"Não espere precisar para apoiar": uso medicinal da maconha e associativismo canábico no Rio Grande do Norte

Abstract

This research investigates the individual and collective strategies for accessing the medicinal use of cannabis in Rio Grande do Norte through a qualitative study that also highlights the central role of cannabis associations. Using an ethnographic approach that combines bibliographic research, participant observation, and interviews, the study deepens the understanding of the social and legal dynamics surrounding the therapeutic use of the plant and contextualizes the debate on this issue within the national scenario. It also analyzes how these collaborative networks shape a new legal framework, challenging prohibitionism and constructing narratives that legitimize its therapeutic use. Throughout the process, the disputes, resources, and practices mobilized by users and their families to overcome legal barriers are unveiled. The development of "lay expertise" and the articulation of legal and social actions are highlighted as key strategies. Overall, the results reveal the bureaucratic and stigmatizing challenges faced by those who claim the right to health, the tensions between different strategies of struggle, but also point to advances and the importance of associativism as a form of resistance to ensure the right to health.