Why we need to get over more traditional stoner stereotypes
Stoner stereotypes are generally fairly negative. With the running theme being a group of dirty, dumb, and hilarious individuals. Sometimes there are even issues of race that are implicated, with cannabis being stereotypicaly consumed by dumb young men that are often of African American descent. What this has done is shadowed over the numerous amounts of information we now have that shows that marijuana can be beneficial for a variety of reasons and is often used most by those you would least expect including your friendly elderly neighbor. While many understand that most stereotypes, in general, are not based in fact and incredibly detrimental to the group, we still find it funny to watch a bunch of people act crazy while trying to connect to the characters purely based on their cannabis use.
Latest stoner movies
While most stoners have had at least a handful of occasions where they enjoyed movies or showed that completely exaggerated what it is like to be a person that uses marijuana. Unfortunately, some of those flicks helped to shape the opinions of those who had no experience with the drug. Some of the latest stoner movies that drive this point home are This Is the End, Pineapple Express, Harold & Kumar Go toWhite Castle, and Super High Me are all set on a group of cannabis-loving friends that go on colorful, exaggerated adventures while stoned. The majority of those who smoke marijuana know that pot doesn’t generally make you hallucinate, see colorful demons, nor does it get you the girl, or give you some incredible power to go on crazy adventures. For the most part, those that use marijuana are quiet, relaxed, and very rarely do any of them act dim-witted or thoughtless just because they ingested some THC.
Anti weed propaganda
Even some of the hilarious anti-weed propaganda that so many marijuana lovers have come to enjoy is at least partially responsible for the image that comes to mind when we think of an “average pothead.” The infamous 1936 film Reefer Madness shows many well-dressed individuals and even doctors who refer to marijuana as a threat that is equal to heroin. This hour-long video goes on to explain that those who consume cannabis cannot control themselves and should even be considered a risk to anyone near them. Then there is another famous anti-marijuana film called Choose. The video centers around an anonymous rainbow-colored man who claims that the adverse health effects from smoking marijuana are ten times worse than cigarettes and that anyone who attempts to act, speak, or think while under the influence of marijuana couldn’t possibly make any sense.
Why we need to change stoner stereotypes
Stoner stereotypes have heavily influenced, and negatively affected societies overall point of view of cannabis users. This can be detrimental for several reasons. From trying to obtain work, to simply openly using what is now deemed medicine has become quite the controversial thing. Some people are even afraid to ask their doctors for a perfectly legal and viable medicine option. Those who are brave enough to ask are often denied due to doctors still functioning on more old school principals. The majority of the controversy over stoner stereotypes is fueled by those who have been discriminated against for their choice in drug be it for recreational use or medical purposes. Though laws now allow for legal consumption of marijuana, society still has a long way to go in accepting it as an equal to commonly used substances like opioids or alcohol despite it being proven safer and often more effective time and time again. One of the most significant driving factors to this change is an adjustment in the entertainment industries approach to discussing the marijuana industry which has long been black-marked. We need this change to see fair access to not only marijuana but also real current information and studies on cannabis, and its various beneficial qualities.
