In the last decade, the topic of legalized marijuana has become more prevalent in politics. While it was once a taboo subject and thought of as a drug that was just as terrible to use as high-level narcotics such as cocaine and heroin, people are beginning to ditch the stigma around weed.

Now in some states, people can get their doctor to prescribe them medical marijuana, while other states sell it without a prescription. As laws continue to change, other rules need to progress as well.

Some include rules on college campuses, many of which still enforce extreme discipline for those caught with even small amounts of weed. Read on for reasons why colleges should allow medical marijuana on campus.

1. Not allowing it creates a bad first impression

Colleges emphasize what potential students experience when they first interact with their school. It’s why they send out flyers, post ads on social media and create billboard campaigns.

They want to make a good first impression that draws potential students in for a tour and then orientation. If forward-thinking young people realize that a college isn’t open for people who need medical marijuana, they’ll be more likely to think of it as a highly judgmental place that isn’t open to conversation.

2. College is a high anxiety experience

Anyone who is preparing for college, in college or has graduated from one knows that when you’re enrolled in a university, your anxiety spikes. There’s a high demand for class work, which is in addition to part-time job schedules, the need to socialize and personal breaks to just unplug from it all.

If students could access medical marijuana, the 41.6 percent of students dealing with high levels of anxiety could finally be able to handle their schedules with a healthy mindset.

3. It could decrease the presence of booze

One of the things college students stereotypically get into when they’re discovering the college party scene is alcohol. While binge drinking could lead to alcohol poisoning or even jail time, marijuana could deter underage or overindulgent drinkers if they were able to get a prescription from the campus doctor.

They would only be able to have controlled amounts at any given time and could use that to relax and have fun at a party rather than alcohol.

4. It would keep more kids in school

Even though society pushes high schoolers to pursue a college education after they graduate, many do not stick around in the university system very long. It doesn’t matter if they make great friends or have courses they like – it all comes down to their stress levels.

A recent study found that the number one reason students drop out is stress, which could be aided by medical marijuana.

5. More doors would open for veterans

It’s growing increasingly important for colleges to have resources ready for those who enroll after serving in the military. Offering resources to veterans to help that transition is great, but not allowing medical marijuana on campus keeps some vets shutout.

Marijuana has shown promise to be a leading treatment for PTSD, but if vets can’t use their prescriptions on campus, they may feel unable to achieve the education they want to pursue.

Stop the stigma.

Turning the country around on the topic of legalized marijuana isn’t going to be easy. It’s already been a hot debate topic for a decade, and only a handful of states have reversed their laws.

It’s a touchy subject for those who have firm beliefs against marijuana, so making it a cultural norm will take time.

But not everyone has time to give the country the ability to catch up, and one of those groups of people are college students.

Medical marijuana on college campuses shouldn’t come with a stigma or penalizing rules. The longer colleges enforce anti-marijuana rules, the longer colleges will refuse to acknowledge where the young people they’re admitting into their school want their country to go.

It’s time to stop blocking students from accessing treatment that could help them in their pursuit of higher education and make college campuses open to medical marijuana.