What will happen at UCLA now that marijuana is legal in California

The words ‘bake sale’ will take on a whole new meaning

Fall quarter of 2016 is wrapping up, which means many of us won’t be on campus again until 2017. 2017 is slated to be an interesting year in wake the recent election of Donald Trump and the passing of new laws.

This includes proposition 64, which legalizes the use of recreational marijuana in California. While dispensaries still cannot sell recreational marijuana until 2018, here are ten things UCLA students may begin to see in the new year.

There will be one more educational course for incoming UCLA students

Taken from “UCLA on the Hill

Remember all those super fun quizzes we had to take as incoming freshmen? Perhaps the most memorable is the (in)famous AlcoholEdu, with all those cartoon scenarios and interactive lessons.

Well, now that marijuana is also legal as a recreational substance for people over the age of 21, UCLA will most likely find it critical that students are also aware of the risks and effects of marijuana. I wouldn’t be surprised if come next fall, we hear someone casually referencing “WeEdu” just as naturally as we all did with AlcoholEdu.

There will be a whole new meaning to the term “bake sale”

“$2 Brownies to support your local animal shelter!” Haven’t we all heard something along those lines on our daily trek along Bruin Walk? This also goes for Strathamore and Gayley, the unofficial corner that epitomizes “frat row.”

While there isn’t realistically much of a risk that philanthropic student organizations will actually bring marijuana-infused substances onto campus, there will now be that thought in the back of everyone’s minds the next time they hear the term “bake sale.”

New student organizations dedicated to marijuana will (attempt to) arise

Another popular pitch along Bruin walk is the recruitment of new members to clubs. Since anyone can create a club on campus, I would not be the least bit surprised if at least one student attempts to start more or less of a “weed club.”

Will this actually be allowed? Probably not. But students with a sense of humor may try to disguise it in other forms, such as…

Many students will suddenly take up gardening

While “weed club” may not be officially sanctioned by UCLA, “gardening club” sure will. And  who’s to say what students are actually going to plant? Carnations, California Poppies, and…Cannabis? And here you probably thought gardening was only for middle-aged women.

We might see some changes in the botanical gardens

Speaking of gardening, UCLA has a big, beautiful garden right on the outskirts of campus. It’s pretty secluded, and anyone can access it. You see the picture? This would without a doubt be a hotspot for UCLA’s newest “gardening club,” as well as some more low-key marijuana-enthusiasts living on or near campus.

We may also see some changes in laboratory research

Maybe it’s just because I’m a south campus major, but it seems like at least half of the people I talk to say they’re “pre-med.” For the first time, students may actually be able to openly talk about their experiences with weed IN ORDER to further their job or medical school prospects.

Considering approximately $10 million per year for the next eleven years will be allocated to public California universities to research the effects of Proposition 64, as well as millions of dollars to other health organizations, there will be a large job market for marijuana research.

Whether an undergraduate student, or anyone under the age of 21, will actually be able to intern at a laboratory like this is uncertain. But hey, you have to put yourself out there right?

More colorful career prospects for students

A potential and quite natural progression from an internship with marijuana research would be a career in the marijuana industry. Now that recreational marijuana is legal, the industry is expanding, which will create jobs in this market.

Gone are the days when “working in the marijuana industry” was just a fancy way to say “local drug dealer.”

More blatant usage

Much like what holds true for alcohol, once a substance is legalized, many underaged users feel more comfortable being open with their use of it. Given, many of those who wanted to smoke marijuana before Proposition 64 was passed still did it, and many who chose not to still won’t. However, don’t mistake legality with invincibility!

UCLA is still a smoke-free campus. You don’t want to be that person that gets ticketed — or worse — for smoking in public or screaming about how high you are as an underaged user.

A change in the Venice scene

Venice beach is a popular place for UCLA students to spend time off campus, and anyone who goes there can’t help but notice shops like the “green doctors” which basically sell medical marijuana card “evaluations.”

Now that recreational marijuana is legal, it’ll be interesting to see how these businesses will evolve to accommodate the new law, although one thing’s for certain — despite the drought, Venice will only get more green.

Increased application to UCLA and other California schools

After considering the implications of Proposition 64, there is no doubt the number of applications to UCLA will continue to increase, despite it already being the most-applied-to school in the country for the past three years in a row.

While recreational marijuana still isn’t legal for consumers under the age of 21, the idea alone for some prospective students is nevertheless enticing. For example, one year after Colorado legalized recreational marijuana, they saw a 30% increase in applications to Colorado colleges and universities. Combine that with the already immense desirability of UCLA, and you have a likely unprecedented spike in applications.


While only time will tell the results of Proposition 64, some level of change is inevitable. What we do know is that the 18-25 age group — the primary demographic of UCLA students — are the number one users of marijuana per capita.

Due to UCLA’s reputation as an exceptionally competitive and academically-oriented institution, I don’t think there will be as large of a focus on the success of Proposition 64 to the extent that other California academic institutions may have.

Nevertheless, the general consensus among students regarding the legalization of recreational marijuana is that the years to come are “about to be lit.”

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