About

Marijuana, also known as Weed or Pot, is a psychoactive drug which also has some medicinal properties. The drug is a derivative of the plant known as cannabis and includes the chemical THC which is the main compound in marijuana that gives it its psychoactive properties that give the user a "high", or an increase in dopamine which gives the user a good feeling.^[1] Marijuana being used for recreational and medicinal purposes is still a major issue today and its use in both ways is still illegal in most places.^[2] On the Internet, marijuana has gathered a large following for its psychoactive properties and legalization movements, being its fans refered as stoners.

History

Marijuana was first known to be used by the ancient Chinese emperor Shen Nung around 2727 B.C.E, and was also used by some Asian civilizations, like ancient Hindus and Assyrians, mostly on religious cults.^[20] Its use was also reported by the Irish American captain John Gregory Bourke by Río Grande's Mexican residents, using it as treatment of asthma, to expedite delivery, to keep away witches, and as a love-philtre. In the early 20th century, cannabis started being criminalized in several countries, including United States. During the 60's and 70's, cannabis experienced an increase in popularity thanks to the hippie and Rastafari movements, starting a series of campaigns to legalise and decriminalise marijuana on most countries.

Decriminalization and Legalization

The "Legalize It" Movement" is a campaign to promote the legalization of cannabis on United States, born after the recommendation from National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse recommendation to decriminalize marijuana in 1972.^[26] The movement, that has some presence on the Internet,^[24][25] has often been parodied and the catchphrase "Legalize It" has often been used to poke fun at marijuana fans (shown bellow, right).

2016 Legalizations

On November 8th, California, Nevada, and Massachusetts voted to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, meaning the United States now has seven states where marijuana is legal. The victory is seen as a major mark of progress for ending marijuana prohibition, and Californian supporters say "the measure would help redress the disproportionate numbers of arrests and convictions among minorities for drug crimes."^[27]

Online Relevance

Since cannabis legalization for recreational and medicinal use is such a major issue, the drug has gathered a major following online and off. There are many organizations that attempt to have the drug legalized including NORML.org.^[3] and a page on DrugPolicy.org.^[4] Various social networking accounts have been created in order to raise public awareness of decriminalization and legalization efforts, including on Twitter^[6][7] and Facebook.^[9]

420chan

420chan is an English-language imageboard created by Kirtaner.^[1] Mainly focused on the discussion of recreational drug use (mostly cannabis) and professional wrestling, the board has become one of the most popular English alternatives to 4chan.

Fandom

Marijuana is the third most popular drug used in the United States, and one the most popular drugs used worlwide. Users of marijuana are most often referred to as "stoners" and the act of getting high off of the drug is called "getting stoned".^[1] Various social network pages inspired by the drug have been created including on Twitter,^[5][6][7]  Facebook,^[8][9][10]  Tumblr,^{[11][12][13][21]} and Reddit,^[14][15][16] being /r/trees the most popular one, with over 700,000 suscribers.^[19]

420

420 is a number used in relation to the marijuana subculture indicating that someone is a user of the drug or a fan of it.^[22][23] It can sometimes be used as a secret code when referring to the use of marijuana to avoid suspicion from eavesdroppers. The number is often used in reference of April 20, or the date 4/20 which is considered a very popular day to use the drug.^[17]

Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg is the stage name used by Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., an American hip hop recording artist and actor well-known for his uniquely laid-back, soft-spoken style of delivery and widely credited for popularizing the style of gangsta-funk (G-funk) rap in the early 1990s. Outside of his music career, the rapper has also become an international icon within the stoner subculture due to his consistent inclusion of lyrical references to recreational use of cannabis in his songs, and later on, public advocacy of marijuana legalization in the United States.

Related Memes

"420 Blaze It"

“420 Blaze It” is a catchphrase used in celebration of smoking marijuana. The phrase is often used ironically to mock cannabis enthusiasts who identify themselves with the stoner subculture.

Rasta Science Teacher

Rasta Science Teacher (a.k.a Rasta Professor) is an image macro series based on a picture of a class instructor wearing dreadlocks and a Rasta fashion hat. A type of bait and switch joke involving intentional line break, the captions usually consist of two parts: 1) a direct reference to Reggae songs or smokers’ lingo and 2) an anticlimatic statement derailing to academic subjects in the manner of a science teacher.

@ConcernedMom420

ConcernedMom420 was the Twitter handle of an anonymous blogger known for posting inaccurate statements about common parental issues and topics, such as religion, drug use and homophobia, while posing as an overly concerned and ill-informed parent with a personal mission to ban marijuana. The account allegedly belonged to a 45-year-old Christian mom from Utah, but the preposterous nature of the tweets have lead many to suspect it was run by a troll.

"Smoke Weed Everyday"

Smoke Weed Everyday is a phrase derived from Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg's 2000 rap single "The Next Episode".^[18] The phrase has been commonly associated with images of people surrounded by smoke and has been used in various YouTube Poops, YTPMVs, and remixes.

Faces of Marijuana

Faces of Marijuana, also known as "Faces of Pot", is a series of satirical images parodying anti-marijuana PSAs. The pictures are usually edited to appear extreme and over the top for comedic purposes, similar to the X Isn't Normal, But On Meth It Is parody images.

Stoner Dog

Stoner Dog is an advice animal image macro series featuring a picture of a dog with an unnatural smile and a smoky background adorned with rainbow-colored cannabis leaves. The captions placed over the image are usually relevant to the actions of a person under the influence of marijuana.

[ 10 ] Guy

[ 10 ] Guy, also known as"Really High Guy" and "Stoner Stanley", is an advice animal image macro series involving a picture of a young man who appears to be under the influence of marijuana. The captions on this image are usually of things that a person might say when high on the drug.

Stoner Comics

Stoner Comics are a series of MS Paint web comics that use marijuana as a comedic plot device. The comics are usually aimed at being relatable to marijuana users and common experiences when under the drug's influence.

Hits Blunt

Hits Blunt is a catchphrase associated with a series of two-panel image macros that convey inane or absurd thoughts which may run through a person’s head while under the influence of marijuana, especially when it is consumed in the form of a cannabis cigar (more commonly known as a “blunt”), typically accompanied by a photograph of a subject sporting a hooded sweatshirt and looking utterly confused in the typical fashion of a stoner.

"Dude Weed LMAO"

“Dude Weed Lmao” is a catchphrase used to impersonate and mock members of the stoner subculture and as a spam and shitposting practice. The catchphrase is also associated with the Canadian actor, filmmaker, and comedian Seth Rogen, known for featuring marijuana-related jokes or scenes on his movies. The phrase can be used as a criticism of some kinds of comedy, under the phrasal template "Dude X Lmao".

"We Get It, You Smoke Weed"

We Get It, You Smoke Weed is an expression used to mock those who outwardly identify themselves as stoners by sporting cannabis-patterned clothes and accessories. On Tumblr and Twitter, the phrase is usually prefaced by the remark “I hate people who dress like this…” and accompanied by various images of people or fictional characters dressed in green for ironic humor.

Stoner Sloth

Stoner Sloth is the mascot for an Australian anti-drug public awareness campaign created by the global creative firm Saatchi & Saatchi, which urges teenagers to abstain from using the drug marijuana. In a series of videos, the anthropomorphic sloth is shown struggling to complete a variety of simple tasks, followed by the words “You’re Worse On Weed” displayed on the screen.

Search Interest

External References