Stoners

Part 1: Description of the social group of marijuana users: People who smoke marijuana a lot are defined by many as “stoners”. Stoners call marijuana by many other names like cannabis, pot, weed, etc. It is by far the most common illicit drug and its users tend to be mostly young people. Recreational users tend to use marijuana just for the feeling of the altered state of mind, mood, and behavior which makes one feel “high” or “stoned”. People also use marijuana for medicinal purposes to help them with medical issues or mental problems. Marijuana tends to make people feel content, help their anxiety and make them feel calm. It can also help them sleep. Those who do use it for medicinal uses will have a medical marijuana card and be able to

Being identified as a stoner is neither a good thing nor a bad thing. The agent of socialization of peer groups, social imagination and social stratification are few concepts we can use to understand stoners. A big factor on the influence of becoming user is the agent of socialization of peer groups. A peer group is made up of people who share interests. Peer groups help adolescents develop an identity and It gives them an opportunity for socialization as they will engage in different activities. This gives independence from their parents. In general, peer groups have a great influence during adolescence (Little et al, 2014, p. 152). On one hand, peer groups allow for self-exploration and realization but on the other hand, it leads to peer pressure. The same way peer groups influence the music we listen to or the type of clothes we wear, people can also be influenced into smoking marijuana and this is far the most common way of starting to smoke. Knowing someone in your peer groups who smokes marijuana is a first step in engaging in the activity yourself. When hanging out with someone who smokes, they may ask “do you want to try this?” and this puts people in a tight spot between their personal values and wanting approval by members of the peer group

The legalization of marijuana sounds like a bad idea but by making it legal, I think it would be able to regulate and control the access and use of marijuana for recreational purposes, restrict access to youth and control illegal marijuana dealers. The legalization of marijuana for recreational use has been a very huge controversial debate in Canada for a while. According to C. Wright Mills, the sociological imagination is how individuals examine their private troubles in the context of public issues. It is the ability to understand how your own problems can relate to other people’s problems. When someone’s private troubles are widely shared with others, this shows that there is a social problem (Little et al, 2014, p. 5). Marijuana users want to see the law on use of marijuana for recreational purposes changed as they see nothing wrong with the product. But those who don’t use marijuana see everything wrong with it and want it illegal because it is perceived by society as dangerous and hazardous yet there have been no reported deaths from it or serious health problems, while alcoholic is legal and causes many deaths and severe addiction problems every year. Why is it that alcohol is socially acceptable and marijuana is not? The way marijuana is seen is because of society’s perception of