Virtuous drug use in the neoliberal age

Abstract

Background: Agency over personal happiness has become established as a normative discourse within the self-interested agendas of neoliberal individuals. Within this context, we argue that it is possible to frame drugtaking as “virtuous.” Methods: We aim to: i) provide evidence that a neoliberal individualized presentation of drugtaking as “virtuous” is emerging; and ii) explore the processes by which such a framing is legitimated by society. Results: Findings suggest drugtaking can be constructed as “virtuous” when engaged in by good neoliberal citizens as part of the rational pursuit of personal happiness. Virtuous drug use, however, could not be styled as such unless it was legitimated by wider society through its congruence with prevailing norms. An examination of the recent rapid shift in construction of psychedelics demonstrates the methods by which drugtaking can be culturally accommodated and socially legitimated within the neoliberal context. Conclusion: Our presentation of virtuous drug use makes a significant contribution to the field because it offers an over-arching conceptual frame encapsulating the processes by which perceptions of illegal drug use undergo cultural transformation. Ultimately, however, we find that the construction of “virtuous” drug use protects the status quo and proliferates the inequalities prevalent in constructions of drugtaking.