1980's through current

Medical Use Legalized 

In 1986, the laws and regulation shifted to protect the individual user and come down harsh on distributors.  When caught with the marijuana one was charged on the amount in possession not strictly the drug itself. With each conviction of possession sticker and harsher consequences followed. In the earlier 90’s began to rise again after it had been on a steady decline. In 1996 medical use was legalized in the state of California, other states followed suit. By 2006 twelve additional states passed similar legislation. Clearly, the United States has been back and forth about their opinion on the appropriate use of marijuana. It seems the current trend in the United States is that medical use of the drug is not deviant, nor is personal recreational use; yet mass distribution of the drug is still highly criminalized. This alludes to the idea the deviance is largely dependent on the current views of society which are constantly shifting.