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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Info-communicationnal approach of medical cannabis self-medication : analysis of figures mobilized in knowledge legitimation within a community dedicated to cannabis practical know how

subject

description

This thesis proposes an infocommunicational approach to self-medication with medical cannabis. We question the logic of knowledge legitimization in a context where the coercive power of the French state is exercised. We seek to understand how the use of cannabis is determined in a radically constrained legislative framework, for users in a recreational or self-medication approach, but also for doctors and patients in a medical approach. To do this, we analyze the processes of knowledge legitimization that allow the development of practical know-how allowing individuals to consume cannabis in a self-medication approach within clandestine health communities of practice, supported by participatory digital communication devices. The first part of this work concerns the construction of our infocommunicational approach of participatory devices for the mediation of cannabis knowledge. In the second part, we develop the epistemological and methodological elements necessary for the empirical analysis of cannabis knowledge mediation taking place on forums. In the third part, of analysis of the results and discussion, we identify central sensitizing concepts for self-medication with therapeutic cannabis. We propose a typology of expertise and logics of legitimization of knowledge, which we qualify as institutional, esoteric and self-educated. From this, we question the normative dimensions of communication on these health related participatory digital spaces, in connection with these logics of legitimation. We then analyze the agentive figures around sensitizing concepts in processes of legitimization applied to practical know-how of production, transformation and consumption of therapeutic cannabis. Finally, we question the emancipatory potential of these discussion spaces, emancipation vis-à-vis the strategic communication of merchants and the absence of prescriptive discourse from the health authority.