Cocaine Has Become Too Mainstream

Correct me if I’m wrong, but it feels like cocaine is making its way into the mainstream. Remember back in the early 2000s when an athlete or celebrity getting caught smoking weed was treated like a full-blown scandal? The media would go into a frenzy, painting them as if they were spiraling into addiction. Fast forward to today, and marijuana is so normalized that no one even bats an eye when a high-profile figure is seen smoking. In fact, many athletes and celebrities openly embrace it, some even launching their own cannabis brands.

Now, let me be clear—I’m not saying we should be promoting cocaine, but I do think the perception of it is shifting. I wasn’t around in the ’80s, but from everything I’ve read and seen, it seems like we might be living through a similar era. Cocaine use is everywhere, and it’s not exactly a secret. Maybe it’s just my Twitter algorithm, but every other day, I see some white boy burner account flexing a bag of coke next to two beers, racking up 20,000+ likes. And let’s not forget the viral clip of a Michigan baseball player casually ripping a line after hitting a triple. That instantly reminded me of that infamous photo of a Premier League player doing the same thing after scoring a goal.

Ross Kinnaird. Getty Images.

What’s shocking isn’t just the frequency of these incidents but the lack of outrage they generate. A few years ago, this would’ve been a career-ending scandal. Now? It’s a meme. It’s almost as if society has collectively decided that cocaine use is just another part of the culture, something to shrug at rather than condemn.

To be clear, I’m not advocating for cocaine use—I’m just surprised by how desensitized people seem to be. Maybe I’m overthinking it, or maybe I’m just an idiot, but from where I’m standing, it really does feel like no one cares if you’re ripping lines anymore.