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The Pot Project: An Ethnography of the Marijuana Culture at UMW

The Pot Project: An Ethnography of the Marijuana Culture at UMW. Katie Knoop & Mary Cornell. Methods. 7 in-depth face to face interviews, 1 phone interview : 4 females, 4 males All students enrolled at UMW Ages between 21-23 years old All Caucasian

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The Pot Project: An Ethnography of the Marijuana Culture at UMW

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  1. The Pot Project: An Ethnography of the Marijuana Culture at UMW Katie Knoop & Mary Cornell

  2. Methods • 7 in-depth face to face interviews, 1 phone interview: 4 females, 4 males • All students enrolled at UMW • Ages between 21-23 years old • All Caucasian • Half smoke relatively frequently (at least 4-6 times a week) • Half only on occasion (3-4 times a month) • 1 participant observation: 4/20 • 16 students: 5 males, 11 females

  3. Research Question(s) • Does marijuana use influence the college experience at UMW? How? • Are there notable sociological distinctions within this population that smoke? • How do preconceived notions of marijuana use affect social behaviors and academic productivity within college populations?

  4. Major Themes • Smoking creates a platform for socializing; most students interviewed preferred to smoke in a group setting • Men on average are more comfortable with marijuana than women at UMW • Marijuana use does not hinder productivity in academic and/or community involvement

  5. Social Platform • “I only smoke with other people, so I wouldn’t think of myself as a ‘pothead’”- Subject J (male) • 4/20 as a holiday for the marijuana subculture • Community bonding: provides a perceived judgment-free space for interaction • Symbolism of passing a bowl: no sense of ownership, “everyone can have a toke whether they paid for it or not” –Subject N (male)

  6. Gender Dynamic • “I almost prefer smoking to drinking because I have better control over my body and actions. It’s more relaxing and it enhances ordinary things”- Subject J (male) • “The improvement in quality of life is worth the potential repercussions. It improves daily activities; cleaning a bathroom high is a lot better than cleaning a bathroom sober” –Subject H (male) • “Smoking is not a cool, credible thing to do. It’s immature, and something people only want to do because it’s taboo” – Subject Na (female) • “I’m very uncomfortable after smoking, I feel vulnerable, like everything I say and do is being monitored” –Subject L (female)

  7. Academic/Community Involvement • Six subjects are employed along with being full time students • Five subjects actively participate in extracurricular activities • The majority of subjects take their academic career very seriously • “I smoke when I have time. School takes first priority right now, but if it’s the weekend and nothings going on I’d definitely bring out the bowl” –Subject A (female)

  8. 4/20 Participant Observation • Someone comments “welcome to the mist” as another joins the scene • Pot Luck Dinner where everyone brings something to eat and smoke • Communal sharing in a comfortable space • Two blunts were passed around in opposite directions while the HBO show Game of Thrones was playing • Economy of dignity within the cannabis subculture

  9. The End • Questions? • Comments? • Concerns?

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