The objective of this paper was to study the family context among marijuana users and non-users. Moscovici's theory of social representations, as well as some considerations from Becker and Foucault, was used as theoretical basis for data analysis. The empirical research included sixty university students from Rio de Janeiro, 17-30 years old, of both sexes. Using a questionnaire with open questions, we requested participants to freely describe their family members. The answers were treated according to content analysis principles, followed by chi-square tests. The results presented significant differences between both groups. Among marijuana users, authority and emphasis of social roles predominated, family interactions being characterized by emotional emphasis and idealization. Among non-users, authority coexisted with interpersonal relations characterized by fellowship and sharing, in a family context where practices of protection and care prevailed instead of expressions of affection. We can assert that the role of families in drug use prevention is associated to promoting autonomy, differentiation and guaranteeing a youngster's own space.
marijuana; social representations; family; youngsters
