Saying no to weed: Public opinion towards cannabis legalisation in Uruguay

Abstract

Aims: This research aimed to explore people's beliefs associated with opposition to cannabis legalisation in Uruguay. In 2014, Uruguay passed a national law regulating the production, sale and consumption of recreational marijuana. However, two-thirds of the Uruguayan public expressed disagreement towards the government's new policy. Methods: This study used logistic regressions on data from a national probabilistic sample of 1512 adults in Uruguay. Opinions and beliefs towards cannabis legalisation were collected in face-to-face interviews, using a battery of questions included in Vanderbilt University's AmericasBarometer national survey in 2014. Findings: Results showed that opposition to legalisation in Uruguay is independently associated with the beliefs that the new cannabis law will worsen the public security conditions in the country, that it will serve as a gateway to the use of harder drugs, and that the law will ultimately be ineffective to curb illegal trafficking. They also showed the importance of political ideology. Conclusions: Public views towards cannabis liberalisation are more intertwined with concerns about public security and apprehension that it will open the gate to heavier drugs than with concerns about individual health and demographic factors. The paper underscores the importance of belief systems and political socialisation over personal behaviour of use.

The status of support for cannabis regulation in Uruguay 4 years after reform: Evidence from public opinion surveys

“…First, they show that acceptance of the cannabis law has increased in Uruguay, and that approval of the legislation is consistently higher among young people, residents of the capital, Montevideo, and especially among individuals with previous use of marijuana. These results complement what other studies have found in the early stages of the implementation of the law in Uruguay , and follow similar patterns found in other countries undergoing legalisation initiatives . They also suggest that changes in public opinion are occurring slowly.…”

Drug Legalization, Elite Support, and Government Effectiveness in Latin America

“…As regards the effects of individual or family income, (Degenhardt et al, 2008) find evidence that higher individual incomes are associated to higher consumption of all kinds of drugs, both legal and illegal. To the contrary, other studies find no evidence for income as a predictor in public support (Cruz et al, 2016: 5).…”

“…Education is another key determinant. Individuals with higher studies are more likely to support drug legalization (Cruz et al, 2016). As regards the effects of individual or family income, (Degenhardt et al, 2008) find evidence that higher individual incomes are associated to higher consumption of all kinds of drugs, both legal and illegal.…”

“…First, it provides empirical evidence of support by elites (specifically members of the parliaments) as well as its main determinants, in a region characterized by top-down processes. Second, our comparative approach includes the 18 aforementioned countries, while most related studies have been less than truly comparative, with some important exceptions (Cruz et al, 2016; Mendiburo-Seguel et al, 2017). Third, this comparative study of elite opinion in the region is focused on drug legalization and not limited to a specific type (the usual focus being marijuana).…”

International Perspectives on the Implications of Cannabis Legalization: A Systematic Review & Thematic Analysis

“…In Uruguay, public views towards cannabis liberalisation were intertwined with concerns about public security and apprehension that it will open the gate to heavier drugs (like amphetamines or opioids) rather than with concerns about individual health and demographic factors [34].…”