Peering Through the Smokescreen

Allow me to begin with an apology for my recent hiatus. I have been preoccupied with relocating to a new residence in a different state and all that entails. 

This essay is the first of a two-part consideration of Marijuana on campus. It is intended to present an objective look at marijuana and collegiate life (Part I) and proffer some recommendations...or at least suggestions...regarding what contemporary preventionists might consider as regards addressing marijuana and its use on campus (Part II).

Part I

Students tend to maximize what researchers call “utility” when considering options during their collegiate experience. What this means is that options that register as yielding subjective payoffs like “happiness,” “satisfaction,” and “contentment” tend to receive priority over those that result in “good grades,” “recognized leadership potential,” and “career or professional development.” AOD-related options, especially alcohol and marijuana-related options tend to maximize utility, at least in the short run, for example, an opportunity to party can win out over studying or engaging in other activities that may result in a more lasting and tangible payoff.

Students are essentially two types of people; doers and planners. Each of these personas are in competition with one another and all students tend to possess both, albeit one or the other may tend to be dominant depending on the individual student. The “doer” makes decisions when emotions are hot and “planners” when they are cool. Ask students on Tuesday what they are likely to do on Saturday and their “planner” will provide a reasoned response like, “hangout with some friends and watch a movie” or “go to the ball game.” Ask these same students on Saturday night, in the heat of the moment when passed a pipe with marijuana or standing at the keg at a “buy the cup and drink what you want” party, and the “doer” will respond.

Such dual personality collegians present contemporary preventionists with a rather challenging if not a daunting task; how to prevent high-risk drinking and marijuana use when almost exclusively they are restricted to reaching students when they are in their “planner” mode. Such prevention efforts are often dismissed by students because they believe they do not apply to them because they would never be the type of student that would take the risks that traditional prevention messages address.

Prevention specialists have traditionally used strategies steeped in what are called social-cognitive theory to inform their efforts in AOD prevention. Historically, prevention efforts have essentially focused on alcohol, but with increased concern regarding the risks associated with excessive drinking and the increased attention given to legalized medical if not recreational marijuana use make it incumbent upon preventionists to address marijuana use on campus.

The social-cognitive theory has tended to focus prevention efforts on exploring expectancies related to use and to teach students coping skills related to how to moderate behaviors like drinking. As we begin to focus more specifically on marijuana, we tend to do what we know how to do and therefore look at marijuana as simply a different pew in the same church of prevention. For example, as useful as social norms marketing is when addressing high-risk behavior and as important as it is to champion strengthening intrinsic motivation in order to lessen students taking unnecessary risks with alcohol and marijuana, these remain “thinking-related” strategies best suited for the rational “planner” but are not particularly effective when attempting to influence the emotional “doer.” Add to this that “planners” tend to dismiss social-cognitive related approaches to avoiding risks associated with excessive alcohol or marijuana use because they do not find them personally realistic and the stage is set for prevention to expend maximum effort in order to realize minimum results.

This two-part essay is dedicated to specifically addressing the issues associated with marijuana use on campus. It considers the issues marijuana use pose for contemporary campuses and, more specifically, student affairs administrators and prevention specialists.

Marijuana presents a particularly interesting challenge to those involved in higher education because of the media attention it receives and the way this attention tends to frame the issue. This in no small way affects the public’s understanding of marijuana and its use. 

In Part II of this essay, you will find a list of suggestions and recommendations related to approaching marijuana and its use on college and university campuses. Although none of these can ensure a problem-free campus as regards marijuana and its use, they will likely serve as food for thought and likely generate proactive discussions on this topic. 

What do you think?

Dr. Robert