Cannabis in Colorado: Is Weed Normal Now?

• In Event: Social Movements & Crime Prevention

Abstract

International research has examined the normalization of marijuana, explaining the diminished stigma associated with the drug. This study implements this approach to explore the residual stigma associated with marijuana in Colorado, the first state in the United States to legalize the drug in a recreational capacity. Interviews with three independent samples are utilized to triangulate the stigma of marijuana as a social object: marijuana users, dispensary workers, and dispensary owners. Analyzing talk as action, stigma is embedded in the normalization discourse of participants. These findings are discussed in the context of previous research in other Western countries.

Author

• Andrew J. Thompson, University of Northern Colorado