Clouded Motives and Pharmacological Calvinism: How Recreational Use of a Drug Affects Moral Judgments of Its Medical Use

Abstract

While many drugs are used exclusively for medical reasons, and others are used solely for recreational enjoyment, some drugs are commonly used for both purposes. For example, cannabis, opioids, and stimulants are unique in many ways, but they share the fact that they are regularly consumed both medicinally and recreationally (Dinnin Huff, Humphreys, and Wilner 2021; Drazdowski 2016). However, it is not clear how the existence of recreational markets for substances affects moral judgments of their medical use. The current work shows that using a drug for medical reasons is viewed as less morally acceptable if other consumers use the same drug for recreational enjoyment. This effect emerges due to observers inferring that medical users are less purely motivated by medical need. Accordingly, the negative effect of recreational drug use on moral judgments of its medical use is mitigated when patients do not have alternative treatment options. These findings have implications for patient stigmatization, drug marketing and lobbying, and for policy and legislation designed to regulate the use of medical drugs with recreational benefits.

Medical Cannabis: Modeling a Destigmatization Process for its Candidacy to Become a Pharmaceutical Brand

“…Cannabis faces many challenges to its becoming first a medical product and then a medical brand. This is almost exclusively based upon the stigma surrounding cannabis as an illicit substance used mostly for recreational purposes and the public's perception of its users (Wilson, 2022).…”

“…Using a drug for medical reasons is viewed as less morally acceptable if other consumers use the same drug for recreation (Wilson, 2022). Instead of using cannabis to treat sickness, its largely illegal status and the criminal sanctions associated with it have prevented its wider use in medicine (Bottorff et al, 2013).…”

Marketing and Public Policy Implications of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization

“…As previously discussed, medical abortion drugs also treat ulcers, rheumatoid arthritis, miscarriages, and Cushing's disease. Wilson (2022) finds that when a drug has multiple uses, including those that some people perceive to be immoral (e.g., using a prescription drug for an abortion), the immoral usage can taint other, noncontroversial medical uses of the drug (e.g., using the drug to treat ulcers or rheumatoid arthritis). Drawing on Wilson's work, it is not a leap to suggest that the use of misoprostol, mifepristone, and methotrexate in any context may stigmatize the individuals using the drugs, those prescribing the drugs, and those distributing the drugs, regardless of how distant the use is from abortion.…”

Into the Woods: Making a Difference via Marketing and Public Policy Research

“…As the social, geographical, technological, and political landscapes change, new issues will emerge. For instance, cannabis legalization will necessitate wide-ranging new policy at the local, state, and federal levels around how this product can be marketed and distributed (Kelly et al 2021; Wilson 2022). Rapid advances in technology have elevated the concern around misinformation and its impact on the perception of truth, First Amendment rights, and national security (Diaz Ruiz and Nilsson 2023; Mende et al 2024).…”