Originally Posted by ermitonto
Well, they certainly wouldn't be able to get away with portraying it in a positive light. One of the unmentioned rules of the capitalist media is "Never seriously question longstanding policies of the government". And on the odd chance that you do see a legalization advocate on TV, there will always be some government-propaganda-spewing suit next to him. The capitalist media is all about attracting the widest possible audience to the spectacle, so they cannot make any definite statements about whether any longstanding government policy is just or not, since a large majority probably believes that it is.
Since the longstanding government policy on marijuana and the propaganda it generates to support that policy have convinced most people that it is an "evil" plant, this idea must be presented as potentially valid in the series, to maximize ratings. Sure, they will probably try to put some funny pot jokes in there to appease the potheads watching the show just because it's about weed, but fundamentally they are looking to attract John Q. Everybody, and will form the show in a way so as to not seriously question the majority opinion.