Marijuana: A Media Unto Itself

Now more than ever, the American drug counter-culture prides itself on being informed and networked. The printing industry might as well be running hemp paper through their presses, because a good portion of their trade stems from those who enjoy (and want to share their knowledge of) marijuana. All forms of materials are distributed as the cannabis culture seeks to make its case – stickers, brochures, magazines, books, all manner of printed media.

Not Just High Times Anymore

The explosion of the Internet only strengthened the hand of the pro-legalization crowd. With the assistance of pure bandwidth, they pounded out the message, embracing every facet of online social contact. To wit, a Google search for “marijuana information” yields over 21 million results (in 0.22 seconds). There are countless forums through which people can discuss the broad spectrum of cannabis-related topics. A good chunk of the chatter is devoted to the construction and use of bongs and pipes.

Fountain Of  Information

With such variety to be had in the world of bongs, one can spend quite a bit of team checking these things out. In just a few minutes, one can find out the optimal ratio of water to ice in a bong, which materials are best based on the size of the bong, or the type of hit one desires, or whether one uses ice or not, on and on it goes. Online chat covers all ground, and it turns out that people will freely discuss their use of pot without much fear of recrimination.

What the purveyors of a weed-legal society have on their side is the power of prose. The government’s prohibitive stance can only be articulated in the imperative intonations of authority. When people try to write creatively in opposition to casual drug use, it comes off as preachy and maudlin, if not comically hysterical. Win or lose, freedom of expression – in all forms – continues to be the counterweight to prohibition, as it has always been.

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