Reefer Madness

Facing mounting debt (because neither they nor their parents bothered to save anything for their educations), reduced job opportunities (because their parents and even grandparents didn't bother to save anything for retirement and need to work into their 60's) and the prospect of much lower career earnings (due to a glut of degree holders in what used to be high-wage fields) being a college student sure is stressful.  And now a growing number of them are deciding to smoke away their cares by lighting up a joint.

A new study find marijuana use on college campuses is approaching all-time highs (pun intended).  More than a third of students admit to toking up occasionally.  The number of kids hitting the bong on a daily basis is now up to 6%--one in 17 people on college campuses is getting high every day.  It's a good thing that marijuana isn't addictive like supporters of legalization say it is (and as its users prove by having no problem laying off the Chronic when they know they need to pass a drug test to get or keep their jobs) or else this would be something to really worry about.

As a follower of the Dave Ramsey plan, my first question is "Where are these students getting the money for marijuana?"  We hear endless stories of the kids who can't afford tuition, can't afford room and board, can't afford to eat on campus and can't afford their books and that is why they have to borrow so much in student loans.  Yet, it sounds like the pot dealers around campus aren't having any problem moving their product.  I have to admit that I passed on "doing research" on the cost of a bag of weed here in the Oshkosh area--since undercover police informants likely wouldn't understand.  Maybe it's free like liberals think college itself should be.

And if you needed more good news about what's going on in the dorms, ecstasy, cocaine and heroin use are all up on campuses as well--just not as much marijuana.  Meanwhile, alcohol usage--and binge drinking rates--are on the decline--so I guess those police raids on house parties and bans on all-you-can-drink specials are paying off somewhat.

Those who continue to push for legalization of drug use here in America have to be encouraged by these numbers.  Today's daily pot user is tomorrow's statewide de-criminalization referendum voter.  But those young adults are also the future workers of this county.  They will be the nursing home workers that take care of us when we are old--and do we want them to be having a hit or two during the day while dispensing our medicines?  Do we want our financial planners to be "taking the edge off" before thinking about which mutual funds into which to place our nest egg?  And are you okay with your mechanic "just having a puff" before he works on your brakes?

Maybe we should all just "chill" and join our young people in not worrying about stuff like that--and just "self-medicate".  I mean Bernie Sanders is going to build a government that will just take care of everything for us, man.