An Analysis of Risk Reduction among Organized Groups That Promote Marijuana and Psychedelic Drugs

Abstract

This article offers an ethnographic perspective on risk reduction among the many groups in the United States that are devoted to the promotion of marijuana and psychedelic drugs. These groups as a whole do not advocate the indiscriminate use of these substances, but instead offer marijuana and psychedelic drug users social support, and accurate information on how to use these drugs responsibly. A key finding of this study is that not only do these groups attempt to reduce the physical and psychological risks associated with drug use, but also reduce what they believe to be the greater risks associated with draconian laws against drugs, overzealous law enforcement practices, and mainstream views about marijuana and psychedelic drugs that are based on misinformation and prejudice.