The Effects of Marijuana and Alcohol on Academic Performance

Marijuana

• An illegal mind altering drug that can be smoked or eaten. It has been proven that after use one will experience short term memory loss and distorted thinking and problem solving

• No large scale, valid study has ever proven marijuana has negative long term effects on the brain

Alcohol

• Also classified as a drug• Alcohol depresses the central nervous system

and causes various effects based on the amount consumed

• After the short term effects wear off, it has been proven that there is damage to parts of the brain associated with physical conditioning and learning

“Super High Me”Sober High

Psychic ESP Test 1/25 7/25

The S.A.T. 980/1600 1030/1600Mini-mental Status Review (Normal = 22+) 27/29 24/29

Lung Capacity 92% 89%

Sperm Count (20 is normal) 21 Millions/mL 32 Millions/mL

Weight Change -2 lbs. +8 lbs

• S.A.T. score increased by 5%

• It was noted by the examiners that his verbal skills had decreased, but his mathematical skill had significantly increases

Survey Of Loyola University

• Weak negative correlation between marijuana consumed per month and current GPA (r= -0.27)

• Weak negative correlation between alcohol consumed per month and current GPA (r= -0.31)

• Positive correlation between marijuana consumed and classes skipped (r=0.328)

Hypothesis

• Weak negative correlation between the frequencies of drinking and smoking and students averages, math and English marks

• Students who drink or smoke will feel a decrease in initiative and a significant relief of stress.

• Students who smoke or drink will be involved in the same amount of extracurricular activities, but will skip more classes in a month.

• There is no significant difference between the effects of alcohol on academic performance, and the effects of marijuana

• 91% of grade 12 students drink alcohol

Basic Statistics

• 74% of grade 12 students smoke marijuana

• 26% of students stated they drink daily

• 15% of students stated they smoke daily

Averages

Alcohol (r= -0.219) Marijuana (r= -0.196)

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.50

20

40

60

80

100

120

AverageLinear (Average)

Frequency of Drinking(0-never, 1-special occasions, 2-weekends, 3- daily)

Aver

ages

English Marks

Alcohol (r= -0.32) Marijuana (r= -0.323)

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.50

20

40

60

80

100

120

English MarkLinear (English Mark)

Frequency of Drinking(0-never, 1-special occasions, 2-weekends, 3- daily)

Engl

ish G

rade

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.50

20

40

60

80

100

120

English MarkLinear (English Mark)

Frequency of Smoking(0-never, 1-special occasions, 2-weekends, 3- daily)

Engl

ish G

rade

s

Math Marks

Alcohol (r= -0.311) Marijuana (r= -0.127)

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.50

20

40

60

80

100

120

Math MarkLinear (Math Mark)

Frequency of Drinking(0-never, 1-special occasions, 2-weekends, 3- daily)

Mat

h Gr

ades

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.50

20

40

60

80

100

120

Math MarkLinear (Math Mark)

Frequency of Smoking(0-never, 1-special occasions, 2-weekends, 3- daily)

Mat

h Gr

ades

Classes Skipped in a Month

Alcohol (r= 0.54) Marijuana (r= 0.518)

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.50

2

4

6

8

10

12

Classes skipped in a monthLinear (Classes skipped in a month)

Frequency of Drinking

# of

Cla

sses

skip

ped

in a

mon

th

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.50

2

4

6

8

10

12

Classes skipped in a monthLinear (Classes skipped in a month)

Frequency of Smoking

# of

clas

ses m

issed

Hours Spent in Extra Curricular Activities Compared to Frequency of Smoking (r= 0.46)

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.50

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Hours spent in extracurricularsLinear (Hours spent in extracurriculars)

Frequency of Smoking(0- never, 1-Special occasions, 2- Weekends, 3- Daily)

Hour

s spe

nt in

ext

racu

rricu

lars

Initiative

Alcohol (r= 0.39) Marijuana (r= 0.35)

0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.50

2

4

6

8

10

12

InitiativeLinear (Initiative)

Frequency of Smoking

Initi

ative

Leve

ls

0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.50

2

4

6

8

10

12

Series1Linear (Series1)

Frequency of Alcohol Consumption

Intia

tive

Leve

ls

(Scale of 1 to 10, 1 being significantly increases initiative and 10 being significantly decreases initiative)

Conclusions

• The more one smokes or drinks the lower their marks tend to be

• The more one smokes the more hours they tend to be spend in extracurricular activities

• The more one smokes or drinks, the more classes they tend to skip in a month

• The more one smokes or drinks the more it decreases their initiative

Alcohol Marijuana

Average R= -0.219 R= -0.196

English R= -0.32 R= -0.323

Math R= -0.311 R= -0.127

Classes Skipped R= 0.54 R= 0.518

Extracurricular R= -0.17 R= 0.46

Initiative R= 0.39 R= 0.35

Stress Relief R= 0.33 R= -0.09

Alcohol had a more significant negative impact on averages, math marks, classes skipped, and initiative