Blazing Broncos

Santa Clara students speak on their (over)indulgence in marijuana 

Weed, pot, hash, bud or my personal favorite, reefer: whatever your preference, it’s undeniable that marijuana is prevalent in many Santa Clara students' lives. 

Some wake-n-bake, starting the morning with a bowl, bong rip, or dab. Students light up throughout the day, smoking with intention before pursuing active outdoor hobbies, or without, looking to  feel relief from the persistent class-to-class-to-class rat race.

“Usually, before I go to my classes, I smoke,” said junior Alessandra. “I come back, smoke. I'll go do work. Come back, smoke. Make food. Go out. Come back, smoke.” 

Alessandra, who deems weed “a gift from God,” shared that she often uses it as a crutch for symptoms of anxiety and depression. While her consumption can, at times, get to a point where it does more harm than good–inciting a depressing day of laying in bed and guilt-ridden unproductivity–Alessandra thinks she might not have survived COVID’s isolation era without it. 

But smoking pot, for many, isn’t just an extracurricular activity. 

Bluntly, sophomore Arjun Koaefy explained,

“Class is boring and smoking weed is not boring.”

Alessandra and sophomore Jackson Giraudi shared that they only attend “fun” classes–usually unrelated to their majors–while high, like art, history, film or religion. 

But many of those who use it as a source of comfort–in or out of class–grapple with knowing how much is too much. Many consider weed inarguably a good thing, until they hit the tipping point where that positive aspect of their lives becomes debilitating. 

“When you start using it so much, you even get bored while you’re doing it, and you just keep doing it,” admitted sophomore Elliot. “Then at some point it just becomes a habit; it becomes a part of your life.”

“I started off thinking it was fun, and it still is fun, but it's turned into a habit over time,” echoed Koaefy. “It's a habit that I'm willing to keep up with. It's not something too debilitating to my life; I'm still able to function normally. But it's a habit that's built up.”

While most find the habit manageable, they forgo some other aspect of their life–cash, time or a bit of their brain function–to keep up with it. 

“Partying, mental health and completing work are like the chicken and the egg,” shared Barbara Kelley, senior lecturer in the department of communication and Santa Clara alum. “I don't know which comes first. I do know that partying affects grades, it affects class participation and it affects the quality of the work.”

In addition to falling behind in school, marijuana-induced anxiety crops up for many when weed is consumed in or before a social situation.

“I feel so alienated,’’ admitted Giarudi. “Both from others and from myself.”

"Especially when I’m at a social event, I just feel like I’m an outsider looking in and I just feel so disconnected.”

Still, many find positives in the toned-down and often leisurely stoner lifestyle. Elliot shares that he can more creatively write music while high, as it alleviates his anxiety. Koaefy enjoys skating. Allesandra finds that she is plagued by anxiety-ridden ruminations if she doesn’t smoke before bed. Giraudi loves to surf while high, as he feels more attuned to the waves. 

“I feel like smoking makes it really easy to feel a deeper connection with nature,” said Giraudi. “It helps you feel like you're a part of something that's bigger than you, that you're a member of the ecosystem and not detached from it.”

But it’s not uncommon to feel internalized pressure to over-indulge before participating in these fulfilling hobbies, passions and experiences. 

“Before certain activities I think: I have to smoke before this,” admits Giraudi. “It's gonna be more fun than if I'm sober. I just don't think that's good for you.”

The tightrope walk between enjoyment and abuse is a common theme in students’ thoughts about weed. And while they enjoy benefits, like peace of mind and forging new friendships, most admit to having addictive personalities or feeling that their use is becoming out-of-control.

Yet there is an undeniable camaraderie between weed smokers–as long as you avoid the outright substance abusers and the weirdos. 

“A lot of my friends from back home, and some friends in college, I've met through smoking weed,” Koaefy shared. “That's a relating factor, but the friendship doesn't just revolve around weed–I recognize that that would be a negative relationship.” 

I asked students: why does weed make your life better? 

“It's an altered headspace,” Arjun elaborates. “It doesn’t make you think in a way that you don't normally think; your perception is just different. It's an altered state of consciousness. Sometimes you just want a break from what's going on. So you smoke weed, leave those stressors behind for a moment before coming back.”

If you or a friend are concerned about marijuana usage, help is available and encouraged. On-campus resources such as CAPS are available, and you may consider the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration national hotline. If you aren’t ready, start small by reaching out to your friends. 

SAMHSA’s National Helpline is 1-800-662-HELP (4357)