Cannabis trading on Telegram channels: implications for the normalization of use and supply

Telegram, an encrypted messaging app, has become a platform for cannabis supply through dedicated trading groups. This study examines how retailers use Telegram for cannabis distribution and explores its potential role in normalizing cannabis use and supply. We aim to understand how these trading groups may be reshaping drug markets and influencing cannabis normalization processes.

A digital ethnographic approach was used to analyze 20 Israeli Telegram cannabis trading groups, with over 1000 members each. Data from 521 cannabis ads posted between April and May 2022 were thematically analyzed using an open coding approach.

The analysis revealed two key normalization processes: normalization of cannabis use through increased accessibility, knowledge dissemination, and medicalization, and normalization of cannabis supply through conventional marketing strategies combined with relationship-focused approaches that resonate with social supply elements.

Various forms of cannabis normalization processes are visible in Telegram-facilitated cannabis trade. This may have public health implications as it may be related to increasing cannabis use across diverse populations. However, normalization through Telegram may simultaneously provide users with detailed product information, promote informed decision-making, and encourage indigenous harm-reduction strategies. This paradoxical impact underscores the need for nuanced policy frameworks that address both the risks and the harm reduction opportunities inherent in knowledge-driven digital cannabis markets.