marijuana in the movies

Since the beginning of movie making, filmmakers have tried to mirror society. The counterculture has always been a favorite issue, including marijuana use. As early as the 1920’s, marijuana has made many cameo appearances in films as well as a few starring roles. From its early days of scare tactics in the now famous cult favorite “Reefer Madness”, to the late 70’s marijuana heroes, Cheech and Chong in “Up in Smoke,” grass has come full circle. Although it is said that millions light up everyday, Hollywood has a hard time dealing with the use of marijuana on the silver screen. Nowadays, the majority of films that feature marijuana are somewhat neutral in their portrayal of this “illicit activity.” But there have been quite a few that have marijuana in the forefront as the star.

The earliest films featuring marijuana use were created to scare the audience by showing exaggerated effects of smoking it and usually introduced a character whose life falls apart after they become addicted to it. A prime example of this type of film is “Reefer Madness” released in 1936. This film started out with a warning to the audience of a new drug menace, which threatened the American way

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He meets him at the local teen hangout and lures him back to the Reefer Den telling him he knows where theirs a “real party. One that might be familiar is “Dazed and Confused. It warned the American public to take action before the good ol’ U. The film proceeds to show Jimmy’s fall into addiction and goes to great measures to show his change from a “good egg” to a “bad egg.

This film went to great lengths to scare the audience into never touching marijuana and probably lead to the passing of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. Then we see them smoke in a friend’s bedroom after school “testing the merchandise” before make a purchase. What follows are typical pothead behavior with a ton of cameos including, Janeane Garofalo, Jon Stewart, Stephen Baldwin, Willie Nelson, Snoop Dog, and Tommy Chong. Theirs the lovable Ralph, an ex-college student who is so deep into marijuana addiction that he can only communicate by maniacal laughter. They decide to sell high-gra!

de marijuana that Thurgood gets from his job as a janitor at a pharmaceutical lab just until they get enough money for bail. And since the film industry tries to mirror our society, we are sure to see more marijuana-based movies in the future. While at the Reefer Den, Jimmy, as well as the audience, are introduce to some other characters that show exaggerated affects of marijuana. ” To illustrate their point, the main character Jimmy Harper and his girlfriend Mary Jane are introduced as a lovable pair of wholesome teens sipping their cocoa and studying Shakespeare for their English class. In them the hero falls into addiction and either dies as a direct result of their use or turn their lives around to fight against the evils of marijuana.

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