Normalization and denormalization in different legal contexts: Comparing cannabis and tobacco

Abstract

Aims: This study provides an examination of normalization trends associated with the use of cannabis and tobacco, and whether and to what extent health concerns and legal contexts appear to modify the tolerance displayed to users. Methods: Data for this paper are drawn from a mixed methods interview study involving 202 respondents who reported being regular users of cannabis (alone n = 100 or in conjunction with tobacco n = 67) or tobacco only users (n = 35), in four Canadian cities (Halifax, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver). Findings: While participants commonly attributed serious health risks to the use of tobacco, cannabis was viewed as relatively low risk. All groups described cannabis laws as too punitive, while most agreed with the regulatory controls for tobacco. Drawing on norms around appropriate context for use, cannabis users illustrate the expansion of normalization, with varying degrees of acceptability in different spaces. In contrast, tobacco users’ heightened awareness of the dangers of smoking leads them to engage in a reflexive process-limiting appropriate venues and contexts for use. Conclusions: These findings suggest that perceptions of health risk shape users’ experience of normalization (and denormalization) and help to contextualize the larger societal processes where both drugs are in a stage of societal re-evaluation. Much can be learned about the cannabis future from the tobacco past.

• Cannabis
• cigarettes
• drug use
• illicit drugs
• normalisation
• policy
• qualitative research
• smoking
• tobacco