College Student and Weed, Dealing With Stress
How College Students Can (Safely) Deal With Stress Through Cannabis. College Students and Weed
College Students and Weed- It is not a normal time to be in college. Most years around this time, many young adults are packing up their possessions and moving onto their college campuses, ready and eager for another year gaining valuable career skills and building relationships to last their lifetime. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has kept most universities closed, forcing college students to attend classes online — if at all.
The current political and social environment isn’t exactly conducive to learning, and many more college students than normal are likely to experience extreme amounts of stress over the coming months. Many will turn to marijuana to ease their anxiety. Though some studies do indicate that marijuana can have a positive effect on those experiencing stress, other studies show that using weed the wrong way can actually exacerbate anxiety. Thus, it is important that students understand the right and wrong ways to use marijuana to stay calm, collected and in college all semester.
The Wrong Way: Over-indulging
One of the most pervasive misconceptions about marijuana within the cannabis community is that it is impossible to overdose on weed. On one hand, THC overdoses don’t look like overdoses on alcohol, medication or other illicit substances like heroin or meth — that is, too much weed almost certainly won’t kill someone. However, marijuana overdoses are possible; they merely manifest as a severe high that jeopardizes a user’s mental health and physical well-being.
Studies on marijuana use and anxiety have found that some cannabinoids do have a positive effect on the experience of stress. However, overdoses exacerbate feelings of stress, often causing them to grow into full-fledged paranoia and panic. Worse, relying too consistently on marijuana to control anxiety is more likely to lead to cannabis use disorder.
The Right Way: Micro-dosing
Micro-dosing is using extremely small amounts of a substance with the intent of gaining benefits without suffering consequences. With weed, college students can take less than 10 milligrams of THC and notice their stress and anxiety melt away without feeling the undue weight of a marijuana high or risking other negative side effects or overdose.
The Wrong Way: High THC
If micro-dosing doesn’t sound fun, college students should at least be a bit more conscious of the cannabinoid content of their cannabis products. As mentioned above, THC is a bit more volatile than other compounds within weed; it is responsible for the famous marijuana high, which can impair focus and critical thinking, making studying all but impossible.
The Right Way: High CBD
THC is fun, but CBD is what mitigates stress and anxiety. College students should prioritize purchasing pot products that have a relatively higher CBD content, perhaps even picking products that have little or no THC content whatsoever. In states with legal weed, like Oregon, college students might want to talk to budtenders at a Salem pot shop or apply for medical marijuana cards, which grant access to high-CBD strains. Though CBD doesn’t offer such an obvious change in perspective or experience, it is more likely to contribute beneficially to college studies.
The Wrong Way: Smoking
For many, smoking weed is the only way to enjoy the true marijuana experience. Lighting a blunt, bowl or bong is the beginning of so many stoner scenes in movies and TV that it is almost impossible to separate stoner culture from the act of inhaling. Plus, flower tends to be on the lower end of the price spectrum, which means college students on a budget can get more bud for their buck.
Yet, there are some significant downsides to smoking. For one, COVID-19 is so dangerous because it attacks the respiratory system, so everyone should be striving to keep their lungs as healthy and clear as possible. More importantly to students, however, is that marijuana smoke is incredibly easy to detect. Students living at home with their parents or on school property will quickly have their habit discovered, leading to various levels of punishment even in states where recreational weed is legal.
The Right Way: More Discretion
Because marijuana is illegal for anyone under 21, and because most universities ban marijuana use on their premises, students need to be extra careful how they consume. Vaporizers are some of the best options as they tend to emit low- or no-odor vapor and do not compromise lung health while providing the fast action of inhalation. However, students might also try various concentrates and even edibles if they have sufficient experience with weed and knowledge of their tolerance and effects.
Times are strange for everyone, but they are particularly strange for college students, many of whom have yet to experience such a shake-up in their year-to-year life experience. Marijuana can help — but only if students use responsibly.
Natures Gift Unlocked-How College Students Can (Safely) Deal With Stress Through Cannabis