Varieties of Risk Perception and Management Among Cannabis Users - A Qualitative Study of Cannabis Cultures in Malmö, Sweden
(2024) CCRM20 20241Sociology
- Abstract
- The use of cannabis has increased in Sweden, and Malmö is one of the cities in which a big part of the inhabitants have tried the illicit drug. At the same time, the government works to increase the sanctions on cannabis use and possession. Thus, since the legislation on cannabis in Sweden is becoming more strict while a big part of Malmös citizens use cannabis, this study has aimed to investigate the risk perceptions and risk management that cannabis users in Malmö face in their everyday lives because of their usage of cannabis, through the use of (participant) observations and semi-structured interviews with three different groups in Malmö who use cannabis. Moreover, I outline a typology of cannabis using groups, arguing that the... (More)
- The use of cannabis has increased in Sweden, and Malmö is one of the cities in which a big part of the inhabitants have tried the illicit drug. At the same time, the government works to increase the sanctions on cannabis use and possession. Thus, since the legislation on cannabis in Sweden is becoming more strict while a big part of Malmös citizens use cannabis, this study has aimed to investigate the risk perceptions and risk management that cannabis users in Malmö face in their everyday lives because of their usage of cannabis, through the use of (participant) observations and semi-structured interviews with three different groups in Malmö who use cannabis. Moreover, I outline a typology of cannabis using groups, arguing that the different groups all pursue the cannabis high but for differing reasons. The analysis was conducted with the help of the theory of tiny publics, stigma, and edgework, and thus moves away from the historical view of drug use as a subculture or as normalized. The results of this study show that external risks, such as being caught by the police or civilians, were shared amongst the groups, while the internal risks such as health issues or addiction differed between them. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- The discussion on cannabis and whether or not to legalize it has become a debate in Sweden, and different opinions have been raised. Although several other countries have now decided to legalize cannabis, Sweden has decided to move in the other direction, with increasing sanctions on both use and possession. Additionally, Malmö is one of the cities in Sweden with a significant group of people having used cannabis. The increasing sanctions mean that cannabis users in Sweden have to face risks in their everyday lives, and thus find ways of managing these, which is why this study focuses on risk perceptions and management among cannabis users in Malmö.
During the course of one year, I have followed and discussed the use of cannabis with... (More) - The discussion on cannabis and whether or not to legalize it has become a debate in Sweden, and different opinions have been raised. Although several other countries have now decided to legalize cannabis, Sweden has decided to move in the other direction, with increasing sanctions on both use and possession. Additionally, Malmö is one of the cities in Sweden with a significant group of people having used cannabis. The increasing sanctions mean that cannabis users in Sweden have to face risks in their everyday lives, and thus find ways of managing these, which is why this study focuses on risk perceptions and management among cannabis users in Malmö.
During the course of one year, I have followed and discussed the use of cannabis with three different groups of cannabis users in Malmö to investigate how risks are perceived and managed in regards to their illicit drug use. With this approach, I have gained insights into the different group cultures and how those affect the perceived risks. Some risks were shared between the groups, due to them being stigmatized by both people who work in law enforcement and civilians who deem cannabis use as something dangerous that people should stay away from. Other risks were only present in one or two of the groups, depending on their motivations and group cultures. One of the groups, who used cannabis for medicinal purposes, discussed health issues as one of the main risks, while the other groups did not mention this at all. Instead, their focus lay on the risk of addiction, the risk of sharing, and the risk of quitting.
Essentially, this study gives insights into how cannabis cultures think about and handle different risks in Malmö, with the focus being on similarities and differences between the groups that are part of this study. Hence, the thesis gives insights into the diverse lives of cannabis users. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9169864
- author
- Grundström, Ida LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- CCRM20 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- cannabis, group cultures, risks, Malmö, Sweden, drugs
- language
- English
- id
- 9169864
- date added to LUP
- 2024-07-02 15:09:40
- date last changed
- 2024-07-02 15:09:40
@misc{9169864,
abstract = {{The use of cannabis has increased in Sweden, and Malmö is one of the cities in which a big part of the inhabitants have tried the illicit drug. At the same time, the government works to increase the sanctions on cannabis use and possession. Thus, since the legislation on cannabis in Sweden is becoming more strict while a big part of Malmös citizens use cannabis, this study has aimed to investigate the risk perceptions and risk management that cannabis users in Malmö face in their everyday lives because of their usage of cannabis, through the use of (participant) observations and semi-structured interviews with three different groups in Malmö who use cannabis. Moreover, I outline a typology of cannabis using groups, arguing that the different groups all pursue the cannabis high but for differing reasons. The analysis was conducted with the help of the theory of tiny publics, stigma, and edgework, and thus moves away from the historical view of drug use as a subculture or as normalized. The results of this study show that external risks, such as being caught by the police or civilians, were shared amongst the groups, while the internal risks such as health issues or addiction differed between them.}},
author = {{Grundström, Ida}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Varieties of Risk Perception and Management Among Cannabis Users - A Qualitative Study of Cannabis Cultures in Malmö, Sweden}},
year = {{2024}},
}