February 22, 2024, marked a comparatively low-key historic second in tv historical past, with ABC’s Abbott Elementary airing some of the genuine depictions of real-life hashish shoppers on a significant community tv channel in almost 30 years. In season 3, episode 4 (“Smoking”), a number of academics and college talk about their numerous vices, starting from vaping and consuming wine to microdosing and totally different sorts of hashish consumption.
Within the episode, Quinta Brunson’s character, Janine, candidly discusses her medical marijuana use whereas questioning Jacob’s vaping. Regardless of the on-screen portrayal, Brunson, who additionally portrayed a pot character in A Black Lady Sketch Show phase, mentioned she isn’t much of a smoker. Additionally, within the episode, Mr. Eddie mentions his desire for a weekend protein edible bar, prompting Principal Ava Coleman to touch upon him making medication boring. Different workers reveal their CBD use for joint ache or enjoyable with a blunt within the bathtub. On the similar time, characters like Mrs. Howard symbolize lingering hashish stigmas.
The authentic-sounding alternate in a college setting instantly stands out as some of the sincere depictions of weed use a community channel has ever proven. Is that this an indication that the most important channels is perhaps catching as much as streaming and primary cable networks?
Pot on TV
The foremost community channels (ABC, Fox, NBC, and CBS) have traditionally been hesitant to depict hashish in a constructive or normalized method. In a 2020 deep dive into the history of cannabis on TV, author Jacob Trussell famous that the 1967 revival of the cop drama Dragnet was one of many first productions to characteristic hashish since propaganda movies of the Nineteen Thirties and a comparatively innocent storyline on The Andy Griffith Show. Within the Dragnet episode, Trussell famous that whereas marijuana is depicted as a drug much like heroin, these accused of utilizing it did push again on the assertion that it was a gateway drug.
A decade later, exhibits like Sanford and Son and Barney Miller helped depict hashish in a extra sensible gentle, with customers changing into forgetful and nicer after consuming. The early ’80s continued this development till the passage of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984 and the ushering in of the propaganda and the Simply Say No marketing campaign.
The development continued into the 90s, when viewers noticed a proliferation of anti-drug episodes and TV specials, with arguably the very best instance being the 1990 animated movie Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue, which noticed just about each childhood cartoon star of the time becoming a member of as much as battle marijuana use. The movie, financed by McDonald’s, was simulcast throughout all the most important networks and lots of unbiased stations on April 21, 1990.
In 1997, Congress took a step additional, appropriating over $1 billion to promote anti-drug messages. The motion led to anti-drug messages on exhibits starting from dramas like ER to comedies, together with The Drew Carey Show. 1997 additionally noticed Murphy Brown’s sincere look into cannabis and cancer treatment, marking probably the most vital breakthrough in plant normalization at the moment. The federal government-backed propaganda program quietly ended in 2000, as did any main plant discussions for the subsequent a number of many years on community TV.
Because the early 2000s, we’ve seen a gradual and regular improve of both constructive or impartial depictions of hashish use, first on primary cable channels and now on streaming companies and different on-line platforms like YouTube. However nonetheless, main community tv has lagged.
Trussell noticed that whereas TV demonizes hashish much less now, it nonetheless typically resorts to outdated stereotypes. “However on the similar time, particularly since 2020, I really feel like I’ve seen much less TV exhibits exit of their technique to make hashish the crux of the plot of an episode — and I feel that’s a constructive factor,” he mentioned. “Hashish is simply not a controversial storyline anymore as a result of the plant has change into extra normalized.”
Trussell famous that whereas The Simpsons touched on medical hashish almost 20 years in the past, the episode was regressive in its depiction. Equally, 1993’s episode of Roseanne, titled “Stash from the Past” in the end normalizes pot use, however solely after mother and father Roseanne and Dan come down on the children onerous for having some flower–solely to comprehend it was an outdated stash of theirs.
Different TV specialists famous that NBC’s Group made a couple of passing jokes about hashish use, together with season 5 episode 9’s “VCR Upkeep and Instructional Publishing,” the place Britta says, “I do know we’re in E9 within the east wing. I do know as a result of it smells like weed. Not my weed.” In a decade-old Reddit thread, Group author Tim Saccardo commented on the submit explaining that NBC’s requirements and practices made the present insert the phrase ‘not’ into Britta’s line. Across the similar time, exhibits like Bob’s Burgers launched a weed farm into their world in 2012, whereas Fashionable Household talked about an over-the-top pot store proprietor for a one-off spot in 2015.
In all, the pickings have been slim on the Massive 4 channels.
Abbott Elementary’s Optimistic Influence
Not like Murphy Brown, which obtained blowback from the DEA, Abbott has primarily obtained constructive suggestions for its depiction of hashish consumption.
Many famous the significance of normalizing hashish use. “I feel what’s notable about Abbott Elementary is that Janine and Gregory’s drug use isn’t actually the only butt of the joke,” Kayla Cobb, senior TV reporter for The Wrap.
Steve Bloom, writer of the web site CelebStoner, loved the phase however felt a few of the dialogue round infused protein bars “didn’t make any sense within the dialog.” Regardless of some minor points, Bloom and different writers felt the Abbott episode did an excellent job of normalizing hashish use amongst ladies and other people of coloration.
Comic and TV author Ashley Ray provided comparable takes, praising Abbott for making its characters shoppers with out being pot stereotypes. “It is vitally uncommon that you simply see a present embracing a significant character smoking pot, and it’s not their entirety.” Ray added, “It additionally was nice since you hardly ever see ladies of coloration, black ladies, smoking pot in exhibits.”
Each Ray and Bloom additionally acknowledged Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest, starring Michelle Buteau, for its normalization of black and minority characters consuming hashish of their on a regular basis lives. Ray interviewed Buteau for her podcast TV, I Say, the place they mentioned the on a regular basis pot use on the present. “They’ll simply be sitting round an condominium collectively, hanging out as buddies, and so they smoke,” Ray defined.
Extra Hashish on Community Cable?
Regardless of Abbott‘s constructive influence, most specialists really feel that community TV will proceed to slowly change its depiction of hashish. The hesitance comes from numerous sources, together with ongoing federal legal guidelines and the influence of conservative viewer blowback, which can have an effect on what issues most to the networks: a present’s income potential.
Regardless of the unsure future, most have been optimistic after the newest growth. “We will now present a trainer on TV talking overtly about utilizing hashish for psychological well being causes and never have the episode revolve round how ‘morally bankrupt’ she is like we could have seen within the eras of ‘Simply Say No!”’ and DARE,” mentioned Trussell. Others, like Bloom and Cobb, speculate that each Abbott and Murphy Brown showcase {that a} community present could not have the ability to talk about the plant till it has established itself as an award-winning, profitable present.
Whereas main networks slowly ease into the brand new regular of weed use, streaming and cable are blowing previous it. On paid cable, Broad Metropolis, a as soon as groundbreaking women-, weed-centric comedy, ended 5 years in the past. In the meantime, Netflix has surged forward from its past-era stoner stereotypes on the now-canceled Disjointed. It’s now producing extra real-life depictions of on a regular basis pot people who smoke, together with ladies of all grownup ages, as evidenced by exhibits like Survival of the Thickest and Grace and Franky.
Whereas Abbott Elementary ought to be celebrated for breaking by means of a virtually 30-year wall on community TV, we must also take a second to surprise why it has taken so lengthy. With community TV going through extra competitors than ever, wouldn’t it’s smart to create exhibits that relate to their viewers? You’d assume so, however right here we’re.