Framing: Why alcohol became the James Bond of society, and cannabis the low-life hippie

Thinking inside the box

Over the years, humans are consuming more and more media every day. There is a wide offer of informative news media, entertaining media, persuasive media and so on. We aren’t always aware of how this media injection influences our thoughts, opinions and views on certain matters. It is because the content that we are exposed to on the internet, radio and especially television shapes our thoughts on the real world. We have a frame of reference that is based on how the world is portrayed through the media we consume, it portrays our social reality while it isn’t a total accurate picture of the actual reality they are drawing.

A famous study regarding this matter has been conducted in 1986, where they found out that people who see a lot of crime on television have a more violent and dangerous view of the ‘big bad world’. They perceived the world as more mean then it actually is in reality, this is called the ‘Mean World’ syndrome. This depicts the way in which the media can frame people’s perceptions. Framing is based on the assumption that how an issue is characterized in the media landscape and its news reports can have an influence on how it is understood by audiences.

Last presentation lecture, we had an enlightening presentation of our Nigerian classmate who showed that the image of Africa that is portrayed by the western media is based on stereotypes that don’t fully match the reality. We might think of Africa as underdeveloped, poor, war-torn and overshadowed by diseases like aids and Ebola. But in reality it has a lot of thriving cities and well developed countries. For me, this was a very clear example of framing by the media. And it got me thinking about certain issues that are somewhat depicted quiet biased in the media.

The media’s celebration of alcohol

That is why I find it very interesting to compare the media coverage on beer and cannabis. Or maybe alcohol as a whole, compared to cannabis. Because I have the idea that beer and alcohol are socially accepted in society and, to a certain extent, is seen rather joyful than harmful. With cannabis, pot, weed, marijuana or whatever name you give it, this seems to be the opposite. Maybe less in the Netherlands because of our tolerant policy, but the general view in western nations seems way more negative about weed, compared to alcohol. I get the idea that this is also a result of framing and providing information selectively.

According to a study about young people, alcohol and the media, alcohol was the most prominent substance and beverage portrayed in media consumed by young people. Drinking alcohol was predominantly presented as a normal social activity. The majority of reasons for alcohol use were mostly pro-social. While alcohol and other drugs have similar physiological effects, they are defined very differently by society. Alcohol is generally approved, other drugs are generally disapproved. The mass media of communication reflect this definition. This has everything to do with the framed depictions of alcohol and cannabis.

Taking a stand for the plant

The American film culture through the years has developed an image of people who use cannabis. Much more than with alcohol or tobacco, there seems to be an established stereotype of the ‘stoner’ or habitual cannabis user as a ‘pot head’. Inherent to this concept is the common mainstream perception that cannabis smokers’ lives often become sidetracked by use of this herb; that their livelihoods and lives are gradually fated to revolve around their habit. And even though there seems to be a small shift in the trend, the medicinal uses and healing effects of marijuana are almost fully ignored by the media. While there are enough people with physical or mental problems that benefit greatly from the plant in healing and minimizing their complaints due to the CBD (and THC), which are both key ingredients in marijuana plants. That is why I don’t agree with the difference in general perceptions about alcohol and cannabis. Is it really less harmful to drink twenty beers in a night, compared to staying home and smoking a spliff with your friends?

In fact, according to a new study by scientists, the most dangerous drug on earth is none other than alcohol. A total of twenty drugs were put through this process to determine which drug was the most harmful. The factors that were included by the scientists in the experiment were the likelihood of dying, dependence, impairment of mental functions, loss of examples like your house or job, physical injury, criminal activities and even the economic cost to a country. Crack cocaine came in a third, heroin ended up second, but the pole position as the most dangerous drug was taken by our pro-social and ’gezellige’ friend named alcohol.

Alcohol: Society’s James Bond

Initially, this may seem like a shock. But when you consider that the harmful use of alcohol leads to 3.3 million deaths every year, it should be less of a surprise. And I don’t have the intention to promote cannabis and fully bash alcohol. Because, just like most of you, I enjoy my alcoholic beverages in the weekend. Sometimes even to an extent that I eventually regret it, which is the inevitable hangover that haunts you the day after. Maybe I also like to consume some marijuana now and then, but I prefer not to tell. Because otherwise I will be seen as this stoning pothead who will trade his left nut for some weed. Maybe I am exaggerating a little, but you get the point.

It is like beer and alcohol are the James Bond of the society, it can be dangerous but it is mostly cool. While marijuana is regarded as the low-life, no good hippie of the society; he stands for some respectable ideals, but mostly we put him in a negative pigeonhole and prefer not to give it any positive attention.

That is why I think the media has framed alcohol and cannabis in such ways that the general perceptions and opinions about them don’t portray a reflection that is accurate with the actual truth. So, I don’t state that one is better than the other, but I do state that the way they are portrayed in the media is not congruent with reality.