Stoners can be productive too

juana users have created a stigma so toxic that many users mask their usage to avoid being shunned by their peers — which makes anti-marijuana stigma even worse. Even those who use marijuana for medical purposes still face stigma.

The historical depiction of cannabis users as “lazy” and “unmotivated” bums is simply wrong.

task, the task always gets done because I know how weed affects me, and I care more about my responsibilities than I do about smoking.

I know plenty of people who smoke and still manage to get things done.

It’s totally doable.

With all this hateful legislation circulating, trans people need real support. Support beyond the cyclic, surface-level social media reposting after a hate crime occurs. Support beyond the university’s performative pride events amidst continual on-campus speaker events that promote transphobia and put trans students at risk.

So what can you do on an individual level?

Educate yourself and others. Instead of blindly hitting repost, read about the issues and legislation facing trans people and share it with those around you.

Respect trans people. If you hear someone use the wrong pronouns for somebody, correct them. When you don’t know how someone identifies, refer to them using gender neutral pronouns and inclusive language.

Stand up for trans rights. Show up to the polls. Contact lawmakers.

Let them know that we won’t leave the trans community behind.

Email: opinion@ubspectrum.com but does not support the “chronic amotivational syndrome” (“chronic laziness”) typically associated with frequent cannabis use.

With more research, I hope we will come to understand that “the devil’s lettuce” is a misnomer.

Some semesters, I limited my smoking to the weekends or social outings. Other semesters, I used to rip the bong almost every single day.

And yet, for every single one of my eight semesters at UB, I’ve still received straight A’s and managed all of my responsibilities.

Although weed has been legalized for recreational use in 21 states, anti-marijuana stigma is still prevalent.

For decades, overly strict penal codes and negative media portrayals of mari-

The physiological, psychological and behavioral effects of weed impact everyone differently. Still, if you keep your usage in check, I believe you can function just as well as a non-user.

I typically don’t smoke unless I complete a majority of my responsibilities.

Just like how many people crack open a cold beer after work, I sometimes use smoking as a reward for getting through a long day.

But whether I smoke before or after a

If you’re not already maintaining good habits, such as setting goals and planning on how to tackle them efficiently, then smoking weed isn’t the issue — your mindset is. You simply have to have that balance.

Research on frequent cannabis users and motivation produces mixed results.

One study from 2019 found only a weak link between frequent cannabis usage and lower motivation.

A 2016 study showed that cannabis can induce a “transient amotivational state” (or temporary laziness for normal people),

There are many positive benefits to smoking. I just wish we’d stop generalizing marijuana users as a group and focus on individuals and their habits instead.

Email: kiana.hodge@ubspectrum.com part of

Join voided the club’s request to use its budget money to buy food for attending members.

“We have to look at our freshmen and ask them, ‘Can you pay? We understand you’re already paying for a meal plan. Can you pay more to go on this competition?’” club president Auburn Schwartzmeyer said. “And that affects whether or not we bring them.”

SAE focuses on two major competitions that require thousands of dollars for parts and travel.

According to Schwartzmeyer, a junior mechanical engineering major, SAE used its budget to buy food on competition trips since 2018.

Less than two weeks before the competition, SAE was told its request to use the budget for food was voided due to “a change in interpretation of the policy.”

The SA Travel Policy was being updated to specify that clubs can’t use their budgets to purchase food.

According to Schwartzmeyer, Pang said that they made the change because the student activity fee is not intended to be spent on food, as it’s “not inclusive.”

When planning a trip to New York City, SA told IEEE it couldn’t buy food because it was traveling off campus. SAE was given a different explanation. Schwartzmeyer said SA also told her the club’s purpose isn’t related to food, meaning it couldn’t buy food at competitions.

Pang said in an email to The Spectrum that “the travel policy never allowed for food” unless it was related to an organization’s event, such as banquets or conferences related to the club, or in circumstances where “it is not feasible for club mem- bers to normally procure food (i.e. remote camping trips).”

SA is working on “a new system for clubs to buy food while traveling,” similar to UB’s per diem food allowance, according to Pang.

The SA e-board gave SAE permission to buy food on that trip because of the tight time frame. Now, Schwartzmeyer says she is “fighting” to use the club’s budget for food at its upcoming competition in May.

SA told the club that it wouldn’t change the policy. Schwartzmeyer ended up getting sponsors to pay for food for the upcoming competition.

SAE’s problems with SA go beyond food.

SAE club members use SA vans, trailers and trucks to get to their competitions in Washington and Wisconsin, costing them thousands of dollars in gas money.

While SA allows club budgets to cover the cost of gas, it only does by reimbursing club members.

She says that there are team members who put in the work and contribute to the team but get left in Buffalo during competitions because they can’t afford to contribute to gas money.

“There is no way to get gas money before traveling, but we are currently working on getting gas cards,” Pang told The Spectrum

SAE’s club treasurer paid $1,200 in gas money for travel to the Clean Snowmobile competition in February. He still hasn’t been reimbursed.

SAE was on its way to Wisconsin in February when members realized their trucks and vans didn’t have EZ Passes and they needed to pay for tolls out of pocket.

Club members fronted the cost of the tolls themselves and called SA to see if they could get approval to use their budget to cover tolls on the way back, not for reimbursements on money they already spent. The club knew it couldn’t get money back for the tolls it already paid.

SA’s treasurer Alana Lesczynski told the club that it would be in violation of the encumbrance policy if it requested the money, said Schwartzmeyer.

“‘It will ruin your perfect record,’” Lescynski told the club, according to Schwartzmeyer.

Pang told The Spectrum that clubs have to get approval for financial commitments before committing to a purchase and said that SA is working on getting EZ passes for SA vehicles.

The club ended up paying about $120 out-of-pocket for the tolls.

SAE uses outside vendors such as Online Metals to get materials for their projects. SA has an agreement with vendors to pay within 30 days after clubs make a purchase. Schwartzmeyer said SA didn’t pay vendors until after those 30 days, violating the SA’s contract.

SA did not respond to questions about their contracts with vendors in time for publication.

SAE has an annual budget of $40,250, not accounting for contributions from outside sponsors. IEEE had a budget of $2,950 before they were disbanded.

“I think that there’s a disconnect between what engineering clubs need and what is happening with engineering clubs,” Farrell said. “A lot of things I’ve seen from them [SA] have been very disappointing.”

Email: amy.maslin@ubspectrum.com

Dumpster fire in Ellicott Complex causes over $300,000 in damages

State officials are still investigating the cause of the fire

VICTORIA HILL SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

UPD reported to the scene of a dumpster fire outside of Fargo Quadrangle at 3:30 a.m. Monday morning.

The cause of the fire is still being determined by the Office of Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC), but “it appears to be accidental,” Josh Sticht, deputy chief of University Police, said in an email to The Spectrum

The fire is estimated to have caused over $100,000 in damages to the building’s heating and electrical system and an additional $200,000 in other damages. Sticht said those cost estimates are subject to change as more information becomes available. No injuries were reported.

This isn’t Ellicott’s first dumpster fire. A similar one was started near Wilkeson Quadrangle in September 2021.

The OFPC investigation will help UPD determine if there are workplace practices that need to be changed.

“Whatever recommendations they come up with will be implemented by the University,” Sticht said.

UPD advises students and staff to follow the rescue, act, contain and escape (RACE) emergency protocol when they observe a fire.

Email: victoria.hill@ubspectrum.com

SUNY drops standardized testing requirement for admission

SUNY chancellor cites national trends and demographic statistics as reasons for the change

ANTHONY DECICCO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The State University of New York (SUNY) system will no longer require students to take the SAT or ACT (or any other standardized tests) to apply for admission to one of its colleges or universities.

The change was unanimously approved by SUNY’s Board of Trustees — the governing body that represents SUNY’s 64 schools — this month.

SUNY Chancellor John King said that a test-optional policy is “consistent with national trends at peer institutions” and research from the Rockefeller Institute of Government found that “colleges in New York State and across the country are largely maintaining their test-optional policies and/or implementing them permanently” in a resolution submitted to the Board of Trustees.

The resolution also states that fewer high school students — especially those from underrepresented groups — are taking these standardized tests.

In 2020, SUNY temporarily suspended SAT and ACT testing requirements in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This suspension was extended multiple times through the 2022-23 academic year. King said “the retention rate gap between test takers and non-test takers has stayed the same or even shrunk” during the last three years in which SAT/ACT submission was optional.

SUNY’s enrollment has decreased by 20% over the past 10 years, according to the New York Post, though King did not cite the number as a reason for eliminating the testing requirement.

“Each SUNY campus will continue its longstanding commitment to a holistic review of student applications that includes grades, program of study, academic achievements, non-academic achievements and other activities that allow for the evaluation of the potential success of a candidate for admission,” King said.

Let’s be blunt: UB students discuss marijuana stigma

“Never in my life have I seen weed ruin someone’s life,” she said. “[States] are making it legal right now while many are serving years upon years for the possession or dealing of weed.” cially with people of color in this country, that they use weed as another thing to hold against us,” she said. “It is not fair. Don’t take away people’s livelihood and freedom over this.” es altogether.”

According to Pew, 64% of people born between 1928 and 1945 are still opposed to the legalization of marijuana, with 35% in favor.

Editor’s note: The Spectrum spoke on-the-record to several students who requested to remain anonymous. All students were granted anonymity due to federal and campus marijuana policies.

In 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize recreational marjuana use. Since then, 19 other states have followed suit. Despite this, there’s still negative attitudes toward the drug.

Cannabis is classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a schedule 1 drug, a category for drugs with “no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

While many states, including New York, have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use, stigma against marijuana users remains.

The Spectrum interviewed UB students about their thoughts on marijuana usage and the societal stigma that surrounds it.

A recent psychology graduate thinks there are less harmful effects from consuming marijuana than from alcohol. She hopes it can become more normalized in society.

“I feel like if people accept alcohol the way they do, they should accept weed because now it’s legal,” she said. “I would hope that it changes to be the same, if not more accepted, than alcohol because it is kind of better for you. People use it as medicine and stuff — so just not looking down on people for it.”

Opposition to the legalization of marijuana has fallen drastically in recent years.

According to a Pew Research poll, 52% of American adults opposed marijuana legalization in 2010. That fell to just 10% in a 2022 poll. Many still hold the belief that it is a “dangerous drug” that “inflicts damage on people and society more generally.”

Another student, a senior accounting major, says it “blows her mind” that people are still going to jail over infractions relating to marijuana.

Recreational marijuana is legal in 21 states with 38 states legalizing medicinal use, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The criminal justice system has not kept up with the societal shift.

According to an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) report, Black people are 3.6 times more likely than their white counterparts to be arrested for using marijuana nationwide, despite similar usage rates.

“You see time and time again, espe-

A junior media studies major wishes for older generations to become more accepting of marijuana use. She said people use it as a sleep aid or to simply relax after a long day — adding that people should “just mind [their] own business.”

“I hope the older generations become more accepting of weed,” she said. “I know a lot of people's parents don't even know that their child smokes weed because they know they [their parents] don't like it and think that people who smoke are low lives. I’m hoping the stigma chang-

A junior communication major says he faces backlash from his grandma for smoking marijuana, as she believes users are “lazy.” But he said it’s hard to square those stereotypes with his 4.0 GPA.

“As a student, you gotta make sure your responsibilities are always first,” he said. “You can’t let the weed smoke you, you gotta smoke the weed. As long as you follow that very principle, you’ll be alright.”

Email: kiana.hodge@ubspectrum.com

Email: katie.skoog@ubspectrum.com