Marijuana Subculture - 1712 Words

Subculture: Marijuana in the United States Fatima Alikhan ENG 122 Professor Kenneth Newton Monday May 23, 2010 The United States has an approved list of drugs that are considered legal and illegal that create adverse side effects and hold diverse political views. Marijuana is a substance that popular media holds in a negative undertone while other drugs such as valium and alcohol are supported, if not glorified. Popular media is a powerful tool that gathers a mass of people and provides all types of information. Some types of information are historical facts, statistics, entertainment, opinions, and biases which alter the state and views of those who access it. Marijuana has had an extremely controversial†¦show more content†¦Alcohol has a long history of being portrayed in media as a â€Å"relaxing† elixir after a long day at work or a method of unwinding. The role of alcohol in movies and television are false impressions of what would happen in a social setting if you were to be drinking a certain alcohol or the how much better your time would be spent if you were drink ing. Commercials and advertisements use models, cars, celebrities, sports, clubs, and entertainment to promote an image or brand that alcohol brings life, love, and lust to any party however the cold hard truth is that it is far from the perception it sells. This multi-million dollar industry prides itself on a fast growing industry that has the highest percentage of users of a social drug in the United States. â€Å"We do not need the brewers’ reminder that the absolute quantity of alcohol consumed has been steadily increasing at a rate of at least 7% per annum to be aware that it remains far and away the most widely-accepted social drug in this country,† (Aud, 1981, p. 48). Prescription pills have not been much of a harmful substance until this decade. The recent increase in those prescribed with pain and given very high doses of pain medication has been astonishing. Although these substances are intended to target the pain, mostShow MoreRelated Marijuana as a S ubculture Essay1357 Words   |  6 Pages 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 marijuanaRead MoreMarijuana as a Subculture Essay1356 Words   |  6 PagesA 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 c onnoisseurs; people who respect cannabis and use it responsibly. Few drugs have been so politicized recently as marijuanaRead MoreContrasting the Contemporary Hipster with the Classical Hippie1899 Words   |  8 Pagesof trendsetters. This esteemed title however has been recently craved by so many, it has incubated the newest and most recent trend in subcultures across the globe: Hipsters. What’s curious about it, however, is that unlike massive and contagious movements in history (as with hippies), Hipsters are characterized by their unrevealed sense of identity to the subculture that surrounds him/her. 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We must ask ourselves, why was this so, why was this one psychedelic drug as Nixon called it â€Å" Public Enemy Number One†. This drug became somewhat of a political tool to twist and turn making sure the general public’s ignorance stayed unabated, during a whole country against a subculture with no realRead MoreThe Greatful Dead Essay840 Words   |  4 PagesThe Greatful Dead A simple definition of a sub-culture is a group of people who have norms, values, and beliefs that are distinct from those of the main stream culture. A subculture is a group of people who have a distinct way of life. Dead heads fit into this category. They believe that there are many interpretations of reality, and that everyones interpretations are somewhat valid, but none of them are real. 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