Sociology

The article Becoming a Marihuana User by Howard S Becker describes the sequence of changes in attitude and experience which lead to the use of marihuana for pleasure. A marihuana user pertains to someone who habitually uses the drug for pleasure and not to someone who just tried to use it out of curiosity then stopped. Becker believes that any kind of behavior can be investigated and understood following a developmental approach, focusing on meanings and conceptual changes, and their organization and reorganization.

There are three important factors which are equally important in the formation of the behavior. First is learning to smoke the drug in a way which will produce real effects. This is what users call as smoking the drug properly.  If no significant changes are felt after the use of the drug because it is not smoked properly, then ones conception of the drug as an object which could be used for pleasure will not emerge. Second, learning to recognize the effects and connect them with drug use (learning, in other words, to get high). Hence, marihuana acquires meaning as an object associated with pleasure. Without this association, continued use of marihuana ceases.  Third, learning to enjoy the sensation one perceives. Otherwise, there is no sense to continue using the drug.  

If any of the foregoing factors are not present, then the formation of the behavior which is being hooked on marihuana for pleasure will not be successful.  As Becker puts it, act discontinues when the ability to enjoy the experience of being high is lost. Aversion, on the other hand, might likely occur as the object may be associated with something undesirable.