This is the second part in a multi-part series on cannabis’ influence on pop culture. In part one, we discussed the impact of cannabis on American culture from pre-1900 to the 1960s. If you love to read long stories in order, we recommend you read part one here. Part two will discuss cannabis’ impact on pop culture from 1970 to 2000. If you are more interested in this time period or do not mind jumping into a story already in progress, read on to learn about cannabis’ influence on pop culture.
Transitioning From the 1960s
As we learned previously, cannabis deeply influenced pop culture in the 1960s. Cannabis directly inspired the popular music, post-modern art, and creative writing of the 1960s. These countercultural artistic influences brought cannabis out of a dark age. No longer was cannabis deified by harmful stereotypes and misinformation, and Americans grew more lenient towards cannabis and cannabis users.
As the 1970s began, it seemed cannabis’ reputation continued to trend upwards. In the early 70s, many states decriminalized marijuana use. Also, Congress passed a law repealing most mandatory sentences for drug-related offenses. The cannabis industry grew exponentially, especially for pipes, bongs, and other paraphernalia. Overall, the possibility of nationwide decriminalization and legalization of marijuana was nearly a reality. Unfortunately, this reality never came to pass, and cannabis gained a stigma like never before.
The War On Drugs
In 1971, President Nixon famously declared the “War on Drugs.” Unlike the laws passed a few years earlier, Nixon took a hardline on drug production, possession, and use. Nixon’s War on Drugs would have the most significant pop culture impact on drugs throughout the 70s and 80s. Suddenly, the people who busted cannabis’ stereotypical stigma were now the United States’ biggest enemies.
There are some ideas that the War on Drugs and other anti-drug movements of the 70s and 80s arose out of the cannabis industry targeting children. In 1978, a survey showed that 1 in 9 high school seniors used cannabis daily, and many students reported cannabis was “easy to get.” At the same time, grassroots movements and the government were cracking down on tobacco companies advertising to children. There is no doubt that adolescent use of marijuana played a role in creating a negative stigma around marijuana. However, the reason Nixon declared the War on Drugs was much more sinister than “trying to protect children.”
In an interview that recently came to light, a Nixon aide revealed the actual target of the “War on Drugs, “The Nixon White House… had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people… We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities.” The War on Drugs was not an idealistic movement but a politically motivated attack on oppressed groups. These bigoted ideas would cause marijuana to regain the negative stigma it sought to shake in the 60s.
Just Say No
As the War on Drugs dragged on, the stigma around marijuana grew. The government sought to throw cannabis under the bus to destroy their political enemies. Therefore, the United States government did everything in its power to have the public associate cannabis users with criminals. In the 1960s, countercultural icons like The Beatles, Andy Warhol, and Allen Ginsberg spearheaded cannabis’ influence on pop culture. In the 1980s, the government decided to use celebrities to its advantage. Cannabis’ influence on pop culture is most evident in the “Just Say No” campaign.
In 1984, Nancy Regan visited an elementary school for a public relations stunt. A schoolgirl asked what she should do if someone offered her drugs. Nancy Regan responded, “just say no.” This famous quote kickstarted an American anti-drug campaign that branched into popular media.
Nancy Regan began to make appearances with celebrities to garner public support for Just Say No. The most famous example is the anti-drug music video “Stop the Madness.” This video vilifies cannabis users, associating them with criminals and violent junkies. Nancy Regan is in the video alongside celebrities like David Hasselhoff, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Whitney Houston. This anti-drug propaganda is the perfect example of the United States government exploiting pop culture to create a negative stigma around cannabis.
In the end, the scare tactics used in these videos did little to prevent people from using drugs. There is even evidence that children exposed to these campaigns were more likely to use drugs. We can all agree that children should not use drugs, but one can educate children on drugs without demonizing cannabis. Even though pop culture was a tool for vilifying cannabis in the 80s, a resurgent underground scene retook pop culture and cannabis.
Cannabis’ influence on 90s Pop Culture
The number of anti-drug PSAs increased dramatically in the 90s. However, these no longer contained the flashy celebrities of the 80s. These short commercials spouted cheesy slogans like, “this is your brain on drugs,” and contained girls who smoked so much marijuana their dog started talking to them. Alongside these ridiculous commercials, real damage was done. Low-level marijuana arrests skyrocketed, and many were put behind bars for years for a single joint. When all seemed to be lost, pop culture came to cannabis’ rescue.
In the halcyon days of the 60s and 70s, stoner movies like Cheech & Chong: Up In Smoke were a dime a dozen. However, with the defamation of marijuana, these lighthearted drug comedies literally went up in smoke. Not until 1993 did these films return. Richard Linklater and Matthew McConaughey teamed up for the iconic Dazed and Confused, and Dave Chappelle made Half-Baked. The films took cannabis from a taboo to a subject worthy of examination. Although pop culture might remember them for their jokes, they were part of raising cannabis out of a ruined reputation.
Once again, musicians who smoked cannabis created music that changed the scene forever. Dr. Dre’s The Chronic is an iconic example of cannabis positivity. His cannabis use inspired a classic hip-hop album, which made others ready to embrace cannabis in their art. Snoop Dogg, Kurt Cobain, and other musicians smoked and wrote about cannabis use. Just as cannabis changed 60s music forever with The Beatles and their contemporaries, the 90s felt a similar resurgence. Soon enough, the 2000s continued to raise cannabis’ reputation from its lowest point.