Social worlds and symbolic boundaries of cannabis users in Poland

Abstract

Many legislations and cultures undergo liberalization regarding cannabis use, and users in Poland make constant references to, and are part of, a burgeoning global cannabis culture. Still they have to relate to conservative drug discourses and legal frameworks. This paper explores this discrepancy between users’ experience on the micro level and the macro context in which they live. The aim is to explore the boundary making processes cannabis users engage in to detach themselves from punitive legislation and conservative social reactions. The concept of social worlds is used to theorize and better understand their situation. The boundaries between the users’ social worlds are analyzed with regard to conservative legal and social contexts, other progressive legislations and cultures, and the allegedly regressive Polish society. The study integrates qualitative data from three national studies of cannabis users and their environments. The boundary making around the users’ social worlds is used to maintain the safety and comfort of use, to get a sense of control over it, and it helps users continue their consumption of cannabis.

Keywords:

• Cannabis
• social worlds
• symbolic boundaries
• Poland

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the editors of the Special Issue for the encouragement and tireless support. We would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their inspiring critique.

Notes

1 The name is ‘Krajowe Biuro Przeciwdziałania Narkomanii’ or the ‘National Office for Counteracting Drug Addiction’. At the moment of submission of this text there is a merger of it and The State Agency for the Prevention of Alcohol-Related Problems under the umbrella of the new institution, ‘The State Agency for Addiction Prevention’ that further confirms our argument.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.