Recreational cannabis use and identity formation: a collective memory work study

ABSTRACT

Until quite recently, cannabis was the most widely used illicit drug globally. Using collective memory work, this study focuses on experiences of cannabis use as part of young persons’ deviant leisure repertoire and explores its role in identity formation processes. The study included a group process of analyzing our own memories of early experience of cannabis use, as well as analysis of the group research meetings themselves. Three themes emerged from the analysis: 1. The construction of cannabis as both cool and dangerous; 2. Smoking cannabis for the first time as a rite of passage; 3. Cannabis smoking as an extraterritorial space that allows exploration and identity formation in adolescence/early adulthood. A fourth theme that emerged from the analysis of the group meetings is cannabis use as part of identity work in adulthood. The study demonstrates that the label “cannabis user” has had an important role in our identity formation.

KEYWORDS:

• Cannabis use
• purple leisure
• deviant leisure
• identity formation
• collective memory work

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 All names in the findings section are pseudonyms that were selected by each of the participants

2 Conscription into the army is mandatory in Israel for all Jewish citizens at the age of 18.

3 Israeli Jewish population is divided into Ashkenazi - Jews who came mostly from European countries – and Mizrahi – Jews who came from North African and Middle Eastern countries. These division denotes not only different origins, but also socio-economic class categories, where Askenazi Jews are considered to be the dominant group culturally and socio-economic wise.