By CHRISTOPHER FLAHERTY

Special to The Rip

Of 20 students polled on campus, one in four has witnessed or participated in marijuana use on campus.

Many of the students polled, who said they hadn’t witnessed marijuana use, said they wouldn’t be surprised if they did see it on campus.

One student, who like the others interviewed will remain anonymous, said, “I have never seen anyone smoke weed on campus, but it wouldn’t surprise me because I see people all the time here that I am pretty sure are stoned.”

So where are people smoking marijuana?

Out of the five students who confirmed that they had witnessed marijuana usage, four said they had seen it or smelled it in the bathrooms.

“I went to use the bathroom in Humanities last week and as soon as I walked in I was instantly aware that someone was in a stall lighting up,” said one student.

Another student identified a similar scenario in which there were about seven people using the restroom while the scent of marijuana lingered in the bathroom. “Everyone was laughing about it and saying stuff like, ‘Hey man, where can I get some?’ and other stuff like that.”

A few students were oblivious to any kind of drug use on campus.

“I’ve never seen any kind of marijuana usage on campus. This is college, not high school,” one student said. When asked if she had ever used a restroom on campus, she replied, “Rarely.”

Of the five students who had reported witnessing drug use on campus, four of them were male. Of the four males, three of them said that they had seen it in the bathrooms. The one female who had seen marijuana use said she saw it after a night class in the parking lot.

The students were also asked if marijuana should be legalized. Twelve students said “no,” six said “yes,” and two were unsure.

One supporter of marijuana said of the law against marijuana, “I think it’s ridiculous. I mean everyone does it. Obviously, its legal status has had little or no impact on influencing decisions on using it. I say legalize it.”

One 19-year-old student, who agrees with the current drug laws, said, “If it’s legalized, everyone will get their hands on it, and then we’d have a problem. Enough people smoke it as it is.”

When asked if she approved of alcohol usage, she said, “I don’t necessarily think it’s a good thing, but I do it.”