{"id":77482,"date":"2026-03-31T09:06:58","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T16:06:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/?p=77482"},"modified":"2026-03-31T09:06:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T16:06:58","slug":"safe-cannabis-use","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/safe-cannabis-use\/","title":{"rendered":"Know the risks: Campus Health\u2019s guide to responsible cannabis use"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not every college student uses cannabis, but for those who do,\u202f<\/span>it\u2019s\u202fimportant to know\u00a0how to reduce\u00a0potential risks<\/span>. This April, learn about the resources available through Campus Health Services to help you\u202freduce your risk and finish the semester strong.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cannabis use\u202fis not\u202fa replacement\u202ffor self-care\u202fand good stress management practices.\u202fUsing\u00a0cannabis\u202fcan\u202flead to adverse mental health outcomes,\u202flike heightened anxiety,\u202ffeelings of paranoia and disrupted sleep.\u202fUsers\u202fcan gauge their personal risk factors through a quick, anonymous screening with Health Promotion.<\/span><\/p>\n

The department will host a specialized cannabis screening event at Earth Jam on April 18 for those looking for quick, nonjudgmental feedback on their cannabis use. The program also offers an online option through\u202f<\/span>ScreenU<\/span><\/a>\u202ffor those unable to attend or wanting to recommend the screening to others.<\/span><\/p>\n

If\u202fyou\u2019d\u202flike support managing anxiety,\u00a0stress\u00a0or depression without\u202fusing\u202fcannabis or other substances, you can schedule a\u202f<\/span>Path to Care appointment<\/span><\/a>\u202fwith\u202fCHS\u00a0counselors\u00a0and behavioral health specialists\u00a0to\u202fcome up with\u202fa plan\u202fthat\u2019s\u202fright for you. If you\u00a0are\u202fready to reduce your use of cannabis or other drugs,\u202fCounseling Services\u2019 individual counseling support and <\/span>Substance Use Disorders program<\/span><\/a>\u202fcan help.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s\u202fa common belief that \u2018everyone\u2019 at NAU is using cannabis, but our data show\u202fthat\u2019s\u202fnot\u202f<\/span>the case,\u201d said\u202f<\/span>Melissa Griffin<\/span><\/b>,\u00a0director of Health Promotion. \u201cStudents make a wide range of choices, and most choose lower-risk\u2014or no-risk\u2014options. Our goal is to make sure students have the information they need to make informed decisions, including understanding how heavy or frequent use can affect mental health and academic success.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Campus Health\u2019s\u202frange of no-pressure resources can help those looking to take a break from cannabis make a personalized plan for success and help others adapt their cannabis habits to improve their health.<\/span><\/p>\n

While you browse your options, consider the following\u00a0guidelines on responsible cannabis use.\u202f<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Delay use<\/span><\/b>: Avoid\u00a0use\u00a0until later adolescence to protect your developing brain.\u202f<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Go low and slow<\/span><\/b>: Choosing lower potency cannabis products, either with lower THC content\u00a0(less than 5 milligrams)\u00a0or a high CBD-to-THC ratio, can lessen unwanted outcomes.\u202f<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Protect your heart and lungs<\/span><\/b>: Avoid smoking and holding smoke in your lungs.\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Moderation is key<\/span><\/b>: Ideally, stick to\u202fusing\u202fonly once or twice a week, if you choose to\u202fuse.\u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Know the source<\/span><\/b>: Getting cannabis from legal and regulated sources, like dispensaries, means having a better sense of both the potency and content of what\u202fyou\u2019re\u202fusing.\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Be self-aware<\/span><\/b>: Reduce dosage or the frequency of use if you experience challenges with memory, decision-making or other cognitive functions.\u202f<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Wait<\/span><\/b>: Wait at least six hours before driving if\u202fyou\u2019ve\u202fsmoked cannabis, or eight to 12 hours if using in the form of edibles.\u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Avoid mixing<\/span><\/b>: Do not mix cannabis with other substances, including alcohol.\u202f<\/span>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. Know your health history<\/span><\/b>: Cannabis use is linked to increased risk for the development of serious mental health concerns like schizophrenia, mood or depressive disorders and substance use disorders. It also increases the chance of adverse health outcomes, such as heart disease.<\/span>\u202f<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Not every college student uses cannabis, but for those who do,\u202fit\u2019s\u202fimportant to know\u00a0how to reduce\u00a0potential risks. This April, learn about the resources available through Campus Health Services to help you\u202freduce your risk and finish the semester strong. Cannabis use\u202fis not\u202fa replacement\u202ffor self-care\u202fand good stress management practices.\u202fUsing\u00a0cannabis\u202fcan\u202flead to adverse mental health outcomes,\u202flike heightened anxiety,\u202ffeelings of paranoia…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96,"featured_media":77483,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1824],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-community","category-campus-health"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/96"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77482"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77482\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}