New research describes the leisure motivations underlying young American adults’ recreational cannabis use

As of 2024, 24 states, including Virginia and Maryland, and DC have legalized the recreational use of cannabis by adults. As laws change, citizens’ perceptions of the drug and reasons for using the drug have also changed. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, in 2020, 34.5% of adults ages 18 to 25 reported using cannabis in the previous 12 months. Health experts are trying to better understand the broader implications of legalizations and individuals’ motivations and attitudes toward cannabis use.

New qualitative research by Iulia Fratila, assistant professor at George Mason University’s College of Public Health, and Liza Berdychevsky, associate professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, describes how young adults (ages 18-30) use cannabis regard it as a recreational and leisure activity.

The research is published in the Journal of Leisure Research.

“The legalization and liberalization of recreational cannabis is shifting in US states. More holistic approaches to understanding the perception of cannabis benefits and leisure motives are scarce due to the long-standing criminalization of cannabis,” said Fratila, the lead researcher. “This research provides new insights into cannabis users’ leisure motivations and perceived benefits, which can be strategically leveraged into public health and drug education efforts as society transitions from criminalization to normalization and commercialization trends related to cannabis.”

Participants in Fratila and Berdychevsky’s study suggest that cannabis can provide a relaxing state of mind (e.g. experiencing flow, relaxation and meditative states) but can also represent a leisure activity reserved for leisure (e.g. using cannabis for free as a reward , -obligations time outside the daily demands). In addition, participants described how cannabis serves as a leisure activity on its own (i.e., getting high) and/or as an activity associated with other leisure activities and socialization (e.g., getting high and going to the movies), while also producing pleasurable results . (e.g. enjoying, engaging in humor, heightening the senses).

“Participants discussed the ways in which their recreational cannabis consumption represents a controlled and calculated leisure choice with risks and benefits that is successfully managed for their overall well-being. Their stories highlight that this perceived leisure activity does not necessarily interfere with their otherwise productive lives,” Fratila said.

These insights can contribute to harm reduction approaches to cannabis education that may be more effective given the landscape of cannabis legalization and liberalization. Health educators and health promoters can discuss the risks of cannabis and potential negative health consequences, while recognizing the desired benefits that cannabis users expect.

Fratila warns of the consequences of widespread legalization and emerging recreational cannabis markets, highlighting another meaningful implication related to the study findings.

“Under prohibition, recreational cannabis use is explicitly framed as deviant, criminal, harmful, life-threatening and [de]without any potentially desirable leisure qualities (e.g., fun, socialization). This study demonstrates cannabis users’ understanding of cannabis as normative recreation and its expected leisure benefits,” said Fratila.

She further explained: “However, this is a cautionary tale as these desirable traits can be easily exploited. More specifically, society may face a new conundrum with the commercialization of recreational cannabis, as the move from criminalization to commercialization oversimplifies and glorifies the leisure activity. meanings of cannabis for profitable gain.”

According to Fratila, public health experts and scientists will need to be on the front lines, in collaboration with other fields, to monitor how cannabis is being repositioned and accommodated in a cannabis-friendly society. In particular, it will be important to take the lead in effective health promotion efforts that minimize associated harm and maximize well-being.

This was a qualitative research project using hermeneutic phenomenology, a research method for studying how experiences influence daily practice, and in-depth interviews with 16 individuals (aged 18 to 30) living in US states with legalized recreational cannabis.