Vaping and the use of marijuana is popular among teens. And if they’re not using, they often don’t care if others are.

“In general, I do not have an opinion on people that smoke weed or vape, as long as they are being responsible about it, then good for them,” junior Emily Walton said.

Eating edibles is one of the popular uses of marijuana, while e-cigarettes are the most popular way to inhale substances. 

According to Medical News Today edibles last longer than smoking or vaping, with the effects commonly lasting about 6-8 hours. Although that time can vary depending on how a person’s body responds to it.

By 2010 vapes had been making new brands to sell. Now there’s different flavors while inhaling a vape. According to tobaccofreekids.org, the sales of disposable e-cigarettes increased from 2.8 million units to 7.8 million units from February 2020 to March 2021.

The legal age to use is 18, yet younger people still do it. 

“I do not think vape is accepted; it is more of a turn down because of how many bad impacts it has on our bodies, especially in lungs,” junior Ciana Tovar said.

Nurse Christy Higginbotham deals with students who get high.

“It is common for us to find something in their backpacks or (noticing they’re) acting strange in those cases,” she said.

When a student gets caught with substances, security or administration will go to the nurse’s office and do impairment assessments on them. 

“Just from my perspective I see a lot of teenagers vaping THC,” Higginbotham said. “You guys are too young to be smoking this stuff. There is a reason why the legal ages are 18-21 for smoking and other substances regardless, no matter what state.”

THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol. Based on research from thestreet.com, oils, edibles and even medicines can be used with THC to make people feel high. The dose it has can produce a sensation to blood pressure.

Alaska has the highest marijuana use in the country, with 16% using. It is fully legal and used for medication. Marijuana is illegal in Kansas, even for medical reasons and even if it does not contain THC.

“In my opinion weed has much more of a medical excuse for society to accept,” Tovar said. 

Medical News Today notes that marijuana has health benefits — helping people with cancer, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety, chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, mental health problems, testicular cancer and respiratory disease.

Epidiolex is a drug that contains CBD and has been approved for treating seizures.

Freshman Adriana Dollarhide is neutral with her opinion on marijuana. In her eyes it could be a bad influence for others, but knowing on the other hand it is for the benefit she does not see the issue. 

“With any substance you use, wait ’til you’re at least in the legal age, do not use (weed) knowing it will cause you harm,” she said. “But in terms of leisure, knowing you’re in a safe place where you can smoke and not hurt yourself or anybody else, in the right use, I do not see a problem.”