Abstract
Once associated with 'deviant' subcultures, the use of cannabis is now common across Canadian society. This has led some to argue that cannabis use is becoming normalized in Canada with important implications for drug policy, law enforcement and public health. This article takes up these issues, reporting the results of a qualitative study involving 165, socially integrated, adult cannabis users in four Canadian cities (Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto and Halifax). The aims of this study were twofold; first, we sought to contribute to recent efforts to extend the analysis of normalization and its associated features from adolescent and young adult populations to older adults, with a particular focus on cannabis. Second, we wished to respond to recent calls for greater analysis of both the social and structural determinants of normalization, as well as its contingent, 'micro-level' features. Our examination of these diverse dimensions revealed significant changes in the meaning and status of cannabis use in Canada. Although some social and personal stigmas remain, our research suggests they are largely confined to the immoderate, 'irresponsible' use of cannabis, while more 'controlled' use among adults appears all but de-stigmatized. This process has involved changes in the ways risks associated with cannabis use are characterized and managed; shifts in the ways adult cannabis users seek to moderate their use; as well as broader social and cultural shifts in the meanings associated with cannabis in Canada. We conclude with a discussion of the potential impacts of these developments for drug policy debates in Canada and elsewhere.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 271-283 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Addiction Research and Theory |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Aug 2012 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors would like to thank the participants in our study for giving so generously of their time and experience. We would also like to acknowledge the tireless support of our various research assistants in each site: Elaine Hyshka, Suzanne Clarke, Liz Lambert, Elisabeth Plante, Amanda Walker and Judith Kwok. We would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers of this article for their very helpful insights and advice regarding the further refinement of our analyses and conclusions. Financial support for this project, the ‘4 Province Drug Normalization and Stigma Study’, was provided by an operating grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. In addition, salary and infrastructure support to scientists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health is provided by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
