Marijuana is, hands down, the most used illicit drug on the planet. Despite being illegally classified as a schedule-1 substance, more than 1 in 8 American adults report using marijuana an average of over 16 days a year, as of August, 2016. As legalization becomes a more widely discussed topic, and more and more states enact their own laws for both legalized recreational and medical marijuana usage, it is important for us to examine the real effects that it has on society. In the past, there have been greatly exaggerated claims from both sides about how dangerous marijuana is or how safe (or even beneficial) marijuana is.
The truth, though, is more complicated, and deserves to be examined in greater detail. Here is a little bit of information about how schools might be impacted by marijuana legislation…
University of Maryland study
In 2013, the University of Maryland School of Public Health published a study that showed that there is a connection between marijuana abuse and lower academic performance. In the study, over 1,200 college students were followed, and it was found that increased marijuana use led to students skipping out of more classes and getting lower grades. Indeed, students who used marijuana had a lower retention rate, overall, and experienced unemployment after college at a higher rate. Marijuana users were almost two-thirds more likely to be discontinuously enrolled than students who were not.
Bleeds into other endeavors in life
Marijuana usage not only contributed to issues for students when they were in school, but bled into later problems in their lives. Because marijuana users were more likely to dropout of school, these issues would compound and make it more difficult to find a job, and to continue their career.
Complications with measurement
There is one major complication that is conceded by this University of Maryland study, and others like it. All of these results have to take into account the fact that the penalties for marijuana use also play a role in how students are affected by marijuana. For example, around 200,000 college students are denied financial aid for schooling because of minor drug offenses.