Experience of Cannabis Use from Adolescence to Adulthood in France: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
S. F. Rezag Bara, M. Mary-Krause, S. Wallez, Jean-Sébastien Cadwallader
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health March 1, 2023 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20054462 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | Adults over 30 years old in France with a history of cannabis use or current use, recruited from the TEMPO cohort, who reported using cannabis for medical reasons |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Five superordinate themes explained continued cannabis use after age 30: soothing a traumatic experience, an ambivalent relationship with cannabis and close relatives, viewing cannabis as a known soft drug comparable to alcohol or tobacco despite what the authors call illogical demonization, recreational use during experimentation, and a paradoxical desire for exemplary parenting. The authors propose that cannabis's internal appeasement stems from a struggle to appease a violent external situation. |
Abstract
Levels of cannabis use are high during adolescence, but the proportion of cannabis users among adults is also progressing, often for medical reasons. This study describes the reasons and motivations for using medical cannabis among adults over 30 years old in France. This qualitative study was performed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis. People with a history of cannabis use or current cannabis users were recruited from the TEMPO cohort. Homogeneous purposive sampling was applied among those using medical cannabis. Twelve participants, among thirty-six who reported using cannabis for medical reasons, were selected and interviewed. Five superordinate themes were identified in the analysis: 1—soothing a traumatic experience through cannabis use; 2—an ambivalent relationship with the user and cannabis and with the user and close relatives; 3—cannabis, a known soft drug comparable to alcohol or tobacco, leading to an illogical demonization; 4—recreational use in the context of experimentation; and 5—a paradoxical desire for exemplary parenting. In this first recent study to describe the reasons and views adults have in order to continue using cannabis after 30 years of age, we identified ways to explain this consumption. The internal appeasement provoked by cannabis stems from a struggle to appease a violent external situation.
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 |