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References

All about marijuana (2010). Retrieved October 8, 2010 from marijuanablog.us

Browne, R. (2005). Profiles of Popular Culture. Madison, Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin Press.

Marijuana legalization organization (2007). Retrieved October 8, 2010 from www.mjlegal .com

Medical marijuana. (2010). Retrieved on October 7, 2010 from medicalmarijuana.procon.org.

One popular culture topic that can be seen in all forms of the media right now is the legalization of marijuana. Marijuana can be seen in movies, like Pineapple Express; in television shows, like “Weeds”; and in the news, like if medical marijuana should be legal. This topic has become very popular in the recent years and I believe it will be a topic that will control the media for years to come. Looking on facebook (www.facebook.com), I found a multitude of groups that had over 1,000 people who joined. This is one form of expression for the everyday people. It shows that marijuana is on the minds of the people. There are also blogs and internet organizations who are promoting the legalization of marijuana. All of the media coverage on this illegal drug draws me to the conclusion that it is a dominate popular culture topic worthy of discussion. According to a study found at procon.org, 69 million people who are at least 12 years of age have tried marijuana. That means that at least 69 million people have had marijuana on their minds. In 2005, there 25.4 million active users in the same age group (Medical, 2010). If popular culture is what the majority of the people are interested in (whether it is for or against)(Browne, 2005), then this issue should be a part of popular culture. Fourteen states and Washington D.C. have legalized the use of medical marijuana (Medical, 2010). This means that these state governments have found that the majority of the people in their area agree that marijuana should be legal. I’m not saying that it should or shouldn’t be legal; the argument against its legalization is just as strong as for it. However, there is no doubt that it is a part of America’s popular culture.