Marijuana's Shifting Views From Deviant to Normal Essay

Marijuana has since been encompassed in a deviance subculture. The drug has been used in a great dimension of social contexts for different reasons. A deviance behavior infringes social patterns and stimulates negative social responses. Deviant identities can be associated with the drug and which involve the marijuana user, the seller and the grower (Maggard & Boylstein, 2014). However, today, the normal point of view is being adopted. Marijuana's shifting views started as soon as non-users would say that there is no problem with using the drug.

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The control theory suggests that the strength of social bonds affects the social authority and the origin of deviance is a disconnection from the society. Non-users previously felt that marijuana users would break laws with the aim of reaping the rewards of pleasure and profit as soon as they had the opportunity. However, presently, the belief and perception of the non-users have changed in a way that they believe that these opportunities do not exist for marijuana users. Since marijuana users are connected to the society and part of it, they are less likely to commit crimes as previously thought. The labeling theory evaluates the ascription of deviant behavior to another person by the society. Just as seen previously, the deviant behavior was not being determined by the behaviors of the users but the reactions with the non-users to those behaviors. Marijuana users, even though considered of a homogenous identity previously, are now making the use of the drug shift from a marginalized behavior to that which is normal. Today's non-users have realized that the associated deviant subculture changes and varies across cultures hence, have changed their perception of the same to a normal one.

The functionalism theory views deviance as a component of a functioning society. In that case, crime would occur in communities exhibiting weak social bonds and without any social control. However, marijuana users are part of the society hence would not be contributors of crime hence, changing the perspective of the society about the users to a normal one. The user of marijuana today still drags along a stigma of management that would require users to take keen note of the boundaries and have principles in regards to conflict (Hathaway, 2004). The social structure theory notes that deviant actions are not illegal but harmful. However, the normative perception of marijuana disregards this trend and rather conforms to the fact that marijuana does not lead to any harmful actions in any way. Yet the deviance behavior is perceived with the various identities of marijuana, most of them feel a responsibility, and consume the drug in specific social settings and not enhancing harm to other people.

Conclusion

The thoughts and outlooks of marijuana have changed over time, enhancing shifting viewpoints, from deviant to normal. As compared to long ago, users do not belong to a deviant subculture due to the converging perspectives of users and non-users, and its prevalence among young adults (Mostaghim & Hathaway, 2013). However, a normalcy perception prevails, where non-users are becoming more aware of the drug and accepting users to consume it as long as they were cautious and discrete along making respectful choices of not influencing non-users in any way. This viewpoint is enhanced by the fact that prohibition of the drug is not working, and can be replaced by a reduction of harm as a result of its influence. As young people consume the drug, they shape the formation of their own identity besides shaping their leisure time as the drug has become part of the users' lifestyle.

References

Hathaway, A. D. (2004). Cannabis users' informal rules for managing stigma and risk. Deviant Behavior, 25(6), 559-577. doi:10.1080/01639620490484095

Maggard, S. R., & Boylstein, C. (2014). Changing Masks: Identity Maintenance and the Role of Marijuana among a Small Circle of Marijuana Growers. Deviant Behavior, 35(8), 593-610. doi:10.1080/01639625.2013.863101

Mostaghim, A., & Hathaway, A. D. (2013). Identity Formation, Marijuana and "The Self": A Study of Cannabis Normalization among University Students. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 4. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00160