How the High and Mighty have Fallen: An Exploration of On-Campus Addiction

HAMILTON, NY — As the first month of college for the freshmen of Colgate University draws to a close, a common anxiety befalls the dorms: the five grams of marijuana they had left in their mason jar or stolen tupperware container is swiftly depleting. As students continue to use the drug to ease their social anxieties, they must find a new source for their sticky green. 

“What will I do to ease the tension of a Tinder hookup?” says member of the freshman class, Mary Kusch. “I only match with seniors, and they provoke anxiety.” Ms. Kusch later explains that her “constant” trips to The Jug, a local establishment, are “tiring,” and finds that “lighting up in the showers of Gate House” helps her to calm down after a long week of going out.

Ms. Kusch admits that she uses the drug marijuana as somewhat of a “crutch” to ease her social interactions, as she is having trouble transitioning into the party culture at the school. Soon, the mason jar full of dryer sheets, her pipe, and a lighter, will be absent of the “whacky tobacky” Mary has become so dependent on, and she is looking for what she calls a “plug.” 

Mary is not alone in her search.  In fact, sources say about 78% of the class of 2022 has no idea where to purchase marijuana in the small town of Hamilton. “It’s not New York,” says Kyle, Ms. Kusch’s classmate, “[a student] can’t just take a 40-minute train ride downtown to find a dealer.” 

Many students we spoke with are resorting to urban connections such as these and the extensive package delivery service at Colgate to keep them in the green. Others, however, speak to the fact that “the line in the [O’Connor Campus Center] is too long for [them] to wait for packages.” They would much rather purchase their drugs the old-fashioned way: late night, with the hoods of their Ivy (or Baby Ivy) League sweatshirts up, in the far corner of a parking lot, sneakers tied tight in case they need to run from the authorities. 

The search for a new plug is much like searching for a new doctor. Patient-doctor confidentiality is a given, as well as a mutual trust between the two. A good doctor would never give their patient the improper medicine, but this relationship takes time to build, and it’s anxiety-provoking for many students to attempt this task. Some have resorted to self-medicating with their current stores of reefer, which further diminishes their resources, exacerbating their need for a new plug. 

The vicious cycle continues until the student is forced to grovel at every pregame, every Jug night, even in their extracurriculars, for a trace–an inkling of a plug. “Give it two more weeks,” contributes second-year Jane Keefner, “they’ll figure it out.” The optimism displayed by older students is only slightly reassuring to the freshmen, as they currently stare into the abyss: the thought of going a few days without getting high is terrifying–enough to warrant a few joints to “take their mind off it.”