10 TV Shows Made With INSANE Restrictions
7. No Medical Marijuana - Scrubs
Given that Scrubs was a medical sitcom airing throughout the 2000s, it was just a matter of time before creator Bill Lawrence attempted to broach the subject of medical marijuana, which was a hot-button topic at the time.
And in a 2020 appearance on the "Fake Doctors, Real Friends” podcast, Lawrence revealed that the original version of the season three episode "My Rule of Thumb" had Elliot (Sarah Chalke) and Carla (Judy Reyes) seeking out some weed for a terminally ill cancer patient, Maggie (Cheryl White).
Yet executives for Disney-owned network NBC stepped in and vetoed any mention of drug use, prompting Lawrence to reshoot a new version of the plot where Maggie instead wants to lose her virginity, prompting Elliot and Carla to go on the hunt for a male prostitute to fulfill her dying wish.
Lawrence pointed out the hypocrisy of the network, that they were totally fine with Elliot and Carla searching for a "man-whore," but not going on the prowl for a drug which has been medically proven to lessen the side effects of chemotherapy.
But the decree had been made clear - medical weed was a no-no, and so for the entirety of the show's remainder it frustratingly couldn't be brought up, despite its popularity surging throughout the time that Scrubs was on the air.