Editor’s note: This article features interviews from students who have used illegal narcotics. Their names have been changed to protect their identities.
Although many believe that marijuana is the drug of choice for Ohio University students, drugs such as “molly,” a form of ecstasy; cocaine; mushrooms; and DMT are not difficult to find.
Because of this, these drugs can be found in Athens more commonly. These substances can affect users not only physically, but also emotionally and monetarily.
Ohio University junior James Waters’ typical drug of choice is marijuana, but his favorite experiences come from the psychedelic drugs. However, due to his profound experiences with these drugs, he chooses to wait a few weeks or months in between uses.
“…It has led me to a greater understanding of my place in the universe,” he said. “But, I don’t mean to imply that this greater understanding is inherent in the chemicals. It’s an experience that … will shatter your paradigm. A lot of the experience does come from within.”
Overcoming the fear of trying a new drug provides the best experience, Waters explained.
“When you see something that doesn’t ... match the beliefs that have thus far explained everything, you have to be flexible, willing to laugh at yourself and deal with a little bit of mystery,” he said.
Max Smith, a junior, said the experience of LSD is impossible to describe, and the experience will be different for everyone.
“Once you’ve done it, and you’re talking to someone else who’s done it, you can’t really capture in words what it’s like,” he said. “The major effect for me is I feel like fluid energy in space. I don’t feel like a person, more like a separate entity, and I feel a part of the entire ocean of life.”
Finding these drugs is as easy as avoiding them, and selling drugs is as easy as buying them, Waters said.
“If you want to sell, you find other folks selling it and buy more than you want for your own use,” he said. “It is a market sector based on trusting relationships."
Depending on the type of drug and how often a student might purchase it, some users can spend hundreds of dollars per semester.
Christian Kent, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he can spend more than $700 per semester but he spent more than $1,000 during the summer.
Though he uses drugs himself, Waters cautions students to be careful when deciding to try a new drug.
“Personally, I always try new things deliberately,” he said. “I would advise no one ever to try any new drugs when already under the influence of another drug, especially alcohol.”
The biggest problem with buying certain drugs is not knowing exactly what is in the drugs being purchased, Kent explained.
Once, after purchasing some molly for the night, Kent’s evening took a turn for the worse. He spent more than $200 on items he can’t remember, took ecstasy, publicly smoked weed and couldn’t function around people.
“There was a whole s--t ton of negatives about that night because I was affected emotionally, physically and psychologically,” he said. “I now know that what I took was very little molly and mostly heroin, and that messed me up.”
If a student is caught with drugs, the type and quantity will determine the type of sanction he or she receives, said Martha Compton, director of the Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility.
Students who are found in violation of the Student Code of Conduct because of drugs are typically reported because an odor of marijuana was reported to the police or Residential Housing staff, Compton said.
According to statistics from the Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility, the 2012-13 school year had 302 cases of drug offenses, 299 of which were marijuana related.
Ultimately, students take a risk every day they choose to take drugs, but Waters said for him, the payoff is worthwhile.
“The experience, not just of taking drugs, but of feeling the liberation that comes with making ethically un-regretted choices on the basis of something other than misappropriated fear, is worth it,” he said.
ao007510@ohiou.edu
@thisisjelli
