Marajuana Interview

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Marijuana Interview
Recently I conducted an interview with four college students who use marijuana. The students are among a chain of students who are increasingly using drugs to look “cool.” Authorities say that this trend is a worrying and something needs to be done sooner than later. I, therefore, sought to understand why the students thought it was okay to use marijuana despite it being illegal in the state. While seeking the answer to this question I kept in mind that there are two main views about the use of Marijuana. The first viewpoint is that Marijuana is the least harmful to the body when compared to other drugs such as alcohol. The second viewpoint is that the use of Marijuana among young people is something common that will pass as they grow older. In this regard, it is believed that peer pressure is the main cause of substance abuse among young people.
I conducted each of the interviews separately to avoid the bias of the answers from the respondents. The participants comprised of three male students and one female student. They were all aged between 20 and 25 years old. Also, two of the three male participants were black Americans, whereas the other was an international student from Sweden. The only lady in this group was a US native. I contacted some of them through the Narcotics Anonymous and got their written consent that they are willing to take part in the interview. I also guaranteed them that I would uphold confidentiality throughout the study and the information obtained from the interviews was for research purposes only.

I also let them know that they could stop taking part in the interview any time without prior notice and such action will not be followed by any penalty. The interviews were conducted at one of the local social halls. Although each interview was done on a separate hour, each interview started by sparking a nicely rolled preroll to stimulate the minds of the interviewees.
Interview number 1; male, 23 years old, Black-American
Question (Q1): When did you start smoking?
Answer (A1): (Takes a small breath) I cannot recall the exact date, but it was shortly after joining college two years ago.
(Q2): Did it become a routine?
(A2): I have been on and off ever since
(Q3): How often do you smoke?
(A3): (Takes a short pause and leans forward): To be honest, there are months I can’t go a day without smoking “pot” but then there some months a stay clean for a week. However, I also use Marijuana as an additive to my tea regularly. I am kind of addicted to this stuff you know.
(Q4): How much do you spend on smoking?
(A4): I don’t know, perhaps a lot of money because sometimes we mix pot with cocaine which makes it a lot more expensive. But money is not really an issue because I get monthly stipends from my parents or I could even borrow some money from a friend.
(Q5): Do you smoke more now that you are in college?
(A5): I was introduced to marijuana after joining college, I did not smoke before, but I must admit that over time I have been using more and more “pot” until recently when I decided to join narcotics anonymous because I realized the addiction was getting out of hand.
(Q6): In your opinion, how hard is it to buy marijuana?
(A6): Getting “pot” is relatively easy provided you know who to approach. There is a chain of suppliers who work in colleges and around the town. You only need to know who will be where and at what time. However, you have to be careful when dealing with suppliers since some undercover agents may disguise themselves as suppliers.
(Q7): what do you gain from the use of marijuana?
(A7): It is all about belonging to some group. I also used to think it makes you look cool by partying hard and getting high. However, I recently changed my beliefs, and I am determined to quit.
Interview number 2: female, 21 years old, White
(Q1): when did you start smoking?
(A2): I started using Marijuana a year ago after I was introduced to the stuff by my boyfriend.
(Q2): Did it become a routine?
(A2): At first I was very skeptical about the idea of using any drug, so I used very little amounts. However, with time I started feeling that it helped me feel more focused, this coupled with the pressure from by boyfriend it soon became a routine.
(Q3): How often do you smoke?
(A3): I must admit that I use marijuana on a daily basis.
(Q4): How much do you spend on smoking?
(A4): (Looks like thinking the issue through for a moment) Marijuana is expensive because we have to get it from the black market. Personally, I spend up to half of my monthly income on marijuana.
(Q5): Do you smoke more now that you are in college?
(A5): Yes, most of my friends are using marijuana, and we can’t stop smoking whenever we have a chance to do so.
(Q6): In your opinion, how hard is it to buy marijuana?
(A6): It is easy provided you have the money
(Q7): what do you gain from the use of marijuana?
(A7): honestly I don’t know, I am doing it because my peers and boyfriend are doing it. I am happy that one of my friends introduced me to narcotics anonymous.
Interview number 3: Male, 25 years old, Swedish
(Q1): when did you start smoking?
(A1): Three years ago.
(Q2): Did it become a routine?
(A2): It took a while before it became a routine, in fact, I did not use “weed” for six months after the first time I used it. This was largely due to the fact that on that day I felt dizzy, I could not walk properly, my eyes were dark red, and I had trouble with my parents.
(Q3): How often do you smoke?
(A4): Since I came to the US I have been a regular because I no longer worry what my parents or my community will think of me now that I am away from them.
(Q4): How much do you spend on smoking?
(A4): I never keep track of my finances, but I guess it is such a little amount because I never struggle with my finances. What is more, I get a full scholarship from my government, which leaves me with a lot of cash to sustain my lifestyle.
(Q5): Do you smoke more now that you are in college?
(A5): (Expresses a slight smile) Yes, it is like everyone I know is smoking weed, it’s the culture here, they say if you can’t beat them join them.
(Q6): In your opinion, how hard is it to buy marijuana?
(A6): I never buy it personally, but I get it from my friends, and they say at times it gets a bit tricky especially when the DEA are all over town. Anyway supply has never reduced, so I think it is easy to buy marijuana.
(Q7): What do you gain from the use of marijuana?
(A7): It gives me a sense of belonging. However, I don’t like one aspect of it which is a lack of sleep at times.
Interview number 4: Male, 20 years old, African-American
(Q1): When did you start smoking?
(A1): Only two months ago.
(Q2): Did it become a routine?
(A2): No, as I mentioned earlier I am new to this stuff.
(Q3): How often do you smoke?
(A3): Not so often but I use it once or twice in a week.
(Q4): How much do you spend on smoking?
(A4): I think it is quite an amount.
(Q5): Do you smoke more now that you are in college?
(A5): I think college puts a lot of pressure on me to do drugs, so yes I think at least I smoke more since I joined college.
(Q6): In your opinion, how hard is it to buy marijuana?
(A6): It is really hard because the DEA is always on our necks.
(Q7): What do you gain from the use of marijuana?
(A7): I like the feeling of getting high.
From the above interviews, it is apparent that peer pressure is the leading factor towards the use of marijuana among teenagers and college students. These findings are supported by a number of studies that reveal that most youths are introduced to drugs by their friends. It is also argued that most youths are at a stage in life where they want to experiment many things including drugs and sex. The more rampant the use of marijuana is, the more difficult it becomes for the young adults and teenagers to resist its use. Most people feel that if they are not part of the bandwagon, they will be looked down upon and perhaps isolated from others. Consequently, many young people find themselves using drugs even when deep down they do not want to do so (Santor, Deanna & Vivek 4). Also, as Hansen and John rightly argue, accessibility to marijuana has become easy thus opening room for its use (2). This is something which is supported by the responses from the interviewees. Easy access to marijuana results in more young people experimenting with the effects of the drug. Also, the advent of the internet more especially social media has increased peer pressure among young people. Social sites such as Facebook and Twitter are awash with images of people partying and abusing drugs. To fit the bill, other teenagers will do so and post similar images on social sites. However, the effect of peer pressure reduces as a person gets older.
In conclusion, peer pressure is the key contributor to substance abuse. From the responses I received, all the participants were lured into the use marijuana by their friends or the urge to look “cool.” Studies by scholars have also confirmed this view. It is unlikely that socio-economic class affects the use of marijuana since all the respondents did not view money as a barrier to access or use of the drug.
Works Cited
Hansen, William B., and John W. Graham. “Preventing alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette use among adolescents: Peer pressure resistance training versus establishing conservative norms.” Preventive medicine 20.3 (1991): 414-430.
Santor, Darcy A., Deanna Messervey, and Vivek Kusumakar. “Measuring peer pressure, popularity, and conformity in adolescent boys and girls: Predicting school performance, sexual attitudes, and substance abuse.” Journal of youth and adolescence 29.2 (2000): 163-182.