Cannabis, identity, and attitudes: a qualitative study in adolescents who do and do not use cannabis

Abstract

Background and objective: Cannabis use during adolescence is common. Cannabis use and identity are thought to influence one another. This study aimed to examine what London-based adolescents (aged 16-17 years) think about cannabis use, its relationships with identity, and its benefits and harms. Method: Three semi-structured focus groups interviews were conducted, two with adolescents who use cannabis (n=3 and n=5) and one with adolescents who do not use cannabis (n=6). Participants also completed a drug-use questionnaire. Results: Thematic analysis (TA) revealed four identities. Two identities emerged from both groups: ′The person who uses cannabis is chilled′ and ′The person who uses cannabis is sometimes ostracised′. Two identities emerged from the group of adolescents who used cannabis: ′The person who uses cannabis is an expert in risky things′ and ′The person who uses cannabis is not addicted ′. Skunk was identified as potentially more harmful than hash, but more powerful and pleasurable. Conclusion: The findings provide insight into how cannabis use shape personal and social identity amongst teenagers in London in the late 2010s. Those who use cannabis described the benefits of cannabis, including socialising and for relaxation, and emphasised they are not addicted. Stigmatising and devaluing attitudes were held by some non-users about adolescents who use cannabis. Stereotypes seem to still exist, despite cannabis normalisation. Implications for research and policy are outlined.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Funding Statement

This study did not receive any funding

Author Declarations

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

Yes

The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

Ethics Committee of University College London (UCL) gave ethical approval for this work.

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Yes

I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

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Yes

Data Availability

All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors.

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