Drug Use

Soci 262

Alex Strote

ID#5588561

Prof. Michael Rosenberg

Drug Use

It is safe to say that every modern, and almost all less developed societies have laws regarding the use of certain drugs. The drug penalties vary severely depending on what society one is raised in. In Holland, specifically Amsterdam, one is able to purchase up to five grams of marijuana in a coffee shop unpunished; the customer must be over the age of 18. In Mexico one can end up in jail for the remaining years of their life if caught with marijuana. In Jamaica marijuana is illegal (believe it or not), yet followers of the Rastafarian faith require it as part of religious ceremonies. Marijuana tea is given to young Rastafarian children to help them sleep or calm them when they are crying. A typical westerner would believe it is immoral to give your child marijuana as a sleep aid. What is considered normal behavior in one society is considered the lowest of the low when it comes to deviant behavior in others. This essay will discuss: drug use, mainly marijuana, as deviant behavior amongst age and peer groups, to what extent the drug use is considered deviant as well as what effect and role drug use has upon society.

The abuse of legal and illegal drug use is found in all age groups, the highest rate of abuse is among teens and young adults. Depending on what type of drug is used and how often it is used will determine how severe the effects will be on the individual and their function in society. A person who smokes marijuana twice a day will have a much lower incidence of severe side effects than a person who uses heroin or cocaine on a daily basis. The effects of chronic heroin or cocaine use can be devastating and result in a loss of life. Heroin and cocaine purchased on the streets can be impure and have contaminants more dangerous than the drug itself which can destroy the brain and cause instant death . Furthermore, a heavy heroin user can not function efficiently in society. Given the cost of the habit, the physical and mental effects it has upon the user the drug essentially renders them useless. Furthermore addiction can cause the user to become much worse than just useless, it can cause (and is likely to) other forms of deviant behavior, such as stealing, robbery and assault amongst other crimes/deviant acts.

A classic theory surrounding substance abuse is the idea of peer pressure. Peer pressure "comprises a set of group dynamics whereby a group in which one feels comfortable may override personal habits, individual moral inhibitions or idiosyncratic desires to impose a group norm of attitudes and/or behaviors. " The theory of peer pressure is an easy way to place blame on, in the majority of cases, adolescence and teens drug problems. Peer pressure does not explain why drug use occurs in the first place; more so, it explains why a teen or adolescent would start using because of a change in atmosphere, peer group or social role.

Marijuana use in Canada is quickly becoming considered much less of a deviant act. The penalties for possession of small amounts are not severe and are some what unclear "In July 2000, an Ontario Court of Appeal ruled against the Canadian law because it did not address medical necessity and on July 31, 2001 a new regulation was enacted by the cabinet which addressed medical use. In January 2003, a lower Ontario court ruled simple possession laws banning cannabis unconstitutional, although it is unclear what the long term implications of this might be. "

As stated in the opening paragraph, for more than two decades Dutch citizens over the age eighteen have been allowed to purchase and use cannabis in government-regulated coffee shops. The Dutch policy has not influenced an increase in use of cannabis, for the most part. Rates of Marijuana use in the Netherlands are slightly higher, but very similar to those of the United States for all age groups except for adolescence. Marijuana use by adolescent members of society is substantially lower in the Netherlands compared to US statistics (see, appendix). When it comes to heroin use amongst adults, statistics are higher in the United States . In the Netherlands and other European nations such as, Italy, Germany and now in Great Britain decriminalizing possession of marijuana has enabled these nations to decrease the use of cannabis. These countries surmise that the justification for this point is that due to the "forbidden fruit syndrome" in the United States, which was not attached to a decriminalized substance like cannabis in these European countries . The idea behind the forbidden fruit syndrome is very simple, people are curious, you tell someone something is essentially forbidden or that they should not do it, it is human nature to find out why. Thus, explaining the substantial increase of marijuana use amongst U.S. adolescence.

Some would say it is very unusual that rates of drug use are not significantly higher in societies where possession of certain substances is not a criminal act, or considered that deviant to begin with. The U.S. federal government has spent over $19 billion dollars in 2003 on "The War on Drugs" . This costs about 600 U.S. dollars per second . These figures support the 'forbidden fruit' theory and directly represent a negative view amongst the general U.S. population regarding the use of drugs, even ones, considered by many, as mild as marijuana.

As far as social roles, marijuana's role is different in most societies, as made obvious by prior points. In the Netherlands, the coffee shops offer a social aspect of the drug which encourages social behavior to begin with. One can order an espresso and a joint, sit back and have a conversation with friends or meet new people. Similar social scenes are arising in Canada, at least, Toronto. The Hot Box Cafй is a marijuana friendly cafй located downtown Toronto. Though one cannot purchase marijuana inside the establishment, it is allowed to be smoked freely. Rules against the selling of the drug inside the cafй are also strictly enforced. The atmosphere is very friendly and a great place to meet interesting people.

Though countries like the Unites States have strict laws enforcing the use of marijuana, this does not eliminate the social impact the drug has on the society. Much of Hip-hop music, which originated in the United States, promotes the use of marijuana, and its use is prevalent amongst members of its culture. The hippie movement of the sixties and early seventies cannot be forgotten