Seeking safety: a focus group study of young adults’ cannabis-related attitudes, and behavior in a state with legalized recreational cannabis

Abstract

Background Only July 1, 2017, Nevada became the fifth US state to allow the legal sale of recreational cannabis products for adults ages of 21 and over. This study investigates young adults’ cannabis-related attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors in a state where recreational and medical cannabis use was recently legalized. Methods We conducted 8 focus groups stratified by cannabis use (regular users, occasional users, and nonusers) with 32 college students ages 18 to 24. Data were analyzed using the inductive qualitative thematic analysis method. Results Four themes emerged during analyses: “sort of legal,” “mitigating harm through legalization,” “Increasing acceptance,” and “seeking safety when purchasing cannabis.” Despite their limited knowledge of cannabis regulation, the majority of the participants supported recreational cannabis legalization from a harm reduction perspective. Most participants did not believe that cannabis legalization had affected their use behavior. However, participants, especially cannabis users, perceived that recreational cannabis legalization created a context where cannabis use was legally, socially, and behaviorally “safer” than in an illegal context, even for those below the legal age of sale. Conclusions Most studies focus on the role of perceived health risk on cannabis use. If there are population-level long-term effects of recreational cannabis legalization on use behavior, findings suggest that they will be mediated by the perceived legal, social, and behavioral risk of using cannabis.

“I Feel Validated”: Participation in a Medical Cannabis Program in the Context of Legalized Recreational Use

“…In all three groups, a majority reported no longer feeling the need to hide cannabis use from most family members or friends after legalization. This finding supports previous research that cannabis users are uneasy about stigma and negative stereotypes, and that legalization reduced social stigma and decreased negative pressure from family members about their cannabis use (Amroussia et al, 2020;Athey et al, 2017;Osborne & Fogel, 2017). However, normalized use was not always considered an improvement since wider acceptance of cannabis contributed to a declining medical cannabis community and culture due to fewer cannabis-related events according to one participant.…”

“…Similarly, following legalization of recreational cannabis in Nevada, young adults reported less negative social pressure about their cannabis use from their families (Amroussia, Watanabe, Pearson, 2020). Popular support for cannabis legalization has been increasing with 68% of U.S. adults currently supporting legalization, indicating normalizing societal perceptions of cannabis use (Amroussia et al, 2020;Brenan, 2020). Reasons for supporting legalization include adding tax revenue, reducing violent crime associated with the black-market trade, reducing the cost to the criminal justice system, and reducing the social stigma and associated negative stereotypes of cannabis users (Amroussia et al, 2020;Osborne & Fogel, 2017).…”

“…However, a change in legal status can affect perceived stigma; in a qualitative study among Canadian recreational cannabis users, participants felt that recreational cannabis legalization would reduce the social stigma of cannabis use (Osborne and Fogel, 2017). Similarly, following legalization of recreational cannabis in Nevada, young adults reported less negative social pressure about their cannabis use from their families (Amroussia, Watanabe, Pearson, 2020). Popular support for cannabis legalization has been increasing with 68% of U.S. adults currently supporting legalization, indicating normalizing societal perceptions of cannabis use (Amroussia et al, 2020;Brenan, 2020).…”

“…Popular support for cannabis legalization has been increasing with 68% of U.S. adults currently supporting legalization, indicating normalizing societal perceptions of cannabis use (Amroussia et al, 2020;Brenan, 2020). Reasons for supporting legalization include adding tax revenue, reducing violent crime associated with the black-market trade, reducing the cost to the criminal justice system, and reducing the social stigma and associated negative stereotypes of cannabis users (Amroussia et al, 2020;Osborne & Fogel, 2017). However, no U.S. studies have investigated how recreational cannabis legalization impacts perceived stigma and MCP identity among current and former young adult MCP.…”

What do we know about opportunities and challenges for localities from Cannabis legalization?

“…Moreover, legalization reduces the personal safety risks involved with seeking cannabis illicitly. Young cannabis users in Nevada report valuing the security associated with legal purchase (Amroussia's, 2020). Additionally, some legalization regimes allocate a portion of taxes and fees collected from the cannabis industry for supporting community health care (e.g., Pardo, 2014).…”