Lau Nicholas, Sales Paloma, Averill Sheigla, Murphy Fiona, Sato Sye-Ok, Murphy Sheigla
Centre for Substance Abuse Studies, Institute for Scientific Analysis, 390 Fourth Street, Second Floor, Suite D, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA.
Centre for Substance Abuse Studies, Institute for Scientific Analysis, 390 Fourth Street, Second Floor, Suite D, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA.
Int J Drug Policy. 2015 Aug;26(8):709-18. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2015.03.008. Epub 2015 Mar 30.
Cannabis use is becoming more accepted in mainstream society. In this paper, we use Zinberg's classic theoretical framework of drug, set, and setting to elucidate how older adult cannabis users managed health, social and legal risks in a context of normalized cannabis use.
We present selected findings from our qualitative study of Baby Boomer (born 1946-1964) cannabis users in the San Francisco Bay Area. Data collection consisted of a recorded, in-depth life history interview followed by a questionnaire and health survey. Qualitative interviews were analyzed to discover the factors of cannabis harm reduction from the users' perspectives.
Interviewees made harm reduction choices based on preferred cannabis derivatives and routes of administration, as well as why, when, where, and with whom to use. Most interviewees minimized cannabis-related harms so they could maintain social functioning in their everyday lives. Responsible and controlled use was described as moderation of quantity and frequency of cannabis used, using in appropriate settings, and respect for non-users. Users contributed to the normalization of cannabis use through normification.
Participants followed rituals or cultural practices, characterized by sanctions that helped define "normal" or "acceptable" cannabis use. Users contributed to cannabis normalization through their harm reduction methods. These cultural practices may prove to be more effective than formal legal prohibitions in reducing cannabis-related harms. Findings also suggest that users with access to a regulated market (medical cannabis dispensaries) were better equipped to practice harm reduction. More research is needed on both cannabis culture and alternative routes of administration as harm reduction methods.
大麻使用在主流社会越来越被接受。在本文中，我们运用津伯格经典的药物、心境和环境理论框架，以阐明在大麻使用常态化的背景下，老年大麻使用者如何应对健康、社会和法律风险。
我们展示了对旧金山湾区婴儿潮一代（出生于1946年至1964年）大麻使用者进行的定性研究的部分结果。数据收集包括一次有记录的深入生活史访谈，随后是一份问卷和健康调查。对定性访谈进行分析，以从使用者的角度发现减少大麻危害的因素。
受访者根据偏爱的大麻衍生物和给药途径，以及使用大麻的原因、时间、地点和对象来做出减少危害的选择。大多数受访者将与大麻相关的危害降至最低，以便在日常生活中维持社交功能。负责任和有节制的使用被描述为控制大麻使用的数量和频率、在适当的环境中使用以及尊重不使用者。使用者通过规范行为促进了大麻使用的常态化。
参与者遵循仪式或文化习俗，其特点是有一些有助于界定“正常”或“可接受”大麻使用的约束措施。使用者通过其减少危害的方法促进了大麻的常态化。这些文化习俗在减少与大麻相关的危害方面可能比正式的法律禁令更有效。研究结果还表明，能够进入受监管市场（医用大麻药房）的使用者更有能力实施减少危害措施。关于大麻文化和作为减少危害方法的替代给药途径，都需要开展更多研究。
