By Wyatt Randolph

Christian students on campus have mixed feelings on the legalization of marijuana in Illinois. Some see it as an increase in personal freedom while others see it as an excuse for people to overindulge.

The state has collected a lot of money since the implementation of the law and many see it as progress. But there are those who see the recreational use of marijuana as negligent.

Some believe that marijuana should not have been legalized. They call it a vice and say smoking suppresses the mental capacities of the brain.

“God’s gift of logical, rational, and complex thought, as well as the ability for meaningful conversation is a profound gift and not something to just disregard because we like how it feels to get high, drunk, etc. The flagrant ignorance of such gifts is very troubling to me,” Gabe Hanafin said.

Others believe that the smoking of marijuana is fine, as long as it is done sparingly.

“Alcohol can easily be abused, and I’m sure this is something that can also be abused,” Jake Terry said.

While they agreed that they would not smoke marijuana personally, the Christian students, who are theology majors, believe that others should still have the right to smoke.

“It’s a problem of should and can,” Josiah Prenger said.

He believes that marijuana should be legal, and people should have the right to use it, but not everyone should do it.

While marijuana is not allowed on campus, that has not stopped people from supporting the new state law.

“If my nose has been correct, I’d say the majority of students are in support of the law,” Terry said.

There is evidence that marijuana is present on campus, despite the rules against its use.

When asked if the school should address their stance on the new law, the theology students agreed that it would be best for the school to make sure that it provides the students with a statement on how the school views the new law.

“I do believe administration has a responsibility to take a public, moral stance on it and strive to follow through by holding students to a certain moral standard,” Hanafin said.

“They should make a stance, and base it on our Franciscan values,” Prenger said.

The students believe that the school will stick with the view that marijuana should not be present on campus. Some believe this will be the case until the federal law on marijuana is changed and the Christian view on the drug changes.

Since the law has come into effect, the students have not seen much difference in people on campus, and have not seen an updated campus student policy regarding legal use released. For now, marijuana use on campus is forbidden.