Title of Paper

Weeding Through Resident Perceptions of Cannabis Tourism Using Critical Discourse Analysis

Author Bios (50 Words for each Author)

Casey Moran is a PhD student in the Recreation, Sport, and Tourism Department at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He research focuses on the impact of tourism development on residents, cultural or heritage tourism, and the interplay of power dynamics in tourism for development.

Abstract (150 Words)

This research uses critical discourse analysis to investigate resident perceptions of cannabis tourism. It is founded in concepts of post-structural feminism and uses the lens of Foucauldian biopower to understand the hegemonic social forces that enforce social norms around recreational cannabis use. Two focus groups were conducted in a mid-sized Midwestern town. Photo elicitation was used to prompt perspectives of potential recreational cannabis users of cannabis tourists. Critical discourse analysis revealed that cannabis tourism is still in a state of flux. While residents recognize the economic benefits, normative concerns remain and may serve as a barrier to resident acceptance and support of cannabis tourism in their community. The novel photo elicitation method introduced could be applied to other tourism marketing research. There are also practical and theoretical implications for cannabis tourism management such as targeted marketing campaigns and potential functional characteristics of attractions.

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Weeding Through Resident Perceptions of Cannabis Tourism Using Critical Discourse Analysis

This research uses critical discourse analysis to investigate resident perceptions of cannabis tourism. It is founded in concepts of post-structural feminism and uses the lens of Foucauldian biopower to understand the hegemonic social forces that enforce social norms around recreational cannabis use. Two focus groups were conducted in a mid-sized Midwestern town. Photo elicitation was used to prompt perspectives of potential recreational cannabis users of cannabis tourists. Critical discourse analysis revealed that cannabis tourism is still in a state of flux. While residents recognize the economic benefits, normative concerns remain and may serve as a barrier to resident acceptance and support of cannabis tourism in their community. The novel photo elicitation method introduced could be applied to other tourism marketing research. There are also practical and theoretical implications for cannabis tourism management such as targeted marketing campaigns and potential functional characteristics of attractions.