You should click the link and read the full article from this Ph.D. candidate at a research university. He makes the SAFER choice argument quite eloquently.
Pothead Ph.D. – Chronicle.com
I never would have made it this far in graduate school without the aid of marijuana.Perhaps the title of this column made some people think it would be a cautionary tale. On the contrary, I think my pot smoking has helped smooth out the roughness of a Ph.D. program. And frankly, I think the disturbing issue with a younger generation of graduate students is that they don’t toke up enough. Instead many indulge in things far worse, both for them physically and for the humanities.
On one level, marijuana is simply fun, of course. However, it has other worthwhile properties for the abject doctoral student. To begin with, it’s probably the only drug that rewards you for using it. Sure, if you smoke cheap pesticide-laden stuff, you’ll probably feel crummy the next morning. But if you buy something decent, you’ll probably be good to go after a cup of coffee. I’ve often been at my most productive the day after I’ve indulged.
I’m an insomniac who averages four to five hours of sleep a night. The best way to deal with a sleeping problem is with regular exercise. But it’s nice to have a secret weapon to knock me out on days when I can’t make it to the gym. I’m certainly better off than peers who have flirted with Xanax addictions, or who waste their stipends on genuinely worthless stuff like Ambien or Lunesta.
…remember what Nancy Reagan told you when you were very little? Here’s my version: When someone offers you hard drugs, Just Say No and fire up a bong instead. While you’re at it, join NORML. Together we’ll resist the soulless forces of materialism and corporate conformity.
And maybe someday I’ll be able to write a column like this under my real name.
