• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Main Navigation
  • Skip to Search

Indiana University Indianapolis Indiana University Indianapolis IU Indianapolis

Open Search
  • Party Smarter
  • Take the Quiz
  • Know the Laws
  • Calculators
    • Alcohol Serving Size
    • BAC Calculator
    • Alcohol Spending
    • Cannabis Spending
  • Sign the Pledge
  • Sober Challenge
  • Recovery Support
  • Contact
  • Donate

Alcohol and Other Drugs

  • Home
  • Party Smarter
  • Take the Quiz
  • Know the Laws
  • Calculators
    • Alcohol Serving Size
    • BAC Calculator
    • Alcohol Spending
    • Cannabis Spending
  • Sign the Pledge
  • Sober Challenge
  • Search
  • Recovery Support
  • Contact
  • Donate

You are: The Intern

Illustration of an intern looking looking a bit unsure, holding candy in one hand and coffee in the other, with a nametag that says "Hello I'm new"

When it comes to cannabis, you’re likely to make a lot of rookie mistakes in a short amount of time. There was that time you overdid it on the edibles because it was “taking too long” to get high, then bam! Or that time you thought you could Febreeze your way out of getting caught. 

  • Cannabis isn’t a big part of your life and you don’t really buy it yourself. But if the opportunity arose you might. 
  • You have an experimental personality and want to try new things. 
  • Your teachers growing up made it sound so scary and you want to decide for yourself. 

Unfortunately, inexperience won’t save you from academic or legal consequences (or your parents finding out). Plus there was the awkward moment you posted a video on TikTok totally out of your mind. The good news is you have lots of options and there’s no rush to do it again. 

 

Tips for safer experiences

Consider these tips to keep yourself and others safe.

  • Don’t trust everything you read on the Internet.
  • Remember cannabis’ effects fall on a spectrum, and your experience will be different from someone else’s.
  • If it’s totally new to you, try a smaller amount first. And don’t be afraid to tell someone “That’s all for now, thanks.”
  • Remember that cannabis smoke contains toxins, and avoid smoking tobacco at the same time.
  • Long inhalations aren’t necessary—in fact, they can be a little dangerous. Shallow and slow FTW.
  • Edibles can taste yummy, but their effects are slow to notice. So moderate yourself and don’t eat the entire tin of brownies all at once, okay?
  • Be someplace safe. Don’t smoke in a car or someplace you can’t sleep it off.
  • Remember to slow down, breathe in…breathe out…
  • Be careful when inhaling or ingesting mixed powders, oils, hashes, and unfamiliar substances.
  • Listen to your friends and respect their desire to slow down sometimes.
  • Practice ways to hang out with others that don’t involve weed all the time. You’ll be a more interesting person for it.
  • Do the right thing if a friend seems in serious medical trouble. Call 911 immediately, tell the operator what happened, and monitor them closely until help arrives.

Alcohol and Other Drugs resources

  • Division of Student Affairs

Indiana University

Accessibility | College Scorecard | Privacy Notice | Copyright © 2025 The Trustees of Indiana University