Course Reflection

Cy Skiby

1.) What did you learn?

The thing that I learned that stuck with me the most was learning about the war on

drugs. I knew that the war on drugs was a thing but I never really knew what it was, what

it/was, and what it did. I also thought that the war on drugs was a good thing, but the

more I learned about it, the more and more it looked like it had nothing but bad side

effects in the United States. It seems as if the war on drugs just made things in the drug

scene much worse. Higher sentences for small amounts of harmless drugs (aka

marijuana), the criminalization of drug users instead of helping them rehabilitate, or even

the death sentences in extreme cases. The effects of the war on drugs in the United States,

(started in 1971), are still being seen today and it’s time for us to change the way we see

drug use and drug abuse. We need to begin to teach ways to cope with drug abuse and

teach ways to positively deal with drug users, instead of just leaving it at “they are

criminals”. This will allow our society to be able to rehabilitate and move on from the

war on drugs.

2.) What impact has this had on your life?

Personally, I have always been an activist for the legalization of marijuana both

recreationally and medically, and this class has furthered my opinion on that topic. I

myself do not personally use marijuana, but I know many family members and friends

who travel across state lines to get marijuana to help with health-related issues. I also

think that the knowledge of marijuana very outdated, I was always taught that marijuana

was the most terrible thing in the world growing up, but as I get older and start to learn
 more about it, the more I realize that there are many positive things that marijuana use

can help with. This includes things; stress, anxiety, arthritis, sleeping, Tourettes, seizures,

and many many more. For that reason, my life has been impacted, that I believe that the

steps need to be taken to legalize marijuana.

3.) How will this impact my future choices?

This will probably be the paragraph with the least amount of information. This

class has taught me a few things, but I feel as if it has just furthered my previously known

knowledge in some of the subjects discussed in life. My future choices will probably

remain the same as before taking this class.

4.) Does this course tie into any other courses you are taking or have taken?

I have only taken one class that was similar to this class. It was an Intro to Health

Sciences class, that I took in high school as a junior. In this class, we learned about the

ways that certain drugs affect the body, and in this class, I feel as if I learned more about

how drugs affect society. These two things are intertwined though, drugs are used by

millions in the world, and learning about their effects on society and the effects on the

body is something that should be taught at every level of school. Other than that I have no

taken nor am planning to take any classes that are similar to this, and for that reason, I am

happy I took this class. I like to be well versed in all subjects! Thank you very much!