Research Assignment: Discuss the Deviance and Marijuana (Essay Sample)

Deviance and Marijuana
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Deviance and Marijuana
Recent studies on drug consumption and health indicate that marijuana is the most used drug in the United States, particularly amongst the youth. In the recent years, the Federal government under regulated policies has made some adjustments in law that allows state governments legalize the use of marijuana, especially for recreational and medical reasons. However, despite this law provision, sociologists continue to express different opinions on whether the use of this substance is morally right or wrong. Society is at many times responsible for setting its own norms and beliefs that govern the behavior of its occupants. The difference emerges when some behaviors seen as immoral and wrong in the society are, in fact, not wrong when viewed from a legal perspective. Hence, as much as marijuana use might be legalized in certain states, its users are regarded deviant by certain groups in the society who are opposed to it. The paper looks at sociological theories that provide greater depth of understanding as to why the use of marijuana has been viewed as a deviant behavior in the societyfor decades.
In functionalist paradigm, Merton’s structural strain theory categorically draws a line between what society believes and what an individual in that very society thinks is right or wrong. According to the theory, society strongly places weight on the socially approved norms and beliefs and any deviation from the latter is considered as an act of deviance. Therefore, it iswrong for an individual to engage in behaviors or acts that are not within societal approval as such could attract opposition from other members or groups of that society. Hence, from a sociological view, society has always considered marijuana as an illicit and harmful substance that has no place in the society and as such, individuals or groups who use the substance are considered deviant ("Chapter 7: Deviance, Crime, and Social Control | Introduction to Sociology – 1st Canadian Edition", 2016). Likewise, in differential association theory, under symbolic interactionism paradigm, individuals are perceived deviant with regards to their social interactions and associations. Therefore, an individual is likely to become deviant if the various individuals or groups he or she interacts with have been branded deviant by the society. It is worth noting that from this theory, individuals are more likely to fall victims of deviance unwillingly due to their associations. It presumes the fact that those individuals, who unknowingly find themselves in a group of marijuana users, are more likely to become users themselves. Although the initiation process may initially be strenuous, consistent encouragement from frequent users eventually convinces new users to learn its value and after the substance has become addictive, they totally become deviant ("Chapter 7: Deviance, Crime, and Social Control | Introduction to Sociology – 1st Canadian Edition", 2016).
Although the use of marijuana is considered as a federal offense, its acceptance in society today has seen a tremendous growth with almost a third of the United States legalizing it. The latter can be attributed to the present social conditions and changes in the society which have been driven by certain factors. For instance, the widespread advocacy by social media proponents and other organizations have, in the recent years, seen an increased tolerance levels regarding the substance use. Furthermore, conditions such as low cost flavors, and the fact that many in the society today deem marijuana safer than alcohol, have additionally encouraged substance use amongst young people. Similarly, cost has also been identified as one of the reasons why many youths, out of curiosity, want to try out electronic cigarettes and other flavors that contain marijuana substances in them. Many of these substances sell at low prices and as such, it becomes easy for one to acquire such substances.
The social changes have been brought about by various factors whi...