Page 6
Penn State Beaver Roar
February 2013
Viewpoint
Legalizing pot a bad idea
Managing Editor Dan Trzcianka
dvt5050@psu.edu
Editor emeritus Brandon Perino bjp5053@psu.edu
Copy Editors Caitlin Vodenichar cav5119@psu.edu
Amanda Polombo amp5831@psu.edu
Photo editor Corey Wright
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Business Manager Steven Dusicsko sjd5181@psu.edu
EDITORIAL Editor Nancy Paoletti
State Senator Daylin Leach, a Democrat from the suburbs of Philadelphia, recently proposed legislation to legalize marijuana for recreational use. The idea is to sell and tax pot the same way Pennsylvania sells and taxes alcohol. As a result, college students across the commonwealth are likely making a collective jump for joy, hoping that by some stretch of the imagination the politicians, who must approve such a radical move, might have a moment of weakness and agree with Leach. During the last election, the voters of Colorado and Washington State decided to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Now they have to figure out a way to regulate how to grow it, what can go into it and how to sell it without breaking any federal laws. Representatives of the federal agencies that regulate food and drugs including cigarettes and alcohol say they are staying out of these decisions because marijuana use is still illegal on a federal level. So, what’s the big deal and why is the government having such a problem with legalizing it? And, should Pennsylvania legalize marijuana? You just might not like the answer to these questions. According to LiveScience.com, marijuana can impair a person’s thinking, memory and learning for weeks after use. In addition, while marijuana can give a person a feeling of well-being, it can also cause a person to have a break with reality.
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Page Designers Jennifer Durbin jad500@psu.edu
Dante Massey
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Paul Toma
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senior staff writers Ben Keeler
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Monica Pitcher
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Advisers Terrie Baumgardner tbm2@psu.edu
Cathy Benscoter cub15@psu.edu
Daniel Pinchot djp114@psu.edu
LiveScience.com also reports that smoking pot can increase the heart rate within minutes, sometimes to even double, which is a risk for people with certain heart conditions. Others may develop anxieties and paranoia. Legalizing pot would reduce prices so people could smoke it more. If that sounds like it would be good for the state in tax revenues, consider that Buinessweek.com reported that the U.S. collects around $8 billion in taxes from alcohol. However, 2008 saw an estimated $185 billion in alcoholrelated costs to health care, to criminal justice and in workplace productivity. The government picked up the tab for 38 percent to the tune of roughly $72 billion. Another argument is that legalizing marijuana would ease some of the burden on the criminal justices system. But in actuality, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, if marijuana were legal and people used more of it, there would be just as many if not more arrests for crimes that resulted from people getting high. The ONDCP reports that alcohol is legal, yet public intoxication, drunk driving, and other alcohol-related crimes amounted to nearly 2.7 million arrests in 2008. But there were only 750,000 arrests for possession of marijuana in that same year. So ask yourself, does the state of Pennsylvania really need these headaches?
Don’t treat college like it’s high school
Most freshmen start college fresh after high school with little or no experience in the realities of what college life can bring. In high school, students go to classes every day for a good portion of each day, then go home and do an hour or so of homework. Done. Parents are around to help with problems and can help with keeping the distractions down. So, even if high school students hold part-time jobs or are involved in sports, many will manage to get through high school unscathed. College is different. Many students realize in the first week or two of classes that college is nothing like high school. They realize there will be more work involved. Some students, however, don’t grasp this difference until the end of their first semester. Juggling sports, jobs, clubs and other outside activities, along with too many credit hours, can cause more than just a
few headaches for new students. Trying to balance these activities with school and homework has led some students to the brink of failure and others to fail their first semester in college. If this describes you, the first thing to remember is that you aren’t alone. The second thing to remember is this: don’t quit or give up. College is an important first step in many career paths. College graduates earn more than $1 million more over their lifetimes than do high school graduates. College graduates are also less likely to be unemployed or affected by economic issues. While it’s no guarantee of success, a college diploma makes it much more likely that the person who earned it will succeed. So if you’ve bombed, use that first disastrous semester as a learning experience. See it through. Work harder for better grades. Earn that degree, even if
it takes a little longer. Freshman should seek out good advice before dropping a class. Talk to your academic advisor; then talk to a financial aid counselor to learn if dropping that course might affect your current or future financial aid. Pace yourself. Take only as many credit hours as you can reasonably handle, especially if you’re facing an especially rigorous semester or you need that part-time job to pay your way through college. Remember, college is a journey, not a race. You don’t get bonus points for being the first one done. It’s the quality of what you learn that matters. Cut back on sports and club activities if they are getting in the way of homework and good grades. Learn better study habits by setting specific times and ways to study. Don’t miss or be late for classes, and be sure to turn assignments in on time. Finally, ask for help if you need it. Someone will always be able to help.
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