Cannabis culture

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Bob Marley on the cover of The Wailers' 1973 album Catch a Fire. Marley has become an iconic figure in cannabis culture.

The concept of a real or perceived culture centered around the use of cannabis has grown in significance as cannabis use has become more commonplace in modern societies. The changing perception of cannabis users has resulted in a number of cannabis-oriented interest groups, as well as some commonly-held stereotypes of users, both of which have helped to shape the meaning of cannabis culture. Many believe that such typification of users is meaningless given the sheer diversity in the worldwide demographic of users, which spans different cultures, age, ethnicity, and social status. Some users, however, may identify with certain customs or ideologies surrounding the drug. Cannabis is also cited as an inspiration by many artists (see List of notable drug culture figures).

1 Overview
2 Stereotypes of users
3 Music and cannabis use
4 Smoking
5 Greens
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] Overview

The 1969 Woodstock Festival. Beginning in the 1960s, the use of cannabis became prevalent at many rock concerts with a low level of police presence.

The illegality of cannabis in most parts of the world is often considered a unifying factor in cannabis culture, creating an "us against the world" mentality among many, particularly young, users. The criminalization of cannabis users has caused a great deal of resentment toward authority, especially law enforcement, for many users.

The 1960s counterculture in the USA caused a surge in cannabis use throughout most of the world. Many users identified with rock music and the progressive, liberal values of the hippie movement. As this generation of cannabis users has aged, the demographic of users has become less and less confined to young adults, an age group with which cannabis use has traditionally been associated due to its relative lack of popularity before the sixties.

[edit] Stereotypes of users

A number of common stereotypes about cannabis users have been popularized over time by hearsay and, more recently, mass media. Stoner films, for example, tend to cast the user as a suburban teen or young adult who is apathetic toward any aspect of life besides the pursuit of fun — and, of course, more cannabis. They may or may not identify themselves with other drug-related cultures and may even see use of other drugs, especially hard drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, as dangerous, addictive and/or morally wrong. Some stoners may identify with the hippie culture, Heavy Metal culture, the Rastafari movement, or hip hop, among others.

As the number of cannabis users in the west has increased over the past four decades, the stoner's image has become more familiar in developed societies, and less identified with young people. Where once cannabis users were associated with isolated hippie culture (Woodstock, Grateful Dead, etc.) and Rastas, they are now increasingly regarded as typical individuals. It is this intersection between suburban life and drug culture which has changed how many people view cannabis users. Some people make bongs out of minimal household materials, or use their joint/blunt-rolling abilities to roll it.

One of the most popular cult-classic films is Up in Smoke featuring Cheech and Chong. Although it is a bit extensive and exaggerated, it is meant to be humorous. More modern interpretations of "the stoner" can be seen in Half Baked. Another notable modern interpretation can be seen in the protagonists of Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.

[edit] Music and cannabis use

Many musicians attempt to recreate their experience with cannabis through the use of audio distortion, droning, echoes, or guitar effects. In the genre of rock music, the terms psychedelic rock and stoner rock have emerged as classifications of rock which makes prominent use of these techniques. Psychedelic music, however, is not limited to cannabis for its inspiration, as hallucinogens often play a more profound role.

In addition to providing a creative outlet for cannabis use, music is often used to enhance the cannabis experience, as it can have a significant effect on the kind of thoughts or sensations experienced while high. The type of music enjoyed by users crosses nearly any known genre. Many users find that their scope of music appreciation broadens while high.

[edit] Smoking

[edit] With paper

The most popular method of cannabis smoking is with hand-rolled paper, usually called a joint or spliff, which is passed among a circle of users. One or more tokes of the joints are taken before passing it to the next person. It is also poor etiquette to get the joint overly wet with saliva. Tobacco or other fillers are sometimes used, more commonly amongst european smokers, but some Americans enjoy the blend for its flavour, ease of rolling, and conservation of funds. Sometimes blunts (cannabis cigars) are smoked instead, usually with a larger crowd, or for a longer session due to the slower burning characteristics of the cigar paper.

[edit] With a bong or pipe

Another common smoking method is with a bong or pipe. In some circles, whoever packs the bowl gets the first hit, often called "greens", and then passes the bong or pipe and lighter to the next person. However, in Australia, one person will often pack and smoke the entire bowl before passing it on to the next person(Often called "percys", short for personal), who packs another for themselves. One person may be designated to pack the bowl. One simple variation on this smoking method is passing around 2 or more pipes at the same time. Another methode is the "never ending bowl" theory. The packer fills the bowl half way and passes it to his right. After the second hit he refills the bowl with another hit and a half and passes the piece along. This keeps most of the 'happy" from vaporising off with no one enjoying its benefits. This method also allows for everyone to get a green hit and provides better combustion performance for the piece.

[edit] Shared smoking

Users smoke in groups, using a common smoking device such as a joint or bong passed around from person to person. Most often the circle will use one specific direction of passing the smoking implement. There have been many variations on this social circle, such as the "pass to the right", "pass to the left", or the "shoes-off blaze". A common phrase in smoking is "puff puff pass" where whoever has the smoking device takes two hits and then passes it to the next person.

Sharing cannabis in a group is not always the norm. In the Netherlands, for example, users typically roll their own spliffs, which are smoked individually^{[citation needed]}. Some people consider sharing joints to be unhygienic.

[edit] Greens

To take greens is to be the first of a group to smoke from a bowl of cannabis. The name derives from the color of the cannabis prior to smoking. After the cannabis has been directly touched by a flame it becomes brown or black, and therefore those who smoke from it afterwards will not be taking greens. Through techniques such as cornering, multiple people can take greens, which is ideal.