a “Schedule 1” drug seem so ordinary? And are these people using it recreationally or medically? Or both? In the United States, more than 94 million people have admitted to trying the drug, although that number is surely much higher today. Marijuana has been shown to not be physically addictive to the body and is relatively harmless compared to cigarettes, for example. According to research, the active chemical in marijuana is harmless to the body. Most of the negative effects of marijuana come from smoking it, but smoking anything is unhealthy for your body. But what are the benefits of using marijuana medically? The use of marijuana for medical purposes has long been the center of much controversy. Some studies have shown that the medical benefits of using this substance far outweigh the harms of consuming it. Other studies have shown/claimed that marijuana should be an accepted treatment method for certain patients suffering from illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, AIDS, and eating disorders. Many patients report using medical marijuana to their doctors while obtaining the drug illegally. Studies have proven it helps relieve all types of pain, as well as helping people who have difficulty sleeping, eating or suffering from anxiety. The idea of using marijuana as a remedy became popular around the world, and by the 1900s it was being usedin different parts of the world to address similar problems; However, everything changed when he was criminalized. Many patients have found it very effective, even more so than regular medications, whether prescription or over-the-counter. Most doctors would say that marijuana is not harmful as long as it is used in moderation. It is only when people abuse this drug that problems arise. The original reasons marijuana was illegal came from the threat it posed to the paper industry, as organic hemp was a good material and its use would compete with paper and other materials, as hemp is known to be one of the most durable materials. soft fibers on the planet, so of course, which would compete with the paper industry, was that a reason to make it illegal? No definition.Usage ResearchIn a previous survey: Bell, Wechsler, and Johnston (1997), 17,592 students were surveyed at 140 different American universities. The study focuses on learning about student backgrounds and academic characteristics associated with marijuana use. It was found that 40% of those surveyed said they had ever used marijuana, while 60% said they had never used the drug. I suspect that there will be on average a higher percentage of people who have tried marijuana in my sample than in the Bell et al study. (1997) due to the increasing popularity of cannabis in recent years. Due to the length of time between studies, there will likely be a notable change in findings regarding cannabis use among students then compared to today due to the drug's increasing popularity following its legalization in a small number of states. Its growing popularity is what brought the subject to my attention in the first place. Method I collected the survey data using Google Forms. The Google Forms survey (see appendix) includes seven questions related to marijuana use. My investigation was not as detailed as that used in Bell et al. (1997), which was due to my limited sample size. While they interviewed students from over 140 different universities, I was unfortunately limited to 6; Therefore, a simple survey would be more effective for a smaller sample because there is less room for variation. An opportunity sample was used to collect data for this study. The sample consists of 61 different students, all freshmen (unintentionally). An opportunity sample was chosen because it was the most readily available method of finding a sample for my investigation. The students who make up the sample come from several universities, including: UNC Wilmington, Chapel Hill, Duke, Appalachian, NC State, and UNC Charlotte. Once the surveys were completed, I placed the results in a table and then analyzed the raw data for significant correlations and trends. ResultsMy sample is made up of 61 participants, 36 men and 25 women. After responding, 59% of participants said they had tried marijuana at least once in their life while 41% had never tried marijuana. Among participants who tried marijuana, 44% reported using it daily, 14% of participants reported using it at least once a week, and 36% reported using it monthly. Of the 36 participants who tried marijuana, 2 reported trying the substance only once. 45 (74%) of participants reported consuming alcohol while 16 (26%) did not...