Caring is sharing: drug demand and Portuguese drug policy

Drug markets vary according to place and culture, which includes the legal framework. A series of studies, including Portuguese ethnographies, that focus on the retail-level distribution of drugs present an overall fragmented picture challenging any simplistic dichotomic ideas about the status of agents in drug markets, such as users and dealers. Their relevance is based on the recognition that social ties - beyond purely commercial ones - play a meaningful role in the contexts of drug retail networks. Drawing on in-depth interviews with drug users from urban upper social strata, we propose a descriptive analysis that examines 1) the various roles played by these agents, 2) their sociocultural practices related to drug use, and 3) how they position themselves and act in response to legal prohibitions and potential law enforcement actions. The different roles identified – for example, users, social suppliers, dealers, and “not really dealers” – which overlap and clash with legal categories, illustrate how local drug policies can influence the landscape of drug use penalization.