Hashish remains the most widely used drug globally, with an estimated 228 million users, influenced by various social contexts. The socio-cultural environment in which individuals live plays a significant role in shaping hashish’s use behavior. This study examines the influence of social environment on hashish use behavior, focusing on how different social contexts contribute to the patterns of hashish use among youth. Under the interpretive research paradigm, the study adopted a qualitative research approach. A snowball sampling technique was used to select participants for the study. Eleven in-depth interviews were conducted with young male aged 18–25 in District Bajaur of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The collected data was analyzed through a thematic data analysis technique using MAXQDA. The findings reveal that community environment, availability, social events, and glorified local discourses about Hashish create a social web that influences the youth towards Hashish.
AhmedB.Navid YousafF.SaudM.AhmadA. (2020). Youth at risk: The alarming issue of drug addiction in academic institutions in Pakistan. Children and Youth Services Review, 118(2020), 105385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105385
2.
AhmedS.SajidI. A.ShakeelS. (2022). Shrines, drugs, and mental health in South Asian culture: A case study of Rahman Baba Shrine, Peshawar Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Applied Social Sciences, 13(1), 23–43. https://doi.org/10.46568/pjass.v13i1.612
3.
AkersR. (2017). Social learning and social structure: A general theory of crime and deviance. Routledge.
4.
AliB.AliA.AliH. (2021). Sociological analysis of peer group and drug addiction at familial level in Swat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. PalArch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology, 18(10), 276–288.
5.
AliB.AliA.AliH.UllahS.BibiZ. (2020). A cross sectional analysis of familial life and drug addiction in Swat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Ilköğretim Online, 19(3), 3714–3728.
6.
BanduraA. (1977). Social learning theory (2, pp. 101–123). Prentice-Hall Google Scholar.
7.
BeckerG. S.MurphyK. M. (1988). A theory of rational addiction. Journal of Political Economy, 96(4), 675–700. https://doi.org/10.1086/261558
8.
BeckerH. S. (1953). Becoming a Marihuana user. American Journal of Sociology, 59(3), 235–242. https://doi.org/10.1086/221326
9.
BilgreiO. R.BuvikK.TokleR.ScheffelsJ. (2022). Cannabis, youth and social identity: The evolving meaning of cannabis use in adolescence. Journal of Youth Studies, 25(9), 1199–1214. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2021.1948513
10.
BradleyA. H. M.SalmonM.WohlM. J. A.HowardA. L. (2024). Impact of legalization on cannabis use, attitudes, and purchasing preferences: A repeated cross-sectional survey of Canadian young adults. Cannabis, 7(2), 65–76. https://doi.org/10.26828/cannabis/2024/000203
11.
BraunV.ClarkeV. (2012). Thematic analysis. American Psychological Association.
12.
BucknerJ. D. (2013). College cannabis use: The unique roles of social norms, motives, and expectancies. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 74(5), 720–726. https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.2013.74.720
13.
CantorN.SilvermanM.GaudreaultA.HuttonB.BrownC.Elton-MarshallT.ImtiazS.SikoraL.TanuseputroP.MyranD. T. (2024). The association between physical availability of cannabis retail outlets and frequent cannabis use and related health harms: A systematic review. The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, 32, 100708. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lana.2024.100708
14.
CaouetteJ. D.Feldstein EwingS. W. (2017). Four mechanistic models of peer influence on adolescent cannabis use. Current Addiction Reports, 4(2), 90–99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-017-0144-0
15.
ChaudharyH. (2024). Case study on the impact of cannabis legalization: Understanding through Canada & The Netherlands. Theseus.
16.
CohnA. M.AlexanderA. C.EhlkeS. J.SmithM. A.LoweryB.McQuoidJ.KendzorD. E. (2023). Seeing is believing: How cannabis marketing exposure is associated with cannabis use attitudes and behavior in a permissive medical cannabis policy environment. American Journal on Addictions, 32(4), 333–342. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajad.13390
17.
CreswellJ. W.PothC. N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage Publications.
18.
DaniulaityteR.NahhasR. W.WijeratneS.CarlsonR. G.LamyF. R.MartinsS. S.BoyerE. W.SmithG. A.ShethA. (2015). “Time for dabs”: Analyzing Twitter data on marijuana concentrates across the U.S. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 155, 307–311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.07.1199
19.
DumbiliE. W. (2020). Cannabis normalization among young adults in a Nigerian city. Journal of Drug Issues, 50(3), 286–302. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022042620912805
20.
ElgendiM. M.BartelS. J.SherryS. B.StewartS. H. (2024). Injunctive norms for cannabis: A comparison of perceived and actual approval of close social network members. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 22(1), 364–375. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-022-00878-y
21.
EnglishF.WhitehillJ. M. (2023). Risk factors for adolescent cannabis use in a state with legal recreational cannabis: The role of parents, siblings, and friends. Clinical Therapeutics, 45(6), 589–598. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinthera.2023.04.002
22.
EslavaD.Martínez-VispoC.Villanueva-BlascoV. J.ErrastiJ. M.Al-HalabíS. (2023). Dual alcohol and cannabis use in male and female adolescents: Relationships with family variables. Addictive Behaviors, 146, 107798. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107798
23.
FarrellyK. N.WardellJ. D.MarsdenE.ScarfeM. L.NajdzionekP.TurnaJ.MacKillopJ. (2023). The impact of recreational cannabis legalization on cannabis use and associated outcomes: A systematic review. Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, 17, 11782218231172054. https://doi.org/10.1177/11782218231172054
24.
FratilaI.BerdychevskyL. (2024). Phenomenological exploration of young adults’ recreational cannabis use experiences and associated leisure meanings. Journal of Leisure Research, 18(17), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2024.2355477
25.
GonçalvesP. D.MartinsS. S.GebruN. M.Ryan-PettesS. R.AllgaierN.PotterA.ThompsonW. K.JohnsonM. E.GaravanH.TalatiA.AlbaughM. D. (2024). Associations between family history of alcohol and/or substance use problems and frontal cortical development from 9 to 13 years of age: A longitudinal analysis of the ABCD study. Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science, 4(2), 100284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.100284
26.
González-Cano-CaballeroM.Torrejón-GuiradoM.-C.Cano-CaballeroM. D.Mac FaddenI.Barrera-VillalbaM.-D.-C.Lima-SerranoM. (2023). Adolescents and youths’ opinions about the factors associated with cannabis use: A qualitative study based on the I-change model. BMC Nursing, 22(1), 114. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01283-z
27.
GrigsbyT. J.LopezA.AlbersL.RogersC. J.ForsterM. (2023). A scoping review of risk and protective factors for negative cannabis use consequences. Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, 17, 11782218231166622. https://doi.org/10.1177/11782218231166622
HasanK. A. (1975). Social aspects of the use of cannabis in India. Cannabis and culture (pp. 235–246). Mouton Publishers.
30.
Hernández-SerranoO.GrasM. E.GactoM.BrugarolaA.Font-MayolasS. (2021). Family climate and intention to use cannabis as predictors of cannabis use and cannabis-related problems among young university students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(17), 9308. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179308
31.
HightS. K.ParkJ.-Y. (2018). Substance use for restaurant servers: Causes and effects. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 68, 68–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2017.09.012
32.
HinckleyJ.BhatiaD.EllingsonJ.MolineroK.HopferC. (2024). The impact of recreational cannabis legalization on youth: The Colorado experience. European Child \& Adolescent Psychiatry, 33(3), 637–650. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-022-01981-0
33.
HolmS.TolstrupJ.ThylstrupB.HesseM. (2016). Neutralization and glorification: Cannabis culture-related beliefs predict cannabis use initiation. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 23(1), 48–53. https://doi.org/10.3109/09687637.2015.1087967
34.
HuntG.MoloneyM.EvansK. (2010). Youth, drugs, and nightlife. Routledge.
35.
JanS. U. K.AlamH.KhanA. (2021). An analysis of risk factors associated with methamphetamine/ICE use in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Global Sociological Review, VI(I), 111–118. https://doi.org/10.31703/gsr.2021(vi-i).15
36.
KallioH.PietiläA.-M.JohnsonM.KangasniemiM. (2016). Systematic methodological review: Developing a framework for a qualitative semi-structured interview guide. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 72(12), 2954–2965. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13031
37.
KandelD. B. (1985). On processes of peer influences in adolescent drug use: A developmental perspective. Advances in Alcohol \& Substance Abuse, 4(3–4), 139–163. https://doi.org/10.1300/J251v04n03_07
38.
KellowayE. K.DimoffJ. K.GilbertS. (2023). Mental health in the workplace. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10(1), 363–387. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-050527
39.
Khaliq JanS. U.AliA.NiqabM.IqbalS. (2022). Causes of initiation of methamphetamine use in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: A qualitative study. Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, 9(3), 264–268. https://doi.org/10.5152/addicta.2022.22030
40.
KhanM.AlamI.UllahA. (2022). Analysing the social exclusion and extent of drug addiction among youth in rural areas of Dir Lower, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Journal of Humanities, Social and Management Sciences (JHSMS), 3(1), 230–242. https://doi.org/10.47264/idea.jhsms/3.1.16
41.
KhlatM.Van CleemputO.BricardD.LegleyeS. (2020). Use of tobacco, alcohol and cannabis in late adolescence: Roles of family living arrangement and socioeconomic group. BMC Public Health, 20, 1356–1359. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09476-w
42.
KivuvaS. N.MuasaW. P. (2023). Role of family functioning in substance addiction among emerging adults in Ongata Rongai Sub county in Kajiado county, Kenya. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 7(IX), 1941–1950. https://doi.org/10.47772/ijriss.2023.71057
43.
KohekM.Sánchez AvilésC.RomaníO.BousoJ. C. (2021). Ancient psychoactive plants in a global village: The ritual use of cannabis in a self-managed community in Catalonia. International Journal of Drug Policy, 98, 103390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103390
44.
KorhonenT.HuizinkA. C.DickD. M.PulkkinenL.RoseR. J.KaprioJ. (2008). Role of individual, peer and family factors in the use of cannabis and other illicit drugs: A longitudinal analysis among Finnish adolescent twins. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 97(1–2), 33–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2008.03.015
45.
KourgiantakisT.VicknarajahR.LoganJ.EdwardsT.LeeE.CraigS.KauraA.WilliamsC. C.MarshallS. (2024). Understanding youth and young adult cannabis use in Canada post-legalization: A scoping review on a public health issue. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 19(1), 30. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-024-00615-9
46.
KuckartzU.RädikerS. (2019). Analyzing qualitative data with MAXQDA. Springer.
47.
LadegardK.BhatiaD. (2023). Impact of cannabis legalization on adolescent cannabis use. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, 32(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2022.07.001
48.
LiZ.ChoiS.ForrestJ. Y.-L. (2023). Understanding peer pressure on joint consumption decisions: The role of social capital during emerging adulthood. Young Consumers, 24(1), 18–39. https://doi.org/10.1108/yc-03-2022-1494
49.
LoffredoC. A.BoulosD. N. K.SalehD. A.JillsonI. A.GarasM.LozaN.SamuelP.ShakerY. E.OstrowskiM.-J.AmrS. (2015). Substance use by Egyptian youth: Current patterns and potential avenues for prevention. Substance Use & Misuse, 50(5), 609–618. https://doi.org/10.3109/10826084.2014.997391
50.
MaxwellK. A. (2002). Friends: The role of peer influence across adolescent risk behaviors. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 31(4), 267–277. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1015493316865
51.
McLoughlinA. (2024). Why do people use drugs? A neglected question. Irish Journal of Medical Science (1971-), 193(1), 329–333. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-023-03416-4
52.
MicinskiN. J. (2014). Simulated sessions: Cannabis (sub) culture, the subcultural repository, and networked mediation. Bowling Green State University.
53.
Moscrop-BlakeK.LealW. E.LehmannP. S. (2024). Attachment to parents and adolescents’ marijuana use, attitudes, and perceptions: Assessing the role of county-level dispensaries. Journal of Criminal Justice, 93, 102224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2024.102224
54.
NeighborsC.FosterD. W.WalkerD. D.KilmerJ. R.LeeC. M. (2013). Social identity as a moderator of the association between perceived norms and marijuana use. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 74(3), 479–483. https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.2013.74.479
55.
OesterleS.McNeishD.GuttmannovaK.SkinnerM.KuklinskiM.HawkinsJ. D. (2024). Young adults’ cannabis environments and their cannabis use and Misuse. Journal of the society for social work and research.
56.
ParkerC.ScottS.GeddesA. (2019). Snowball sampling. Sage Research Methods Foundations.
57.
ParkerH.AldridgeJ.MeashamF.HaynesP. (1999). Illegal leisure: The normalisation of adolescent recreational drug use. Oxford University Press.
58.
PiddK.BoeckmannR.MorrisM. (2006). Adolescents in transition: The role of workplace alcohol and other drug policies as a prevention strategy. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 13(4), 353–365. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687630600700137
59.
PrimackB. A.KraemerK. L.FineM. J.DaltonM. A. (2009). Media exposure and marijuana and alcohol use among adolescents. Substance Use & Misuse, 44(5), 722–739. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826080802490097
60.
SandbergS. (2013). Cannabis culture: A stable subculture in a changing world. Criminology & Criminal Justice, 13(1), 63–79. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748895812445620
61.
SaundersB.SimJ.KingstoneT.BakerS.WaterfieldJ.BartlamB.BurroughsH.JinksC. (2018). Saturation in qualitative research: Exploring its conceptualization and operationalization. Quality & Quantity, 52(4), 1893–1907. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-017-0574-8
62.
ScotlandJ. (2012). Exploring the philosophical underpinnings of research: Relating ontology and epistemology to the methodology and methods of the scientific, interpretive, and critical research paradigms. English Language Teaching, 5(9), 9–16. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v5n9p9
63.
StatonM.KaskieB.BobittJ. (2024). The changing cannabis culture among older Americans: High hopes for chronic pain relief. In B. Kaskie, and B. Bobitt (eds). Cannabis (pp. 66–76). Routledge.
64.
SukainaM.ShehryarM.TahirM. J.HananA.AliN.AhmedK.LeeK. Y. (2023). Impact of cannabis consumption on public health: A Pakistani viewpoint. Ethics, Medicine and Public Health, 27, 100870. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jemep.2023.100870
65.
TaylorM.CousijnJ.FilbeyF. (2019). Determining risks for cannabis use disorder in the face of changing legal policies. Current Addiction Reports, 6(4), 466–477. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-019-00288-6
66.
TrangensteinP. J.WhitehillJ. M.JenkinsM. C.JerniganD. H.MorenoM. A. (2019). Active cannabis marketing and adolescent past-year cannabis use. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 204, 107548. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107548
UllahR.ScholarM. S.AkramM. B.AbbasZ.TararM. A. (2020). Hashish use as health risk behaviour among students in district Bajaur of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Ilkogretim Online, 19(4), 7773–7783.
69.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2013). World drug report 2013. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
70.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2024). World Drug Report 2024. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
71.
Vallentin-HolbechL.RasmussenB. M.StockC. (2017). Are perceptions of social norms regarding peer alcohol and other drug use associated with personal use in Danish adolescents?Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 45(8), 757–764. https://doi.org/10.1177/1403494817724313
72.
WalkerD. D.NeighborsC.RodriguezL. M.StephensR. S.RoffmanR. A. (2011). Social norms and self-efficacy among heavy using adolescent marijuana smokers. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 25(4), 727–732. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024958
73.
WhitehillJ. M.TrangensteinP. J.JenkinsM. C.JerniganD. H.MorenoM. A. (2020). Exposure to cannabis marketing in social and traditional media and past-year use among adolescents in states with legal retail cannabis. Journal of Adolescent Health, 66(2), 247–254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.08.024
74.
WohlfarthL. S. (2024). Exploring social influences on alcohol consumption: An analysis of social context and perceived social norms among students from The Netherlands. University of Twente.
75.
ZinbergN. E. (1984). Drug, set, and setting: The basis for controlled intoxicant use. Yale University Press.
