The Canadian Special Senate Committee on Illegal Drugs (2003) noted that little ethnographic research had been devoted to exploring why people use marijuana recreationally or the social contexts in which it is used. The purpose of this exploratory qualitative research is to better understand both of these neglected topics through interviews conducted with 41 adult Canadian users between 2005 and 2006. The participants' ages ranged from 21 to 61 and included 25 males and 16 females whose consumption patterns ranged from sporadic use to regular daily use. They were predominantly middle class, employed in a wide range of occupations, and used marijuana recreationally to enhance relaxation and concentration while engaged in leisure activities. Implications for drug laws and policies are discussed. The study's limitations are noted.
Women report lower odds of positive cannabis acceptability attitudes. While women report lower rates of recent cannabis use, gender is not a significant predictor for lifetime prevalence. Being a recent immigrant significantly predicts lower recent use, lower odds of favorable attitudes to cannabis, and reduced accessibility in comparison to students born in Canada. Longer-term immigrants do not show significant differences from students born in Canada on accessibility and acceptability, suggesting a substance use acculturation effect. Lower peer cannabis use prevalence exhibits a protective effect against use. In comparison to students who report that "some" of their peer network uses cannabis, those with "all" users in their network exhibit lower acceptability attitudes. This suggests a threshold relationship between peer use prevalence and acceptability. Conclusions/Importance: This article provides a data point for assessing future shifts in cannabis normalization prior to impending changes in Canadian drug policy that will legalize recreational cannabis use. Results show that normalization components of recent use, acceptability, and accessibility are differentiated by gender, nativity, and peer network cannabis use prevalence.
This article examines the perspectives of a select group of 41 adult Canadian cannabis users on the decriminalization and legalization of cannabis. The research departs from previous research on cannabis use by focusing on employed adults working in a variety of occupations, including white-collar professionals and graduate students, who use cannabis for nonmedical, recreational purposes. Drawing on in-depth interview data, we explore their perspectives on Canadian law and legal policy and on the possible impact of cannabis reform policies on their own cannabis consumption. Overall, the vast majority of interview participants strongly favored the legalization of cannabis use for the following reasons: (a) prohibition is unjust, (b) economic benefits, (c) reducing violent crime associated with the drug trade, (d) reducing the cost of the criminal justice system, (e) increased safety, and (f) reducing the stigma associated with cannabis use. We conclude by discussing the implications of our research for the literature on cannabis normalization and drug policy reform.
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