”Legalize it!” En diskursanalys av debatten om cannabislegalisering i vissa dagstidningar under perioden 2000-2014.

Sammanfattning: The aim of this study was to investigate how the issue of the legalization of cannabis has been presented and changed over time (2000-2014) in the newspapers Aftonbladet, Svenska Dagbladet and Dagens Nyheter. More specifically, we aimed to investigate the pros and cons that have occurred, the different presentations of cannabis that we have observed and how the meaning of the word legalization looked like. We have limited our sample to three national newspapers including two morning papers and a tabloid. We have used a qualitative approach in the form of discourse analysis where, through an eclectic approach integrated concepts from critical discourse analysis and discourse theory. The main results we have found has been the development of the concept of legalization which initially involved a total legalization and total ban and later on a much more nuanced picture where the legalization of restrictions become prominent. We have also been able to discern that the image of cannabis during the time period become more normalized where more and more countries have chosen to legalize with restrictions. We could in our study identify that alcohol was a frequent argument for legalization and against legalization, further, could we in the end of our study identify the still legal drug spice as a strong argument for the legalization of cannabis because it is significantly harmful.