Becoming a Marihuana User

by Howard S. Becker

OG Kush. Sour Diesel. Wax, shatter, and vapes. Marijuana has come a long way since its seedy days in the back parking lots of our culture. So has Howard S. Becker, the eminent sociologist, jazz musician, expert on “deviant” culture, and founding NORML board member. When he published Becoming a Marihuana User more than sixty years ago, hardly anyone paid attention—because few people smoked pot. Decades of Cheech and Chong films, Grateful Dead shows, and Cannabis Cups later, and it’s clear—marijuana isn’t just an established commodity, it’s an entire culture. And that’s just the thing—Becker totally called pot has everything to do with culture . It’s not a blight on culture, but a culture itself—in fact, you’ll see in this book the first use of the term “users,” rather than “abusers” or “addicts.” Come along on this short little study—now a famous timestamp in weed studies—and you will be astonished at how relevant it is to us today.
           
Becker doesn’t judge, but neither does he holler for legalization, tell you how to grow it in a hollowed-out dresser, or anything else like that for which there are plenty of other books you can buy. Instead, he looks at marijuana with a clear sociological lens—as a substance that some people enjoy, and that some others have decided none of us should. From there he so how do people decide to get high, and what kind of experience do they have as a result of being part of the marijuana world? What he discovers will bother some, especially those who proselytize the irrefutably stunning effects of the latest chemistry isn’t everything—the important thing about pot is how we interact with it. We learn to be high. We learn to like it. And from there, we teach others, passing the pipe in a circle that begins to resemble a bona fide community, defined by shared norms, values, and definitions just like any other community.
           
All throughout this book, you’ll see the intimate moments when this transformation takes place. You’ll see people doing it for the first time and those with considerable experience. You’ll see the early signs of the truths that have come to define the marijuana that you probably won’t get high at first, that you have to hold the hit in, and that there are other people here who are going to smoke that, too. 

Genres: Sociology, Nonfiction, Drugs, Essays

88 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

Howard Saul Becker was an American sociologist who taught at Northwestern University.

Reviews

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ensayito sociológico cannábico sobre la cultura del consumidor habitual de marihuana. Es década de 1950. Es Escuela Sociológica de Chicago. Becker es el creador de la teoría del etiquetado, una especie de explicación de los comportamientos sociales a partir de la asignación de etiquetas o roles de interacción. Lo interesante y a la vez débil de este libro me parece que es el método. Becker entrevistó fumadores, buscó patrones e indujo posibles generalizaciones. Respaldó esas generalizaciones en frases sueltas que dijeron algunos fumadores en las entrevistas. Se trata de un recurso inductivo y periodístico. El rechazo a la explicación del consumo por rasgos individuales en favor de atribuciones sociales como cultura es razonable. En tal aspecto, se trata de un libro elocuente, bien logrado, además de divertido. Pero no se sostiene por el método, se sostiene como toma de posición empática con artificio periodístico. La centralidad de los mecanismos de atribución de significados como dinámica social se acerca bastante a la psicología social cognitiva, pero Becker gira hacia el testimonio en lugar de girar hacia el control del error aleatorio. Claro que nada de esto importa porque es un ensayo empático.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

ah, the history of my people

[Gianna Mosser · Rating 5 out of 5]

How cheeky of U of C to reissue this in a popular edition. Love the trim size and the interior treatment. The little essay, a conference paper really, holds up well after sixty years.

[Francisco A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es un texto sencillo, entretenido y rápido de leer. Pone en discusión el carácter social del consumo de marihuana, debate muy adelantado para su época (años 50) pero que está más que vigente en estas latitudes del mundo. Este texto ya es un clásico para cualquier persona que esté Interesada en las ciencias sociales.

Destaco la hermosa edición de Siglo XXI con diseño de Maria Cab y MR.

Mendoza. Argentina, marzo 2023.

[Vinícius de Sousa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite it was written originally almost 70 years ago, it seems to me that the author's proposed model to interpret​ the process of becoming a user is still unshaken. I also need to say about Becker simple and clear way to write, what makes his argument more intelligible and convincing, even when English is not my native language.

[Live Forever or Die Trying · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking to boost your reading challenge numbers? This may be the perfect book to do so coming in at a bit over 50 pages in large type. Really this is less of a book and more of a transcript of a lecture given by Howard Becker back in the 50's.

This transcript can easily be read in a 30min - 1 hour long setting and is best viewed as a novelty or historical landmark.

Namely Becker proposes that people typically do not enjoy Marihuana on it's, first you must convince yourself that it something you like. He suggests this is usually something that happens via an experienced user telling a new user what they should be looking for.

The other notable thing about this lecture is this is one of the first times that we used the term "user" in replacement of addict or abuser.

All in all this is a quick and enjoyable read best viewed as a cultural and historical curiosity.

[Dr. Jeevashi Pareemanen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A study that can go even deeper... Nice research.

[delfiele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Corto, accesible, interesante. No es LA reflexión sociológica del siglo XX, pero desmonta un falso problema y es un buen ejemplo de la intervención de la sociología en la realidad.

Lo leí para una materia de pragmatismo y es muy útil para vislumbrar los ecos de esa corriente.

Gran prólogo de Pablo Semán para contextualizar el libro en las reflexiones a lo ancho de la obra de Becker.

[Karoangie Annicchiarico · Rating 1 out of 5]

No sé que esperaba de esto pero menuda mierda.

[Jonas Carlsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read on how people learn to use marihuana as a recreational drug and what makes them continue to use them. The paper shows that social interactions with other smokers play a huge part in learning how to smoke properly and recognise being high.

[paul camacho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro que te permite conocer el lado sociológico teórico del consumo de cannabis

Un libro simple de leer, que abarca temas de la sociología y el consumo de cannabis, incluyendo incluso experiencias y análisis de casos

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Por más que se busque una forma sociológica para intentar explicar el proceso de aprender a disfrutar un viaje con THC, no se puede hasta que no lo experimentas. Lo que resume este señor es lo que tus amigos los junkies más experimentados siempre te van a aconsejar... Al final, que disfrutes del viaje o no, va a depender de las cosas que traigas en la cabeza, incluyendo la predisposición y los prejuicios del mismo acto.

[Ivan Mendo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, easy to read, approximately one hour or one hour and a half.
Ideal and useful for:
- A quick reading, informative and straight to the point.
- People that are curious about the use of marihuana.
- Readers that have already used marihuana, but had a bad experience or think that they didn’t feel “high”.
- Experience users that want to help new users in the journey of “the first time”and how to explain de effects that they will feel.

[miroslava ramirez · Rating 3 out of 5]

El autor nos presenta su ensayo de una manera introductoria, con bases científicas sólidas que incluso en nuestros días se consideran válidas.

Me he reflejado en esta obra ya que he consumido cannabis, y me sorprendió tanto la exactitud de mis experiencias con otros que también la consumieron durante la mitad del siglo pasado.

Becker explica una investigación cualitativa que sigue y seguirá vigente por mucho más tiempo, resumiendo en viñetas la mejor forma de disfrutar un buen viaje.

[Eduardo Lima Águila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Librito muy pequeño, ameno y simpático para la clase, pero que es importante leer en su contexto. Aunque se presenta desde la sociología, me recordó más al método antropológico, aunque no podría asegurarlo totalmente pues tiene muchísimo que vi sobre aquello. La nueva edición de siglo XXI me parece genial con sus separadores

[Marta Batista · Rating 3 out of 5]

É interessante, mas por ser apenas um capítulo de um estudo sobre o desvio nao nos dá muitas informações sobre o tema. Contudo, acho que é um tema bastante atual visto que for escrito na decada de 50, o que demonstra a inteligência de Becker, pois desmitifica o consumo de canábis para fins recreativos

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

The observations in this book amused me and illustrated why there are so many discrepancies in the experience of partaking in God's grass particularly well. I didn't like the accounts that he included all that much because the slang felt bit dated but such is the way with time.

[Rafa Gomes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about the myths created around the use of such substances, explaining the social and personal possible utility of this drug. A good read if you're interested in the sociology and psychology behind the use of substances in society and individuals.

[Salvador González · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conciso y preciso en sus páginas, resumo ese trabajo en 4 puntos; como inhalar correctamente el humo, diferenciar los efectos de la droga, definirlos como placenteros y re plantearse su consumo de vez en vez.

[Federico Nahuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

En este pequeño ensayo sobre el consumo de cannabis, Becker revela las formas en las que el consumo comienza pudiendo, luego de las primeras experiencias, continuar o no, explicando que todo, en otras palabras, se trata de una construcción social, es decir, que no va a depender 100% de nosotros los buenos o malos viajes que nos peguemos, sino de lo que sepamos acerca de las experiencias de nuestro c��rculo.

[Milt · Rating 2 out of 5]

out-far, man free-ebooklet from UofC, cell-read.

[Walter Gallo · Rating 5 out of 5]

🪴🚬

[Frida Lima · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una mirada sociológica desde los años 50.
Entonces, me di cuenta de que aprendí de forma empírica. ✨

[Jesús Borboa · Rating 4 out of 5]

La introducción y prefacio señala el contexto de la obra y su relevancia, permite entender la lógica de la investigación. La parte correspondiente a la charla es amena pero es más etnografica.

[Samildánach · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. I wouldn't say it's dated, despite being from 1953; any user could relate to the content discussed, and it's useful–if for no other reason–to put words to the process we all went through.

As such, the ideas might not be "new" to anyone today, but that's just a testament to how accurate they were then. It's worth spending the hour or so to read if you happen upon a copy.


"An individual will be able to use marijuana for pleasure only when he (1) learns to smoke it in a way that will produce real effects; (2) learns to recognize the effects and connect them with drug use; and (3) learns to enjoy the sensations he perceives."

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es un texto muy sintético el autor señala como consumir marihuana teniendo un buen viaje, a través de entrevistas en Chicago durante la década de los cincuenta, argumenta que el consumo tiene un carácter social (depende mucho de como el individuo perciba el momento y el grupo social en el que se encuentre) y no una predisposición psicológica como se creía en ese momento.