Social Context Of Marijuana

Marijuana or Cannabis is a hallucinogenic drug that contains a very high amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It can be used for both medical and recreational reasons, but it is currently illegal in most states in this country. This drug has been illegal for the majority of this country's history, and just recently several states like Washington, California, and New York have passed laws so that people with medical issues are able to consume this drug for their own medical needs

The social problem of legalizing marijuana has been an issue for many years. I argue that marijuana should be legalized in all the United States. Through research it has been proven that marijuana can bring benefits to society if it were to be legalized. Benefits include, assistance to those who have health issues, reducing crimes related to drugs, as well as uplifting the economy. Marijuana has caused various issues within the minority communities, those who live within a minority community are more likely to receive jail time if caught with the drug, if Marijuana were to be legalized this would prevent minorities from becoming incarcerated. This leads to the conflict theory. The conflict theory states, that “society is in a state of perpetual conflict due to competition for limited resources. It holds that social order is maintained by domination and power, rather than consensus and conformity.” This is a social conflict because through the resource marijuana those outside of the government are making a profit, but also risking their lives because of not conforming to society. In order for this social problem to be fixed, as a citizens we need to educate those who are unaware of the benefits verses the dangers of marijuana.

Marijuana is a popular and universal drug. It is easily accessible to most people and is the number one illicit drug used in North America. Although the availability and knowledge of this drug is fairly equal for all people in North America, marijuana tends to be more prevalent in teenagers and young adults. Maisto, Galizio, and Conners (2004) reported that "use of marijuana [in young people] was 8.0% among those aged 12-17; 16% among those aged 18-25," as compared to "6.8% among those aged 26-34; and 2.4% among those 35 and older." People of all ages, races, and religions use marijuana and have their own reasons to use it. Young people first try marijuana because of some common reasons. Some teenagers feel pressured by their peers to

The General perspective that society throws on marijuana is that equal to any drug; negative. However, many researchers have found that the effects of marijuana for medicinal purposes can be beneficial to the right patients, as well as the United States government. The negative effects from marijuana use in a medicinal environment are far less than that of most over the counter drugs, while the benefits remain the same. There are instances in which marijuana was legalized for people with prescriptions from licensed doctors; however, full legalization is leaps and bounds away from the current status. Another way full legalization could help is money the government uses to try and fight marijuana

A subculture is a group of people who share a distinctive set of cultural beliefs and behaviors that differ in some significant way from that of larger society. Marijuana smokers can be considered a subculture for many reasons. Marijuana is used by millions of people around the world, either for recreational, spiritual, or therapeutic reasons. Some call themselves the cannabis connoisseurs; people who respect cannabis and use it responsibly. Few drugs have been so politicized recently as marijuana has. It is frequently praised by one side and condemned by the other, on the basis of emotional issues rather than an objective view of research.

There have been many cultures that have used marijuana for medicine. For instance, the Chinese culture used the oil found in the plant for medical purposes. Medicine men would use it to treat menstrual fatigue, gout, rheumatism, malaria, constipation, absent mindedness and surgical anesthesia (Spicer, 2002). However, according to the Tao religion, cannabis was noted to be considered a yin. Cannabis is regarded in contempt because it weakens the body when eaten (Spicer, 2002). Taoism considered only substances filled with yang, those that invigorate the body, as favorable (Spicer, 2002).

Howard S. Becker gave me a lot to think about as it comes to being a marijuana smoker. I have been around people that have used marijuana for pleasure, but along with that I have witnessed the use of smoking for medical purposes. The idea that people who don’t have a good experience within recreational use of the drug being based on how they smoke it. That being stated, I think it is caused by the peer pressure of doing what seems rebellious/ deviant to seem cool. On the other side of the peer pressure of doing something deviant is the peer pressure of the idea that drugs are bad, and if you do them, your life will go on a downward slope.

Although marijuana use was decreasing in 1977, recent studies show differently today. According to an Article written Bridget M. Kuehn (2013), the opposite results are occurring with media’s positive portrayal of marijuana’s benefits ―do to debate on its medical uses. Marijuana use is now on the rise, with The National Institute on Drug Abuse reporting a steady claim since 2006 (p.429). Kuehn (2013) Writes, “20.6% of twelfth graders view[…] occasional use as harmful and only 44.1% see[…] regular use as harmful [the] … lowest level of marijuana harm perception among High School seniors since 1979” (p.429). What is the cause of this change in attitude? Some people feel that it is the media to blame.

Marijuana being illegal gives a chance for organized crime to occur in disadvantaged neighborhoods and the social process of being a minority and poverty contributes to the use of marijuana among the youth. For individuals there are certain explanations as to why they used marijuana, anxiety, school attachment violent victimization, childhood ADHD. Within families, if parents used substance youth’s probability of usage increases, and less strict vigilance of parents link to marijuana use, similar to overprotective parents leads to use. Similar to parents influence, peer influence is also a major factor to usage, and all these are specific to youth. Referring back to the social process, society oppresses those in poverty and contributes to two working parents (possibly one with two or more jobs) trying to live

This study looks to find a link between social skills and young adolescent usage of cannabis. Previous research compiled by Griffith-Lendering, Huijbregts, Huizink, Ormel, Verhulst, Vollebergh and Swaab (2011) shows cannabis is one of the most widely used substances, with frequent occurrence among young adults. Cannabis usage during this developmental time is linked to educational problems, increased use of other illegal drugs and deviant behavior. Other factors that lead to increased use of cannabis include low socioeconomic status, poor academic performance, early usage of tobacco and alcohol, family problems, and externalized behavior. Studying precursors of cannabis use is important to preventing not only cannabis use, but also the use of other illegal drugs.

On the other hand, society's negative reactions to the heroin user are more than to the marijuana user. We assumed the case took place in the United State, where marijuana was commonly used and was legalized, people think taking marijuana is acceptable, like in Jennifer's case, she stated that most of her friends also like to smoke marijuana as a tool to stay calm, from this example we can see that taking marijuana is an acceptable act. Moreover, Jennifer is running a kindergarten, a part-time artist, and a mother, all these identities affect people's view of her behavior since she subjected to stricter social control than others. In the public's eyes, heroin is a harder drug and they may think the people who take heroin are connected to the

As a Colorado resident, I am all too aware of the cultural shock of cannabis. I first learned of the substance in the sixth grade while attending a concert with my family. After smelling a distinct odor, I was positive that there was a skunk in someone’s pocket, but once my older brother made fun of me for thinking so, I was sure to never make the same mistake again. In high school, the drug was around me even more, and there was a lot of publicity about the “new” medical marijuana controversy. A few years later, the drug was legalized and my “skunky little acquaintance” was everywhere. From the chairlifts at Vail Ski Resorts, to constant advertisements, and even to the parties I would attend on weekends, it seemed as though there was no way to stand clear of the scent that my native state seemed to have fostered and promoted. While some were extremely comfortable using the drug, others were uneasy around it. Regardless, both sides of the cannabis controversy understood the other’s attitude and respected the choices they made.

The main hypothesis from this study is that those young adults who purse out additional information about marijuana have demonstrated an increased intent to use the drug consequently. Following hypotheses are that this attitudes are resolved by numerous behaviors including learned norms and impressions. These associations have also been implied in similar studies which develop the

According to The National Institute On Drug Abuse, “Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. The plant contains the mind-altering chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other related compounds. Extracts with high amounts of THC can also be made from the cannabis plant, Marijuana extracts” (NIDA, 2015 publications/drugfacts/marijuana ). The White House’s official statement on marijuana states, “Marijuana is a topic of significant public discourse in the United States, and while many are familiar with the discussions, it is not always easy to find the latest, research-based information on marijuana to answer to the common questions about

In today’s society, it may seem as if there are only two kinds of people in this world.