Picture this: It’s 8:30 a.m. and you’re vying for a parking spot along with hundreds of other student drivers on their way to class. The usual chaos of spot saving and swerving to avoid an accident occurs, but this morning being behind the wheel is particularly dangerous. If you look closely at the cloudy windshields and squinted eyes, you may notice the driver opposite to you isn’t totally… present. While “Weed Wednesday” increased this concern for students’ safety, it’s already not uncommon for some students to attend school under the influence.
However, showing up to school high has now been encouraged by a group of students running a secret senior activities account (@shs24_secretplans). Senior Spirit Week is underway–a modified version of school-sanctioned spirit week run by the account–and it’s honestly laughable. While the students have brought back some long time favorites like “Break the Dress Code Day” (wear non-school appropriate clothing) and “White Lies” (sport a white tee with a lie about yourself written on it), the newest addition to the rotation is “Weed Wednesday,” encouraging students to show up to school high.
“Really, it’s just fun,” said an anonymous student who regularly comes to school high. “I was [scared to get caught] for a while, but not so much now.” Don’t get us wrong, we’re not about to sit here and deliver a smack on the wrist to those who do participate in such activities, but this is just plain idiotic.
While the student acknowledged their tendency to participate in such activities, they also expressed concern about how an event like “Weed Wednesday” could cause many students to take part in something they aren’t otherwise comfortable doing.
“I think [Weed Wednesday] can influence a bit more peer pressure. If all your homies are gonna be getting high right before school [or] during school, you’re kind of wanting to jump on the boat,” said the same anonymous person.
That being said, students showing up to school high isn’t necessarily the biggest concern. According to a survey conducted by the Colorado Department of Transportation, nearly 40% of Gen-Z individuals believe they can drive safely under the influence. Another source, published in Jama Network Open, provided a study which found that 49% of drivers aged 14-18 engaged in driving directly after smoking weed. Dauntingly, here’s been a very obvious increase in teens who drive under the influence. Ask any if they know someone who drives high and we can pretty much guarantee they’ll say yes.
And it gets even scarier. According to a study provided by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the amount of marijuana-related car accidents resulting in deaths has more than quadrupled in the last twenty years, from 9% in 2000 to 21.5% in 2018. Six years later, the numbers have only risen. So how competent are intoxicated teen drivers, really?
Despite the hype building up over the past week, the day was an utter fail. A last minute switch-up to ‘White Trash Wednesday’ prevailed, and many students showed up to school in their very best jean shorts, muscle tees and pit vipers. It begs the question: Who actually thought this would work? Days in advance, administrators and teachers alike were more than aware of the event and cautioning students against participating.
“Being a minor and coming to school high is probably not the smartest thing to do,” affirmed Summit administrator Lynette Landis. She cautioned that the school’s SRO officer, Dan Koehnke, is authorized to give out MIPs (minor in possession penalties) which are considered to be a criminal charge and can result in multiple penalties that stay on your record for life in some cases.
Coming to school high already presents several serious risks, but turning it into a spirit week event? The pedestalization of activities like these often leads teenagers into situations they cannot turn back from. If you’re craving a little bit of green to de-stress, we’re not gonna stop you, but let’s be mindful of where we’re blazing up and what it could mean to get caught.
