Understanding the Motivations for Recreational Marijuana Use Among Adult Canadians

Abstract

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.

Reduced Response to Reward in Smokers and Cannabis Users

“…This could be related to reduced emotional regulation in cannabis users, as suggested in a study by Dorard et al [59] , who reported higher anhedonia and alexithymia scores in cannabis users than in healthy controls. The most frequent reasons for cannabis use are related to enhancement of affective states [60,61] , including relaxation, an increase in pleasure and being high, thus supporting the hypothesis of impaired emotional regulation in cannabis users. Because the group differences were specific for one particular condition of the task, and because there were no group differences in baseline mood ratings, these findings cannot be explained by a generally lower mood in cannabis users.…”

Cannabis, risk and normalisation: evidence from a Canadian study of socially integrated, adult cannabis users

“…Our goal was to elaborate some of the factors that may be driving the normalisation of cannabis in Canada. We were also interested in the kinds of social and cultural factors that might explain the emergence of more tolerant attitudes regarding the risks associated with cannabis that have been described in recent studies (Osborne andFogel 2008, Fischer et al 2011 This perspective was endorsed by participants across the four study sites. Most seemed to be of the view that the decision to use (or not to use) cannabis was a 'personal choice', as Susan put it, that was largely free of any lingering moral stigma or social disapprobation.…”

“…Meanwhile, the growth of 'medical marijuana' throughout North America, and its gradual legal support, bolsters this reassessment while doing much to advertise the putative benefits of cannabis use. Taken together then, as our participants attested, the growing prevalence of cannabis use across wide sections of Canadian society coupled with the low incidence of harm associated with this consumption and the growth of medical marijuana have converged to drive cannabis normalisation across the country (see also Osborne andFogel 2008, Duff et al 2012).…”

“…The average age of users in Canada is now around 30 years. Once associated with 'deviant' subcultures, the use of cannabis has become a lifestyle choice for many Canadians and a common feature of many Canadians' leisure time (Osborne andFogel 2008, Duff et al 2012). It is equally apparent that the drug's risk profile has shifted in Canada as debates persist regarding the merits of decriminalising the use of cannabis, alongside the emergence of a 'medical marijuana' movement across the country (Lucas 2008).…”

“…Changing attitudes and behaviours regarding cannabis use in Canada are, for many scholars, indications of the ongoing normalisation of cannabis use across the country (Osborne and Fogel 2008, Erickson and Hathaway 2010, Duff et al 2012. First articulated in studies conducted in the United Kingdom by Howard Parker and colleagues (Parker et al 1998), the 'normalisation thesis' has inspired much discussion in contemporary drug policy debates Shiner 2009, Erickson andHathaway 2010) as well as novel empirical studies in Europe (Pedersen 2009, Jarvinen andDemant 2011), North America (Bahora et al 2009, Duff et al 2012, Asia (Cheung and Cheung 2006) and Australia (Duff 2005).…”