Cleansing Frames: How Digital ‘Consumer Reports’ of Cannabis and Psychedelics Normalise Drug-Taking and Neutralise its Counter-Cultural Potential
Isak Ladegaard
Sociology February 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1177/00380385231160470 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative and computational analysis of consumer reports Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 3,788 |
| Population | Electronically published consumer reports of cannabis and psychedelic drugs |
| Duration | 2011–2017 |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | Report writers emphasize product quality, customer service, and transaction value, with no discussions of legality, morality, or counter-cultural ideas, indicating that drug e-commerce is primarily a normalizing force. |
Abstract
Electronic drug markets enable calculative, impersonal trade between faceless strangers, but also intimate interaction between pseudonymous users. In this space, do people treat banned drugs as ordinary consumer products that can be purchased from anyone? Or do drug-takers frame their consumption as a counter-cultural activity? To answer these questions, I use qualitative and computational research methods to analyse 3788 electronically published consumer reports of cannabis and psychedelic drugs from the period 2011–2017. I find that report writers emphasise product quality, customer service and transaction value, and devote less attention to the social and political sides of drug-taking. Discussions about legality, morality and counter-cultural ideas are completely absent from the texts, even in psychedelic reports, which detail profound effects. These findings suggest that drug e-commerce is primarily a normalising force, and that widening access to banned drugs is unlikely to disseminate counter-cultural perspectives.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychoactive substances as a last resort—a qualitative study of self-treatment of migraine and cluster headaches Users of online forums discussing cluster headache and migraine treatments | 2017 | Qualitative thematic analysis | |
| Psychoactive drug or mystical incense? Overview of the online available information on Spice products Web pages related to Spice products | 2009 | Qualitative study | n = 200 |
| Patterns, Trends, and Meanings of Drug Use by Dance-drug Users in Edinburgh, Scotland Clubbers in clubs and pre-club bars | 2004 | Cross-sectional survey with focus groups | n = 124 |
| Fascination and Social Togetherness-Discussions about Spice Smoking on a Swedish Internet Forum. Swedish internet forum users who posted reports about Spice intoxication | 2013 | Qualitative study | n = 40 |
| Cannabis as entheogen: survey and interview data on the spiritual use of cannabis. Participants recruited from seven online communities, median age 33, 81% male | 2020 | Mixed methods (qualitative interviews and quantitative survey) | n = 319 |
Citations in the library
Cites 3
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Long-lasting subjective effects of LSD in normal subjects Psychopharmacology September 16, 2017
- Day trip to hell: A mixed methods study of challenging psychedelic experiences Journal of Psychedelic Studies May 27, 2021