Pot culture in pop culture: how college students negotiate their perceptions of drug use through Weeds

Through the lens of cultural studies, this study seeks to determine how 12 college students perceive the drug use and dealing portrayed on the television show Weeds, how they negotiate these perceptions in terms of their attitudes about illicit drug use, and what role the suburban setting of the show plays in the way they perceive the portrayal of drugs. I conducted long interviews with 12 University of Georgia students, six male and six female, between the ages of 18 and 22. Though the participants interpreted a mix of positive and negative portrayals of marijuana use and dealing on the show, they primarily perceived an overall relaxed and positive portrayal of these themes, with the suburban setting contributing heavily to the latter impression. The participants observed a more positive portrayal of marijuana use than dealing, and their personal opinions on these topics generally mirrored that view.